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On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld a previous district court decision that then-President Donald Trump had overstepped his authority when he issued an executive order rolling back Obama-era bans on offshore drilling.
Why This Matters: After years of attacks on public lands by the Trump administration, the nation is behind schedule on meeting its climate goals.
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A new report says that economic diversification will be crucial as governments across the world set ambitious climate action goals. Forty countries have economies dominated by the oil industry, and as demand for and use of oil is phased out in importing nations, these “petrostates” risk major economic challenges.
Why This Matters: A “just transition” away from fossil fuel-dependent economies will be needed globally.
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Yesterday at a virtual press conference, House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) unveiled his Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act along with co-lead, House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Chair Kathy Castor. In Grijalva’s own words, the bill aims to provide a roadmap for ocean and coastal climate resilience, and responsibly uses them […]
Continue Reading 985 wordsYesterday the President traveled to Florida and in a surprising reversal (or “ambush” if you are an oil and gas lobbyist) of a draft plan he put in place two years ago that would open virtually the entire U.S. ocean to oil and gas drilling, he signed an order banning offshore drilling in the Eastern […]
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One thing Democrats and Republicans in many southern states seem to agree on is that they don’t want oil and gas drilling off their coastlines. The Hill reported that last week the State of North Carolina sued the federal government for its continuing to prepare for offshore leasing in the Atlantic just off their coast. And in Florida, while President Trump has promised that he will not pursue oil and gas drilling there, even outgoing Republican Congressman Francis Rooney is worried about the President going back on his word if he is re-elected.
Why This Matters: The President’s fossil fuel commitments are hard to deny, even as he promises Florida a reprieve.
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The Trump Administration has allowed 1700 “exceptions” of the “Well Control Rule” that the Obama Administration put in place in 2016 to improve drilling safety as a result of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Today, in a hearing on Capitol Hill, the Interior Department defended these actions saying that the exceptions were granted only if the requester demonstrated that the exception to the rule was equally protective.
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