Tag: gas

  • Oil Change U.S. and Partners Launch ‘Gas Is Not Clean’ Campaign

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 1, 2021

    Contact:
    Collin Rees, collin@priceofoil.org
    Ellen Sciales, press@sunrisemovement.org

    Oil Change U.S. and Partners Launch ‘Gas Is Not Clean’ Campaign

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Oil Change U.S., Sunrise Movement, Evergreen Action, Sierra Club, Earthjustice, Working Families Party, Greenpeace USA, Indivisible, People’s Action, and other partners launched a joint Gas Is Not Clean campaign aimed at strengthening a potential Clean Energy Standard (CES) — also known as the Clean Energy Payment Program (CEPP) — by ensuring that gas is prohibited. The Gas Is Not Clean campaign will build pressure on politicians to commit to prioritizing truly clean, renewable energy and definitively excluding gas by making clear that gas is not clean, and that every stage of its production — from extraction to processing to transport to combustion — generates toxic air and water pollution.

    The groups and their allies on Capitol Hill are demanding members of Congress make it clear they will fight to keep gas out of a CEPP. The campaign website will track which members of Congress are supporting this priority, and will serve as a resource for House and Senate Leadership to see the broad support among their caucus for excluding gas from any definition of clean energy. The groups behind this campaign will be engaging members of Congress through digital amplification, email and social media campaigns, and local organizing efforts in-District. 

    This campaign comes ahead of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s anticipated September 13 mark-up session, in which the House committee will advance language for a new clean energy standard to constrain emissions. 

    “With climate disasters coming at us from every direction, the stakes of the reconciliation bill could not be higher. This is our moment to turbocharge the transition to a green, just economy, and the Clean Energy Standard can play a key role – but it needs to be as ambitious as possible on renewables, and it needs to exclude gas. This is not complicated, and we can’t allow the gas industry to confuse the issue. No fossil fuels, period.”
    — U.S.     Representative Jamaal Bowman, NY-16

    “The evidence is clear: Gas is a deadly fossil fuel that’s a disaster for the climate and communities. Any clean energy standard or payment program that allows gas would fly directly in the face of President Biden’s commitment to decarbonization. Clean energy means no gas and no other fossil fuels, period.”
    — Collin Rees, Campaign Manager, Oil Change U.S.

    “We’re making our politicians pick a side — are you with us or fossil fuel executives? The science is clear: there is nothing clean about gas. It’s a potent fossil fuel that pollutes the air we breathe, the water we drink, and is the reason Hurricane Ida intensified to the point of fatality and utter destruction. A CES that includes investments towards gas does not meet the scale of the climate crisis, and is a slap in the face to communities across the country who are facing climate disasters. We deserve a liveable future free of toxic pollution and catastrophic climate disasters. We will continue to pressure members of Congress until they exclude gas from the CES.”
    — Lauren Maunus, Advocacy Director, Sunrise Movement

    “Natural gas is a dirty fossil fuel. Just like oil, it pollutes the air and water wherever it is extracted, produced, and burned. The fossil fuel driven climate crisis is already bringing record heat waves, massive storms, and crippling droughts that are killing people and destroying communities across the country. Natural gas is nothing more than corporate PR and marketing teams trying to rebrand fossil fuels — if oil is Coke, natural gas is New Coke. We can’t afford a Clean Energy Payment Program that pays the fossil fuel industry to continue to destroy our planet and our communities.”
    — Ashley Thomson, Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace USA 

    “At a time when we have unprecedented wildfires, hurricanes, and devastating extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis it is well past time to listen to the science — gas is not clean. Indivisible demands a Clean Electricity Payment Program explicitly excludes gas. Anything less than that sanctions the pollution of our air, water, and communities.”
    — Ann Clancy, Senior Climate Policy Manager, Indivisible

    “A Clean Electricity Payment Program has the potential to displace polluting fossil fuels, secure pollution reductions in overburdened communities, and achieve a 100% carbon pollution-free electricity grid by 2035. Yet we can only achieve these goals if a CEPP does not incentivize or credit gas power generation, which would eliminate any possibility of reaching our GHG reduction commitments and avoiding the worst effects of climate change. In addition to emissions at power plants, when methane leaks are accounted for across the gas production, transmission, and distribution systems, the total GHG impact of gas power is nearly doubled, and the toxic waste left behind from the fracking process continues to harm communities across the country. Continuing to rely on gas will only further the environmental injustices faced by communities of Black, Indigeneous, and other people of color who already disproportionately bear the effects of pollution and climate change.”
     — Kass Rohrbach, Acting Director – Ready for 100, Sierra Club

