Republicans, conservative pundits, and Big Oil took less then 24 hours after Russia invaded Ukraine for them to advocate for more oil drilling and fracking under the pretext of energy independence.
Climate change is a major factor journalists Amy Westervelt Kate AronoffNews outlets like BloombergConservative commentators like The Atlantic’s David Frum are calling for expanding oil production and fracking in response to the conflict, even though the U.S. is currently already producing near its limit.
“Fracking may be America’s most powerful weapon against Russian aggression,” read an op-edStarting at a BloombergColumnist who previously led a think tank that was funded by Standard Oil and the Koch family.
American Petroleum Institute (API). a Twitter threadJust as Vladimir Putinwas announcing terrorist attacks on Ukraine. “As crisis looms in Ukraine, U.S. energy leadership is more important than ever,” API wrote, encouraging the White House to lease and permit even moreDrilling on and offshore
Cheniere, a natural-gas exporter, gave an earnings call Thursday where Jack Fusco, the CEO, said that the invasion was good business. Aronoff reported. “It’s tragic what’s going on in Eastern Europe, and it saddens me to see the satellite images on the newscreen that we’ve all witnessed this morning,” Fusco said. “But if anything, these high prices, the volatility, drive even more energy security and long-term contracting.”
Conservative lawmakers also jumped on the Big Oil cronyism. Far right Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) posted a videoIn order to combat inflation, the federal government should immediately produce oil at full capacity. Boebert is close to the fossil fuel industry. Her husband is also a member of this industry. Has made hundreds of thousands of dollarsConsulting for Texas driller Terra Energy Partners.
In the meantime, Republicans are saying that Democrats’ “green agenda” and supposed “war on American oil and gas” is to blame for Putin’s invasion – nevermind the fact that Biden Oil and gas drilling permits approvedAt a higher rate that Trump did in 2021.
It’s extremely cynical to use this moment to encourage expanding fossil fuel production – and thus attempt to worsen the climate crisis – as thousands of people in Ukraine face instability, vicious attacksRussian forces create uncertainty. This moment is being exploited by Big Oil and conservatives for their profit. antiwar activistsRussia and Ukraine could risk their lives to protest the Russian invasion.
Experts concur that there’s not muchPresident Joe Biden can control gas prices. there’s little connectionThere is a difference between oil production prices and gas prices.
Instead, oil companies and gas corporations have already been making record profitsBy taking advantage of economic uncertainty and inflation, causing President Joe Bidenand other Democrats to inquire whether companies are breaking antitrust laws to increase their wealth. In fact, Thursday’s remarks revealed that Biden urged oil and gas companies to “not exploit this moment to hike their prices to raise profits.”
