Green groups lament Senate’s punt on climate bill, blame coal and oil lobbies

Environmental groups expressed dismay Thursday at Democratic leaders’ decision to punt on bringing up climate change legislation before the August recess.

They groups used the decision — which is a major blow to winning greenhouse gas emissions curbs — to launch fresh attacks against the oil and coal industries and their Capitol Hill allies.

“Today, Big Oil and Big Coal, through their allies and appeasers in the Senate, appear to have succeeded in moving the control of dangerous carbon pollution to the back burner of the Senate. In doing so, they have put the interests of the oil, gas and coal industries ahead of America’s public interest,” said David Moulton, the Wilderness Society’s director of climate policy.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said he doubts the “political will” exists to tackle the issue this year.

“As a result of continued obstruction from every Republican senator and a few Democratic senators, the Senate is now on the brink of a colossal failure. This failure amounts to letting polluters off the hook while jeopardizing wildlife and our children’s future. While there is still time for the Senate to act on climate change, we have lost confidence that there is the political will to overcome the oil lobby,” he said in a prepared statement.