    “Trying to stop the climate crisis with gas is like trying to put out a fire with gas. It will only make the problem worse.”
    — Jamie DeMarco, Federal & Maryland Policy Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network

    “We must ban all fossil fuels and greenhouse gas pollution immediately to mitigate the unfolding planetary disaster which Congress shamefully has failed to address.”
    — Todd Fernandez, Executive Director, Climate Crisis Policy

    The full list of groups joining the Gas is Not Clean campaign for today’s launch include:

    – Chesapeake Climate Action Network

    – Climate Crisis Policy

    – Earthjustice

    – Elders Climate Action

    – Evergreen Action

    – Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility

    – Greenpeace USA

    – Indivisible

    – Interfaith Power & Light

    – NDN Collective

    – Oil Change U.S.

    – People’s Action

    – Sierra Club

    – Sunrise Movement

    – Working Families Party

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  • Opposition to Ernie Moniz and Fossil Fuel Appointments Intensifies

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    November 25, 2020

    Contact:
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org
    Jamie Henn, jamie [at] fossilfree.media

    Website: NoMoniz.org
    Photos + Video: https://media.greenpeace.org/shoot/27MDHUSNP1M

    Opposition to Ernie Moniz and Fossil Fuel Appointments Intensifies

    Moniz’s extensive fossil fuel ties have made him a top target for climate activists

    Washington, D.C. — A broad coalition of climate, progressive, and environmental justice groups are engaged in an all-out push to keep former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz out of the Biden Administration, because of Moniz’s extensive ties to the fossil fuel and nuclear industries, retrograde views on climate policy, and outright hostility towards climate advocates. 

    On Wednesday, groups including the Climate Justice Alliance, Oil Change U.S., Greenpeace USA, Sunrise Movement, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth U.S., and more launched a new website, NoMoniz.org, to rally opposition against Moniz. This followed an action on Tuesday evening in Washington, DC, in which messages urging Biden to reject Moniz and choose a fossil-free cabinet were projected onto the main Department of Energy building. Photos and videos are available here.

    “With his deep ties to the fossil fuel industry and promotion of false solutions like carbon capture and sequestration, Ernest Moniz is not a forward-thinking choice for the Cabinet. As we face interlinked challenges like never before, we need people in the President-elect’s Cabinet willing to listen to and collaborate with the most innovative sectors while centering the frontline, environmental justice communities most harmed by extractive energy practices,” said Angela Adrar, Executive Director of the Climate Justice Alliance. “The Department of Energy must be led by someone open to concrete ideas for a fossil-free future, not continued dominance by a corrupt, heavily-subsidized industry whose existence hinges on maintaining an antiquated all-of-the-above strategy. Moniz’s track record and standing associations are proof he is not that person. If President-elect Biden’s proclamation to ‘build back better’ is genuine, he must look forward, not backward.”

    “Ernest Moniz’s ‘all of the above’ energy policies might be good for his friends in the coal, oil, and gas industries, but they’re a death sentence for us and our planet,” the website reads. “It’s unacceptable that Moniz is being considered for a role in the Biden administration — his policies, financial ties to fossil fuel companies, contempt for youth climate activists, and overall unwillingness to do what it takes to protect our future should disqualify him immediately.” 

    The site features a letter from over 75 organizations to President-elect Joe Biden urging him not to appoint Moniz to any position within his administration. It also references a letter signed by over 150 organizations urging Biden not to appoint people with ties to the fossil fuel industry. Moniz — who served on the board of a major fossil fuel utility and regularly collaborates with industry front groups — clearly fails that test. 

