Sometimes our friends consider making bad decisions and need good advice. President Joe Biden is a friend of climate advocates. He's done some very good things. These include proposing better fuel efficiency standards, promoting renewables and electric vehicles, and phasing down super-pollutants, such as hydrofluorocarbons. But he and his administration have also made some bad decisions about oil and gas and are considering making more of them, despite the fact that July was the hottest month on record ever. That's why supporters of President Biden should join a diverse and broad coalition of groups in supporting the March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City on Sept. 17.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law last August by President Biden, includes massive subsidies for renewable energy. While it also includes subsidies for fossil fuels, it was supported by every Democrat in Congress and by a wide range of climate advocates. It may not be perfect, but most legislation isn't perfect.
One flaw in the IRA is that it didn't limit production, transport, or processing of either oil or gas. That flaw may have been a necessary compromise with congressional Democrats who support these industries. But it's still a flaw. The U.S. became the world's largest gas producer in 2011 and the largest oil producer in 2018. We produce more oil than Saudi Arabia and more gas than Russia. And not just by a little, but by a lot. We make 20 percent of the world's oil compared to 12 percent from Saudi Arabia, and 24 percent of the world's gas compared to 18 percent from Russia.
We cannot possibly address climate change in an effective manner if we continue down this path. The International Energy Agency concluded that oil and gas production needs to decrease by more than 70 percent worldwide by 2050 if we are to meet the climate goals of the Paris climate agreement. And yet the U.S. government's own modelers expect our oil and gas production to increase by about 20 percent over the coming three decades, despite the IRA, largely due to growing exports.
If Saudi Arabia decided to power its domestic electricity sector with solar energy while continuing to produce massive amounts of oil and gas for export, climate advocates would praise that decision, but we would also criticize the climate damage that the country would be causing by continuing with business as usual when it comes to production.
The same is true for the United States. It's great that we are moving toward a domestic electricity sector that limits reliance on fossil fuels. But if the United States continues to outpace Saudi Arabia and Russia in oil and gas production, this achievement leaves a lot to be desired.
It's one thing to make compromises that may be necessary to enact legislation. It's quite another thing, however, to take independent action to support fossil fuels.
The Biden administration recently approved a massive new oil drilling project in Alaska. President Biden personally signed legislation that approves a gas pipeline that runs through West Virginia and Virginia, agreeing with a congressional declaration that construction and operation of the pipeline "is required in the national interest." His administration has supported the development of gas export facilities that will cost many billions of dollars and are likely to operate for decades.
We all have friends who do both constructive things and destructive things. If they are close friends, we have an obligation to suggest that they stop doing destructive things.
That's why so many climate advocates are coming to New York next month to ask President Biden to stop all federal approvals for fossil fuel projects, phase out drilling on public lands, and declare a climate emergency to halt oil exports and investments on fossil fuel projects throughout the world.
We are also calling on President Biden to reject legislative suggestions in the guise of permitting reform, such as those made by Representatives Garret Graves (R-La.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.) that would weaken existing environmental laws for fossil fuel projects.
President Biden is in need of good advice from his friends. He will not have much credibility as a climate leader on the world stage if he continues to support large scale oil and gas development. We call on all those who support President Biden to join us in New York on Sept. 17 to offer him the advice that he needs in order to be a true climate champion.
Sarah Brennan is associate director of the Rockefeller Family Fund.
Larry Shapiro is a senior advisor to the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas.
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
