Energy

Activists push safeguards to protect UC Berkeley in research deal with BP

May 17, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights also called on the regents to prohibit the British oil company from conducting secret research at the public university and from using UC's name in marketing campaigns without the regents' approval. "This is such a big deal that it can set the tone and dominate the nature of research at UC," said John Simpson, an advocate for the foundation. "The regents must act to defend the academic integrity of one of the nation's premier public institutions."</p>

Restrict Big Oil’s effort to green-wash image through UC

May 17, 2007  ·  John M. Simpson

<p class="source">San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>If BP and the University of California system decide upon a partnership, some minimum standards must be met: The University of California should control the direction and the results of the research. Any patented discoveries should be licensed to all comers on a non-exclusive basis. Secret proprietary research should not be allowed on campus. Any BP marketing efforts using the UC name should be approved on a case-by-case basis by the regents themselves.</p>

Gas prices, anger march in lock step

May 16, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Oakland Tribune (California)</p> <p>The news that AAA is calling for an investigation is significant, said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, a consumer advocacy group. "When AAA calls for an investigation, even the Republicans must start to think there's a dysfunctional market here," Court said. "There's no reason prices should go up 14 cents in a month when crude oil prices are stable."</p>

BP Berkeley Venture Means Big Money, Big Controversy

May 14, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Dow Jones Energy Service</p> <p>Berkeley must not become "a green wash for one of the world's largest oil companies," said a letter sent by FTCR to two of the university's top administrators and California's Lt. Governor John Garamendi. The letter said Berkeley should spike the deal if BP insists on control. </p>

Big Oil buys Sacramento;

May 14, 2007  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Who's afraid of Big Oil? Apparently, California's elected officials. Gasoline prices are stuck well above last year's record highs and about 50 cents above the national average. Yet state politicians are not saying or doing a thing, except for raking in political cash from the oil companies and flying around the world on their dime.</p>

Big Oil buys Sacramento;

May 14, 2007  ·  Jamie Court

<h3>Why you're not hearing a peep from California politicians on record-high gas prices.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Who's afraid of Big Oil? Apparently, California's elected officials. Gasoline prices are stuck well above last year's record highs and about 50 cents above the national average. Yet state politicians are not saying or doing a thing, except for raking in political cash from the oil companies and flying around the world on their dime.</p>

Consumer advocates say ‘hot fuel’ may inflate price at the pump

May 10, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>Fuel expands when temperatures rise, but most retail gas station nozzles don't adjust for volume differences based on temperature. That oversight means California motorists could be losing up to 3 cents on every gallon, or $480 million annually, according to an estimate by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "It's outrageous that Americans cannot rely on an honest measurement for every gallon of gasoline they pump," said the foundation's president, Jamie Court, in a recent letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.</p>

6 ways to lower gas prices

May 10, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">CNNMoney.com</p> <p>With record profits at Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP and other oil companies, it's no wonder a lot of Americans think they are getting fleeced by Big Oil. "I don't think they're meeting somewhere and saying 'oh, let's get the price up another 7 cents this weekend,'" said Judy Dugan, research director at the Center of Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "But they know very well they can make more money by making less gasoline."</p>

FTCR to Gov: Return Chevron money

May 10, 2007  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>"If Gov. Schwarzenegger keeps Chevron's cash and continues his political silence while Chevron robs California motorists blind, he's not just a girlie man, he's Chevron's girlie man," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation, in a statement. "To take $100,000 from Chevron at the same time as gas prices in California surpassed record highs is to spit in the face of Californians."</p>

Group Calls on Calif. Lawmakers to Act on Spiraling Gas Prices

May 9, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">CSNews.com</p> <p>"Oil companies have spent over $90 million on state politics since 2006 to buy political silence about high gasoline prices," alleged Jamie Court, president of FTCR. "It's time Governor Schwarzenegger bucked the $3,855,703 his political committees have received from the oil industry and forced a conversation about this problem. If Schwarzenegger refuses to even kick-start start the debate about an issue of this magnitude for California motorists and businesses, then he is the girlie man."</p>

Ill effects of gas prices

May 9, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Gabriel Valley Tribune (California)</p> <p>Getting more attention is the consumer-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which says, hold on a minute. It is not uncontrollable forces, but rather, oil companies squeezing more profits out of less revenues. For example, Exxon Mobil reported first quarter profits last month of $9.6 billion, a 10 percent bump from 2006, even while revenues were down. Even after investing in oil exploration -- something oil companies emphasize a lot during p.r. campaigns -- the Foundation reported Exxon still had $34.6 billion in cash on hand.</p>

You may not be getting all you pay for at the pump

May 9, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Consumer advocates want U.S. fuel retailers to install nozzles that compensate for temperature changes. "It's outrageous that Americans... cannot rely on an honest measurement for every gallon of gasoline they pump," Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said in a recent letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Court's group estimates that California drivers are losing at least 3 cents a gallon.</p>