    “Ernest Moniz’s ties to the fossil fuel industry spell danger for the nation’s efforts to mitigate the climate crisis,” said Greenpeace USA Climate Campaign Director Janet Redman. “Moniz’s ability to represent our communities’ best interests is compromised by his deep ties to the fossil fuel industry — including his current board position at Southern Company, one of the most polluting oil and gas utilities in the U.S. We need a true climate leader who understands that we must phase out fossil fuels, not a corporate shill with ‘all of the above energy’ policies who wants to prop up fracked gas and pipelines. The American people have given Joe Biden a mandate to take bold action in service of climate justice, public health, economic prosperity, and racial equity. Moniz would only be holding him back.”

    Moniz’s ties to the fossil fuel industry and his continued support for oil and gas are well documented. Moniz serves on the board of Southern Company, one of the U.S.’s most fossil fuel-heavy power companies, and his consultancy is a partner in an LNG export facility in Louisiana. He’s worked closely with fossil fuel industry front groups like SoCalGas to advocate for an ongoing role for climate-polluting methane gas. He’s touted boondoggles like ‘clean coal.’ 

    The Energy Initiative Moniz founded at MIT took millions of dollars from oil companies to “support sponsored research projects aligned with their strategic interests.” He’s also been a leading critic of the Green New Deal, going so far as to introduce his own so-called “Green Real Deal,” and has disparaged youth climate activists around the world as the “climate elite.” 

    “President-elect Joe Biden has a mandate to govern as a climate president, and that means keeping fossil fuel representatives like Ernest Moniz far from the White House,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “To protect people and wildlife from irreversible climate chaos, Biden must use every tool at his disposal to phase out fossil fuel production and advance environmental justice. That means saying no to advice from Moniz and his friends in the oil and gas industry.”

    Groups are also concerned about Moniz’s extensive ties to the nuclear industry. As energy secretary, Moniz ensured $8 billion in U.S. taxpayer-backed loans went to two new nuclear reactors at Southern Company’s Plant Vogtle in Georgia.

    “Moniz has undermined climate progress to curry favor with the nuclear industry. He even authorized a process that shifted the financial risk for these dangerous, money-sucking projects onto the public. Taxpayers could very well be saddled with a massive bill for this nuclear debacle,” said Karen Orenstein, Climate and Energy Director at Friends of the Earth U.S. “As Moniz collects donations to his own organizations from Southern Company’s foundation, the Vogtle project drags on, ensuring continued greenhouse emissions and diverting billions of dollars from real climate solutions. If President-elect Biden is to truly prioritize the public interest over polluters and profiteers, he must not give Moniz any role whatsoever in his Administration.”

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  • Oil Change U.S. Response: Trump’s Speech at Fracking Conference Was a Dumpster Fire

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 23, 2019

    Contact:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil [dot] org

    Oil Change U.S. Response: Trump’s Speech at Fracking Conference Was a Dumpster Fire

    Today, President Donald Trump spoke to a fracking industry conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In response to the president’s speech, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change U.S., released the following statement:

    “From the hearty handshakes between the president and fossil fuel industry executives, to the toxic masculinity exuding from the president as he heckled protesters, to Trump’s rambling description of catastrophic deregulation at the expense of our climate and communities, this speech was a classic Trump dumpster fire.

    “While Trump’s descriptions of his administration’s actions were largely overblown or inaccurate, the reality is Trump’s oil-soaked administration has paved the way for the U.S. oil and gas industry to run roughshod on communities at the frontlines and to drill and frack our climate to the brink.

    “Our next president must do precisely the opposite. We need a president who will not shake hands with industry executives, but will instead take them to court for their crimes. We need a president who gets serious about a just transition away from fossil fuel production, not one attempting to bring back the past and resurrect a dirty industry.

    “Thankfully, what we’re seeing from Democratic presidential candidates is a newfound willingness to directly confront the fossil fuel industry. All of the top candidates have signed the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, most agree we must end new fossil fuel production on federal lands, and many want to stop fracking entirely. This is the kind of leadership our country needs. What was on display in Pittsburgh today was a disaster in every sense of the word.”

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  • 200+ Groups Urge Senate to Oppose European Fossil Fuel Promotion Bill

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    May 9, 2019

    CONTACT:
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org
    Seth Gladstone, sgladstone [at] fwwatch.org
    Ryan Schleeter, rschleet [at] greenpeace.org

    200+ Groups Urge Senate to Oppose European Fossil Fuel Promotion Bill

    Washington, DC — More than 200 groups sent a letter to U.S. senators today, urging them to oppose the European Energy Security and Diversification Act of 2019 (S. 704), a bill that would provide billions of dollars of support for natural gas infrastructure projects in Europe, further incentivizing fracking and fossil fuel development in the United States. The bill, passed by the House in March, has drawn criticism for locking both the United States and Europe into decades of continued fossil fuel dependence under the guise of national security.

