The House Democrats are demanding that President Joe Biden use executive power to ban all new fossil fuel leases and waters on public lands and waters. They also want to see a phasing-out of fossil fuel development on public land. Climate action is stalled in Congress.
In a letter effort led by Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), the lawmakers said that it’s vital for Biden to take action so that the country has a chance of meeting its Paris Agreement pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent of 2005 levels by the end of the decade. They also stressed that action is crucial to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Biden administration Recently, took stepsAllow oil and gas drilling to be done in parts of the Gulf of Mexico resuming leasingEight states have public lands. In their letter, lawmakers expressed “grave concern” over this action, saying that it runs counter not only to what climate experts have been recommending to limit the worst impacts of the climate crisis, but also to Biden’s own campaign pledgesTo stop the leasing of fossil fuels.
U.S. public land is a major source of fossil fuel extraction, which is a major contributor in the climate crisis. 2018 report by the U.S. Geological Survey foundPublic land oil and gas extraction accounts for 25% of U.S. carbon emissions.
“While the oil and gas industry is Cynically exploiting the crisis in Ukraine to demand even more access to our public lands, turning even more lands over for drilling will not offer relief at the pump or aid to the people of Ukraine,” the letter reads. “We need real climate leadership today, and that starts with canceling the leases offered and/or sold in June and issuing a final five-year offshore leasing plan with no new leases.”
Taylor McKinnon, Senior Public Lands Campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity, echoed the Democrats. “Big Oil is Price-gouging for the public and then using its profiteering as an excuse to worsen the climate emergency with new federal fossil fuel leasing,” McKinnon said in a statement.
27 Democrats signed the letter, including Representatives Jamaal Bowlman (New York), Cori Bus (Missouri), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [New York], Ilhan Omar (“D-Minnesota”) and Ayanna Pressley (“Massachusetts”). It comes after conservative coal baron Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) killed Democrats’ climate plans last week, which will likely doom the planet to experience worse climate catastrophes for decades to come.
Biden was asked by lawmakers to initiate the process of phasing-out oil and gas production from federal lands and to end the administration’s offshore leases. “The climate science is clear and uncompromising,” they wrote. “You and your administration have the authority and a clear pathway to address the quarter of U.S. climate emissions that come from fossil fuel extraction on public lands.”
Climate advocates have been frustrated by Biden’s moves to exacerbate the climate crisis over his first year in office. While world leaders gathered at COP26 last year, Biden’s actions to exacerbate the climate crisis were a disappointment. administration heldThe largest oil and gas lease sale ever. Biden was inaugurated and put an end to new fossil leases. However, his administration continued to sell them over the months that followed. maintained a friendly relationshipWith the fossil fuels industry.
Climate advocates were similarly disappointed when the White House suggested that Biden might be considering declaring an emergency to address the climate crisis. is holding offThe declaration must be made by the end at least of the week If ever. Climate advocates say declaring a climate emergency isBiden can only take the minimum actions to combat the climate crisis. This includes ending any new fossil fuel leases or permits.
