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Real Politics writes about how two very distinct lobbying efforts directed at President Barack Obama over environmental and energy policy has been done very publicly....   >>>

Real Politics writes about how two very distinct lobbying efforts directed at President Barack Obama over environmental and energy policy has been done very publicly.



“More than 1,000 activists, ranging from celebrities and scientists to former Obama campaign organizers — have been arrested outside the White House, protesting the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport half a million barrels a day of carbon-intensive crude from oil-sands developments in western Canada. The other effort has been a bit quieter: representatives from industry groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute have heavily lobbied the White House to abandon a move by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen air-pollution regulations that limit smog.



So which lobbying campaign won out? Maybe not the one you'd expect for a President who came into office two and a half years ago with the greenest credentials in recent memory. On Sept. 2, President Obama shocked his environmental allies when he pulled back the proposed tougher smog standards, despite the fact that the EPA had been promising stronger rules for months. Meanwhile, the Keystone XL pipeline — which needs White House approval — seems almost certain to go forward, with a State Department assessment last month seen as largely in favor of the project and Administration officials signaling their support. Big business won while activists and environmentalists lost out.”



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