    The letter was organized by Center for Biological Diversity, Climate Hawks Vote, The Climate Mobilization, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth US, Greenpeace USA, Oil Change U.S., Progressive Democrats of America, Public Citizen, Rainforest Action Network, Sunrise Movement, and 350.org.

    The letter states, in part: “The only way to promote real energy security is to work together with Europe to rapidly end our shared reliance on fossil fuels. Our nation should be investing in renewable energy technology and energy efficiency, not setting aside tens of billions of dollars to support fracked-gas infrastructure projects that will keep Europe dependent on fossils.”

    “This bill would undermine its own stated cause. Using fossil fuels for energy diplomacy increases global tensions and decreases our national security by pouring fuel on the fire of the climate crisis. Research clearly shows that existing fossil fuel development – including gas development – contains more carbon than the world can afford to burn,” said Collin Rees, Senior Campaigner at Oil Change U.S. “Any action that seeks to build out new, additional fossil fuel infrastructure flies in the face of what’s needed for a just transition. We must invest in the clean energy of the future, not in dirty fuels like gas that will directly crowd out these renewable sources and lock us into climate disaster.”

    “At a moment when we should be leading the global mission to rapidly quit fossil fuels, the notion of seeking new and deeper fossil fuel codependence between America and Europe is patently absurd,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director at Food & Water Watch. “Climate science is clear: We must begin an aggressive global transition to clean, renewable energy now. For the Senate to promote the opposite would be a clear abdication of moral duty to current and future generations in this country and every country.”

    “The only way to promote real energy security is to work with Europe to rapidly end reliance on fossil fuels,” said Nicole Ghio, Senior Program Manager at Friends of the Earth. “As communities around the world deal with the effects of climate change, America should be investing in renewable energy, not dirty fossil fuels.”

    “Whatever the geopolitics, sending more deadly fossil fuels to Europe or any other part of the world is not the answer. Natural gas is fool’s gold and will inevitably lead to further destabilization of any region that relies upon it,” said Bill Snape, Senior Counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The future is with clean renewable energy and infrastructure. Any expenditure of taxpayer funds for fossil fuels is a colossal waste of money and a major lost opportunity.”

    “Civilization is already breaking down in the face of rising climate disasters,” said Ezra Silk, Director of Strategy & Policy at The Climate Mobilization. “At the very least, we must immediately halt all new climate-damaging investments, including the expansion of natural gas infrastructure. This bill would bring us yet another step closer to runaway global warming and the collapse of civilization.”

    “The time for climate make-believe is past,” said Russell Greene, Senior Strategic Adviser to the Progressive Democrats of America. “Let’s deal in truth. We are in a climate emergency and have no carbon budget left to burn.”

    “The clean energy revolution is inevitable – across the globe, people are already powering their communities with wind and solar,” said Janet Redman, Climate Campaign Director at Greenpeace USA. “Foolishly investing billions of dollars in the oil and gas industry like this will only make the United States and our European allies fall behind in the race towards a clean energy economy. Instead of putting the fossil fuel industry on life support, it’s time to clear the way towards a green and prosperous future for all.”

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  • Oil Change U.S. Response to Beto O’Rourke’s climate platform

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    April 29, 2019

    CONTACT:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil.org

    Oil Change U.S. Response to Beto O’Rourke’s climate platform

    This morning, presidential contender Beto O’Rourke released his plan to combat climate change, committing to ban new fossil fuel leases on public lands, end billions in fossil fuel subsidies, and account for the full climate and community costs in federal permitting decisions. In response, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change U.S., issued the following statement:

    “Given his voting record and continued resistance to signing the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge, we were pleasantly surprised to see Beto’s plan released today. It seems to be moving in the right direction when it comes to actions on the scale necessary to tackle our climate crisis. But as ever the devil is in the details. We’re happy to see a commitment to end tens of billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies, stop leasing of fossil fuel development on federal lands, and accounting for the full climate and community costs in federal permitting decisions.

