Since 1994, the Green Scissors Campaign, led by Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common Sense and U.S. Public Interest Research Group, has been working with Congress and the Administration to end environmentally harmful and wasteful spending. Working to breach party lines, the Green Scissors Campaign has helped cut more the $26 billion in environmental wasteful programs from the federal budget.
Green Scissors 2010Green Scissors 2010 identifies more than $200 billion in wasteful government subsidies that are damaging to the environment and harmful to consumers. The report targets four major areas for budget cuts: energy, infrastructure, agriculture and biofuels, and public lands. Each section provides an overview, a summary of the spending cuts and a chart of recommended subsidy cuts. Undoubtedly there are more cuts that could and should be made, but this report is a first step to restoring fiscal sanity while also protecting our environment.
Read the report | Media release
Friends of the Earth’s new analysis shows that even though the oil and gas industry is experiencing record profits, it is set to receive at least $33 billion in handouts from taxpayers over the next five years. These companies stand to gain at least $23.2 billion from tax loopholes, $3.8 billion in royalty rollbacks, $1.6 billion in direct subsidies for research and development, and $4.3 billion through accounting gimmicks.
Read the report | Press release
The six fiscally sound and environmentally friendly "green budget" policies set for in this report show how Virginia can save tax payer dollars while discouraging waste and pollution and protecting Virgina's natural resources.
This report offers thirteen fiscally sound recommendations that could help Texan leaders ease the budget crisis and potentially free up more funds fo schools and more adequately fund important natural resource programs, while discouraging pollution and natural resource degradation.
The Green Scissors 2004 report focuses on particularly egregious policies and programs that should be addressed immediately. It targets five issues specifically:
This report is the fourth in a series of annual reports that provided recommendations that would improve California's environment and public health while restoring fiscal accountability.
Eleven fiscally sound and environmentally friendly "green budget" policies evaluated in this report could help the State of Maryland ease its budget crisis while discouraging waste and pollution
Green Scissors 2003 outlines 68 recommendations that would do much to protect our natural resources, reduce unnecessary government spending by more than $58 billion, and help guide our nation towards a more sustainable economic and ecological future.
