andeavor
<p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/washington-carbon-tax-big-oil-2616808725.html" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.ecowatch.com/washington-carbon-tax-big-oil-2616808725.html</a></font></p><h1 class="widgetheadline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a class="widgetheadline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/washington-carbon-tax-big-oil-2616808725.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; word-break: break-word; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"> Oil Pours Record $30M to Sway Voters Against Nation's First Carbon Tax</font></a></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url expanded" data-elid="2616808725" data-authors="Lorraine Chow" data-headline="Big Oil Pours Record $30M to Sway Voters Against Nation's First Carbon Tax" style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description"><div class="widgetbrief"><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">If voters approve <a href="https://www.sos.wa.gov/assets/elections/initiatives/finaltext_1482.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Initiative 1631</a> on Nov. 6, Washington state will take a significant step in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">climate action</a> by becoming the first state in the nation to enact a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/carbon-tax" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">fee on carbon emissions</a>. That is, unless <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/big-oil" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Big Oil</a> can stop it.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The U.S. oil industry has pumped a record $30 million to stop the carbon tax, which environmentalists have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/carbon-tax-robert-kennedy-jr-2077945567.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">tried to enact for years</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-carbon/big-oil-outspends-billionaires-in-washington-state-carbon-tax-fight-idUSKCN1N51H7" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Reuters</a> reported, citing state data. Meanwhile, proponents—including green groups and climate activist billionaires Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer and Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs—have spent $15.2 million.</font></p></div><div class="js-appear-on-expand" style="transition: all 350ms ease 0s; height: auto; overflow: hidden; opacity: 1;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">"With Big Oil spending $30 million, that makes it a real fight," Bill Holland, state policy director for the <a href="https://www.lcv.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">League of Conservation Voters</a>, told Reuters. "It has been a frightening amount of money."</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Washington ranks fifth in the nation in crude oil refining capacity for making gasoline and other petroleum products, according to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=WA" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Initiative 1631 imposes a starting fee of $15 per metric ton on carbon emissions, beginning in 2020. This fee rises $2 every year until the state hits its 2035 emissions reductions goals and is on track to meet its 2050 goals. If passed, the tax is expected to generate $2.3 billion in revenue for green infrastructure, clean transportation and help communities most impacted by pollution.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">A recent statewide <a href="https://crosscut.com/sites/default/files/files/2018_statewide_crosscut_elway_poll.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Crosscut/Elway Poll</a> among registered voters shows 50 percent approval of the measure, 36 percent opposed and 14 percent undecided, The opposition is led by the Western States Petroleum Association, a trade organization that has raised $31.2 million from energy companies and business groups for the "<a href="https://votenoon1631.com/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">No on 1631</a>" campaign—the most money ever spent in Washington state history to defeat a ballot initiative.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">BP America contributed the most with $11.5 million, followed by $7.2 million from Phillips 66 and Andeavor with $4.4 million, Reuters said. The three energy companies have refineries in the state. American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and Valero Energy Corporation also donated funds.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">The money has been spent on digital ads, flyers, mailers and television ads aired during this month's Major League Baseball World Series. Opponents say the tax will "be paid by Washington families and small businesses." </font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">R<span style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;">ELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</span></font></p><div class="around-the-web"><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/07/17/carbon-tax-climate-liability-waiver/" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Hidden gem for Big Oil in carbon tax plan: an end to climate liability ... ›</font></a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/6/22/17487488/carbon-tax-dividend-trent-lott-john-breaux" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">A carbon tax supported by big oil and Bush-era lobbyists. 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