One reason is state capture, in which private interests gain control over a government’s decisionmaking processes to their own advantage. According to OpenSecrets, the top 20 oil and gas contributors in 2023 and 2024 donated nearly $173 million, of which more than $171 million, or 99%, went to Republican candidates or to conservative groups. While dismaying, it is not surprising that fossil fuel interests take precedence over what is best for the rest of us.