    “But we need to hear more – we know that any new fossil fuel infrastructure will have an untenable impact on our efforts to address the climate crisis, so we expect the next President to be unwavering in saying no to new dirty pipelines, export terminals and other infrastructure our climate and communities can’t afford.

    “Beto’s rhetoric in resisting the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge has suggested he’s still expecting the fossil fuel industry to have a seat at the table on climate policy decisions, but after decades of Big Oil blocking progress and continuing to push for continued dangerous extraction, we need leaders who are willing to stand up to the industry rather than cater to them. We hope this plan from Beto is an indication that he’s beginning to understand that, and that he will show that even further by signing the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge as well.”

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    Notes to Editors:

    – O’Rourke’s climate position can be found here: https://betoorourke.com/climate-change/

    – Research by Oil Change International has found that without government action to limit fossil fuel production, including on public lands, the U.S. is poised for a massive expansion of drilling and carbon pollution: http://priceofoil.org/2019/01/16/report-drilling-towards-disaster/

     

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUS.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Response to Bernie Sanders’ climate platform to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure, end polluting exports, and generate millions of jobs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    April 16, 2019

    CONTACT:
    Collin Rees, 308-293-3159, collin [at] priceofoil.org

    Oil Change U.S. response to Bernie Sanders’ climate platform to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure, end polluting exports, and generate millions of jobs  

    Yesterday, presidential contender Bernie Sanders released his plan to combat climate change and pass a Green New Deal, committing to ban fracking, new fossil fuel infrastructure, and fossil fuel leases on public lands, and end the export of coal, natural gas, and crude oil. In response, Collin Rees, Senior Campaigner at Oil Change U.S., issued the following statement:

    “Directly confronting the fossil fuel industry must be a key part of any Green New Deal to tackle climate change. That’s why it’s great to see Senator Sanders’ new climate platform hit the industry where it hurts by banning new fossil fuel infrastructure, stopping fracking, banning fossil fuel leases on public lands, and ending polluting exports. Any climate plan must ensure the transition to a fossil-free economy protects workers and vulnerable communities, which is why Sanders’ commitment to a transition to family-sustaining wage and union jobs is crucial.

    “Along with Senator Warren’s commitment to ban new fossil fuel leases on public lands on Day One, this plan from Senator Sanders means we’re seeing the bar for climate leadership raised to new heights. Other presidential contenders should follow suit and get serious about plans for a equitable phase-out of fossil fuels and an end to dirty infrastructure. That’s why Oil Change is joining progressive allies in asking the Democratic Party to hold a debate focused on the climate crisis and candidates’ plans to confront the fossil fuel industry and ensure a just transition.”

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    Notes to Editors:

    – Sen. Sanders’ climate position can be found here:
    https://berniesanders.com/issues/combat-climate-change-and-pass-a-green-new-deal/

    – Sen. Warren’s policy position on public lands can be found here: https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-for-public-lands-e4be1d88a01c

    – Research by Oil Change International has found that without government action to limit fossil fuel production, including on public lands, the U.S. is poised for a massive expansion of drilling and carbon pollution: http://priceofoil.org/2019/01/16/report-drilling-towards-disaster/

     

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUS.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Response to Elizabeth Warren policy commitment to ban new fossil fuel leases on public lands on Day One

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    April 15, 2019

    CONTACT:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil.org
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org

    Oil Change U.S. response to Elizabeth Warren policy commitment to ban new fossil fuel leases on public lands on Day One

    Today, presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren released a policy position on public lands, committing to enact a moratorium on all new fossil fuel leases on the first day of her presidency. In response, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change U.S., issued the following statement:

    “Ending fossil fuel extraction on public lands is both necessary and obvious. Our public lands should be used for public good, not for oil industry profits at the expense of our climate and communities. Senator Warren’s plan announced today to end new leasing for fossil fuel extraction on public lands on Day One in office and to restore critical protections for monuments and sacred sites is the type of real climate leadership we need to see from candidates seeking office at all levels. It’s also the type of bold action candidates are free to propose when they rip off the shackles of the fossil fuel industry by rejecting its money and influence on their campaigns.

