Land sides with Kochs’ opposition to pollution cuts 

**View the ad**

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) today released a new television ad highlighting Terri Lynn Land doing the bidding of the Koch Brothers by ignoring climate science and opposing limits on carbon pollution as their front groups work to buy her a Senate seat. The ad, “Koch Land 2,” begins airing this week in the Grand Rapids media market.

“Terri Lynn Land ignores climate science even though Michigan just experienced massive floods and an algae bloom that threatened drinking water,” said Daniel J. Weiss, LCV Senior Vice President for Campaigns. “The flood of Koch Brothers related money to support Land is more important to her than thousands of scientists warning about the damages from extreme weather and other climate impacts. We cannot trust Terri Lynn Land to do what’s right for Michigan.”  

“Terri Lynn Land sides with polluters, rather than Michiganders who are struggling to face climate-fueled extreme weather that is hitting home in the Great Lakes state. Gary Peters is showing true leadership by addressing climate change, standing up to the Koch Brothers and fighting to ensure our land, air and water are here and clean for future generations,” said Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.

The ad highlights that Land “does not agree” with her opponent, Rep. Gary Peters, “on the extent of the effect of human behavior on our climate.” Rep. Peters has said, “I think the science shows overwhelmingly that human activities have contributed a great deal towards climate change,” which is the same position as NASA and the vast majority of climate change scientists. After Peters criticized Land as a climate change denier, she released statements claiming “climate change is absolutely a reality” and there “is no denying that the climate is changing.” But she has still not acknowledged that human activities are the main cause of climate change.

Climate change currently causes more extreme storms, floods, and heat waves in Michigan. It’s already impacting the water quality in the Great Lakes and increasing the vulnerability of Michigan’s cherry, apple, peach and grape crops to devastating freezes.

The Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity has already spent more than $6 million attacking Rep. Peters, the most money spent by any single-group in the Senate race. The Koch-backed Freedom Partners also ran ads attacking Peters. Land also took thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Koch Industries.

Land continues to ignore climate change science to justify her position of letting polluters dump carbon pollution into our air without limits. Like AFP, Land opposes the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan to curb industrial carbon pollution. Documentation for the ad is available here.       

This ad is part of LCV’s $400,000 television ad campaign highlighting the support Land’s Senate campaign is receiving from the out’of-state oil billionaire Koch Brothers, who have used Michigan as a dumping ground for pollution. The first ad, “Koch Land,” was released on August 22nd. 

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters, www.lcv.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.