A new bombshell investigation from F Minus released this month found more than 1,500 lobbyists in the United States are working on behalf of fossil fuel companies while, at the same time, representing some of our favorite cities, universities, public school districts, tech companies, restaurants, sports teams, museums, environmental groups, and even ski resorts. That’s certainly not to say these organizations are being disingenuous, but it does create vulnerability since lobbyists can share information between clients, and it creates conflicts of interest if a pro-environment organization is represented by a lobbyist tasked with lobbying against a pro-environment bill on behalf of a fossil fuel client. Ethan breaks down some of the nuance necessary to understand this investigation, argues why the fossil fuel industry is making a poor business decision investing so heavily into lobbying, and invites you to The Sweaty Penguin’s “Fossil Fuel Correspondents Dinner” to meet some of the notable and surprising organizations hiring fossil fuel lobbyists in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.”

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS
Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Emma Quarequio
Fact Checker: Mikaela Gonzalez
Editor: Megan Antone
Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano, Owen Reith
Ad Voiceover: Madeleine Salman
Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.