    “This type of plan to take on the fossil fuel industry and its dirty ways by keeping carbon in the ground is precisely what we need Democratic candidates to be discussing from the stump and the debate stage. That’s why we’re joining with allies across the progressive movement to call on the Democratic Party to hold a debate centered on the climate crisis. We look forward to other candidates for president laying out their plans to eliminate dirty fossil fuel projects in our pristine public lands, and for the Democratic Party to give this critical issue the time and depth of discussion it deserves.”

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    Notes to Editors:

    – Sen. Warren’s full policy paper can be found here: https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-for-public-lands-e4be1d88a01c

    – Research by Oil Change International has found that without government action to limit fossil fuel production, including on public lands, the U.S. is poised for a massive expansion of drilling and carbon pollution: http://priceofoil.org/2019/01/16/report-drilling-towards-disaster/

     

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUS.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Report: U.S. Oil and Gas Expansion Threatens to Unleash Climate Pollution Equivalent to nearly 1,000 Coal Plants

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    January 16, 2019

    Contact:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org
    Lorne Stockman, lorne [at] priceofoil [dot] org
    Kelly Trout, kelly [at] priceofoil [dot] org

    Report: U.S. Oil and Gas Expansion Threatens to Unleash Climate Pollution Equivalent to nearly 1,000 Coal Plants

    Groups outline five-point ‘checklist’ for U.S. politicians to show real leadership towards a rapid and just phase-out of fossil fuels

    The U.S. oil and gas industry has the potential to unleash the largest burst of new carbon emissions in the world through 2050, new research released today has found. Without action to curtail this unprecedented expansion of drilling from Texas to North Dakota to Pennsylvania and beyond, new U.S. oil and gas development could enable 120 billion tons of new carbon pollution – equivalent to the lifetime emissions of nearly 1,000 coal-fired power plants.

    The findings come on the heels of the “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C” from the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.S.’s Fourth National Climate Assessment, which both detailed the intensifying human and economic toll of unchecked climate change. Previous researchhas shown that existing oil and gas fields and coal mines already contain enough carbon to push the world beyond the goals of the Paris Agreement. The permitting of new extraction projects and related infrastructure is completely out of synch with meeting climate targets, and also out of step with a massive movement of communities fighting the fossil fuel industry around the country.

    “Our findings present an urgent and existential emergency for lawmakers in the United States at all levels of government. The oil and gas industry is expanding further and faster in the United States than in any other country at precisely the time when we must begin rapidly decarbonizing to prevent runaway climate disaster,” said Kelly Trout, report co-author and senior research analyst at Oil Change International. “We’re at this crisis point because of failing political decisions to allow unfettered fracking, permit a massive buildout of pipelines, lift the crude export ban, and subsidize a climate-wrecking industry with billions of taxpayer dollars. If U.S. leaders do not start saying ‘no’ to this industry and put policies in place for a managed decline of fossil fuel production, they could cripple the world’s chances of staving off climate catastrophe.”

    Additional key findings of the report include:

    • Between now and 2030, when climate scientists say global carbon emissions should be nearly halved, the U.S. is on track to account for 60% of the world’s projected growth in oil and gas production.
    • Some 90% of U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves through 2050 would depend on fracking; nearly 60% of the carbon emissions enabled by new U.S. drilling would come from the epicenters of fracking – the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico and the Appalachian Basin across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.
    • The Permian Basin alone would exhaust some 10% of the entire world’s carbon budget (for 1.5°C of warming).
    • U.S. coal mining should be phased out by 2030 or sooner if the world is to equitably achieve the Paris Agreement goals, which means at least 70% of the coal in existing U.S. mines should stay in the ground.

    Co-author and Oil Change International senior research analyst Lorne Stockman stated, “This administration and its fossil fuel backers portray climate change as a false choice between the economy and the environment. In reality, they favor an irresponsible and outdated fossil fuel sector over a clean energy sector that has proven it can deliver on jobs, economic growth, and reliable cheap energy. It is past time the United States led the transition needed to safeguard life on our planet by rejecting oil, gas, and coal. There is no more time to waste.”

