A environmental groups coalition US President Joe Biden sued his administration for failing to consider the damage that emissions from oil and gas drilling on public lands could cause. endangered animals.
The case is that oil taken from an oil good in wyoming will add its emissions – on more than 50,000 hectares of land in total – to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that warms the planet, thereby Destroyed coral reefs in Florida, polar bears in the Arctic Y Songbirds in Hawaii.
“this climate change this is a cumulative effects issue“, explains Efe Brett Hartl, director of government affairs at the NGO Center for Biodiversity, which is managing the case.
David vs. Goliath
In this David vs. Goliath war – environmentalists are against the government, roughly producing 10% of US oil and gas from federal territory-, Questioning whether there is a law protecting wildlife could stop new oil drilling. David’s weapon in this case is not a stone, but a new legal argument According to the Endangered Species Act.
“This is a new theory of law that we’ve been trying to put into practice for several years, and that’s it. for the first time we were able to claim because we have convincing facts,” explains the activist, who fears a few animals will survive.
” most songbirdsThe native species remaining in Hawaii live only in the mountains of the islands. Historically, the mountains were too cold for mosquitoes to survive. The mosquitoes over there have bird malaria, against it birds have little defense. However, as the temperature rises, the mosquitoes climb higher up the mountain. These birds are likely to become extinct this decadewarns Hartl.
The environmentalist also states that: polar bears will approach extinction by the end of this century and that it will end faster or slower depending on “how bad things get”.
“From rhetoric to action”
Early in his term, Democrat Joe Biden sought to deliver on his campaign promise. suspend new drilling on federal soil, but his efforts were frustrated after appeals by Republican states and the oil industry. “This is an opportunity for the Biden administration to do” match your rhetoric with your actionsHartl emphasizes.
The lawsuit is about oil and gas production on public lands, according to Bureau of Land Management analysis. Emit 9% of greenhouse gases in the United States and 1% of global emissions. In addition, the lawsuit is about 3,500 drilling permits approved by the Biden administration. 600 million tons of greenhouse gas during the useful life of these wells.
Activist laments speed of approvals for new drilling “Even higher than the Trump years“.
Economic impact
this oil industryFor its part, it stresses that such measures against government-managed oil and gas will hurt the economy at a time when inflation, primarily driven by the sharp rise in energy prices, is at a 40-year high. this energy prices (gasoline, crude oil, electricity and gas) increased by 34.6% in the last twelve months; Crude oil alone rose 106.7%.
According to Hartl, less oil and gas drilling by the State does not necessarily mean an increase in energy prices, as other factors such as inflation or the war in Ukraine also have an impact.
“In a year or two, when the claim comes into effect, if we are successful, nothing will affect prices depending on what we do today. Also, in the long run, we need to stop using (using) oil and gas,” he said.
Source: Informacion
