Clinton Endorsed By Group That Wants To End American Oil And Gas Production
On Thursday, the Sierra Club endorsed Hillary Clinton with a statement and a glowing op-ed from its executive director Michael Brune. Unsurprisingly, Brune forgot to mention the Sierra Club’s extreme plans to end American oil and gas production.
An Investor’s Business Daily editorial in April laid out the Sierra Club’s true feelings on American energy:
Here is what Lena Moffitt, who runs the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, says: “We have moved to a very clear and firm and vehement position of opposing gas. Our board recently passed a policy that we oppose any new gas-fired power plants. We also have a policy opposing fracking on our books.” … “I look forward to seeing the same success brought to taking down gas plants to ensure that we’re actually moving to a 100% clean energy future,” she continued.
The success Moffitt refers to is the Sierra Club’s role in putting coal miners out of work. The Washington Post reported in 2015 that the group “keeps a tally of canceled coal-fired power plants like trophies on a wall.”
This is one issue Clinton and the Sierra Club will agree on. No one can forget Clinton’s pledge to put coal miners “out of business” in March of this year.
The Sierra Club and Clinton also share a history accepting donations from the fossil fuel industry.
Clinton is the target of pressure from Greenpeace and rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) over her acceptance of contributions from individuals in the oil and gas industry. The Sierra Club, meanwhile, admitted in 2012 it took $26 million from a natural gas company in its efforts to “fight coal-fired powered plants.”
Despite their similarities, it remains unclear if Clinton will embrace the Sierra Club’s endorsement and sign on with their commitment to put more Americans working in the energy sector out of work.