    The report defines a five-point checklist for what U.S. policymakers must do to show real climate leadership:

    1. Ban new leases or permits for new fossil fuel exploration, production, and infrastructure;
    2. Plan for the phase-out of existing fossil fuel projects in a way that prioritizes environmental justice;
    3. End subsidies and other public finance for the fossil fuel industry;
    4. Champion a Green New Deal that ensures a just transition to 100% renewable energy; and
    5. Reject the influence of fossil fuel money over U.S. energy policy.

    “This report should be a wake-up call for elected officials who consider themselves to be climate leaders. We need a complete overhaul of our economy with a Green New Deal, and that overhaul must include standing up to the fossil fuel industry in order to take us off this path of devastation for our climate and communities. Anything less than a full, swift, and just managed decline of fossil fuel production is too little, too late,” Trout said.

    The report, entitled Drilling towards Disaster: Why U.S. oil and gas expansion is incompatible with climate limits, was researched and written by Oil Change International and is being released in partnership with the following organizations who have endorsed the findings of the report: Amazon Watch, BOLD Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, Earthworks, Friends of the Earth U.S., Food & Water Watch, Greenpeace USA, Hip Hop Caucus, Indigenous Environmental Network, Labor Network for Sustainability, Oil Change USA, Our Revolution, People’s Action, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club, Working Families Party, and 350.org.

    The report can be found here: http://priceofoil.org/drilling-towards-disaster

    Reactions from partners endorsing the report:

    “This landmark report clearly lays out the grim reality of our addiction to fossil fuels. It’s a reality that Indigenous peoples have been saying for decades: that we are destroying the ecosystems of Mother Earth and placing countless lives at risk because of fossil fuels,” said Dallas Goldtooth, Keep it in the Ground Campaigner for the Indigenous Environmental Network. “It is time for all leaders to wake up! We must keep fossil fuels in the ground and justly transition our society to renewable, sustainable energy right now! The clock is ticking.”

    “Addressing the climate crisis by only considering fossil fuel demand is fighting with one hand tied behind our back,” said Nicole Ghio, Senior Fossil Fuels Program Manager at Friends of the Earth. “To avert climate disaster, we need a Green New Deal that protects workers, empowers communities, and phases out all fossil fuels.”

    “It’s clearer by the day that we’re drilling toward a climate catastrophe,” said Shaye Wolf, climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Every new lease, permit and subsidy granted to this dirty industry pushes us closer to disaster. America’s oil and gas production is a carbon bomb we must defuse through a thoughtful phase-out and a just transition to clean energy.”

    “This report confirms what our indigenous allies have known for decades: we must keep fossil fuels in the ground,” said Kevin Koenig, Climate and Energy Director at Amazon Watch. “We are already in a hole and we cannot afford to dig ourselves any deeper by continuing to expand oil and gas infrastructure – in the United States, the Amazon, or anywhere else. It’s past time for the United States to make a plan to get off fossil fuels altogether and this report provides a road map for policy makers to do just that, providing critical information to ensure sustainable communities and a healthy planet for generations to come.”

    “To make the most impact on climate change we need to stop all oil, coal, and gas expansion, massively accelerate the growth of renewable energy, and support workers with a just transition to a sustainability-based economy and climate-impacted communities with a just recovery from extreme weather. To make this a reality, we have to hold corporate polluters and political leaders accountable for their role in putting us in harm’s way. Without stopping oil, coal, and gas expansion as soon as possible, though, we won’t get anywhere close to where we need to be to stave off the worst of climate change,” said Janet Redman, Greenpeace USA Climate and Energy Director.

    “Right now, we’re on a sinking boat, and instead of just scooping water out, we must take immediate action to patch the hole where it’s gushing in,” said Patrick McCully, Climate and Energy Program Director at Rainforest Action Network. “This means we must put a full-stop to fossil fuel expansion, or we all sink into climate chaos. U.S. policymakers – as well as the private sector, like the Wall Street banks that are funding this extraction – must facilitate phasing out extraction while phasing in an equitable transition to renewable energy that supports communities and workers.”

    “This latest report adds even more urgency to the need for a just transition off of fossil fuels to a renewable energy economy. To prevent the worst impacts of climate change, we must keep oil, coal, and gas in the ground,” said May Boeve, Executive Director, 350.org. “It’s time for public officials at every level to follow the lead of communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis and support bold climate policy.”

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