SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
For Immediate Release
November, 20 2023, 08:02am EDT
Contact:
Valentina Stackl, Oil Change International, valentina@priceofoil.org
Fossil Fuel Production Rises Under the Inflation Reduction Act, Exacerbating Environmental Injustice
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) fails to reduce fossil fuel production or alleviate impact on environmental justice communities, according to a new briefing by Oil Change International titled “Biden’s Fossil Fuel Fail: How U.S. Oil and Gas Supply Rises under the Inflation Reduction Act, Exacerbating Environmental Injustice.”
The report documents an analysis of post-Inflation Reduction Act energy modeling that projects U.S. oil and gas production rising while exports soar.
This not only makes a mockery of the IRA’s “climate bill” label and President Joe Biden’s claims of “climate leadership,” but signals that without additional action to constrain oil and gas production, the suffering of oil and gas frontline communities will only grow. Black, Brown, Indigenous, and poor communities, especially in Appalachia, the Gulf Coast, and the Permian Basin, are disproportionately impacted by fossil fuel pollution, climate disasters, and health impacts.
Report Link: https://priceofoil.org/fossil-fuel-fail
Key Findings
- The report presents previously unpublished data from the Rhodium Group’s Climate Deck model, which projects U.S. oil and gas production will continue to grow despite the IRA’s support for clean energy. While the model projects a modest decline in domestic demand for oil and gas, oil production rises 13% while gas production rises 7%.
- The gap between production and demand is filled by surging exports. Gas exports are projected to double by 2035, while oil and petroleum product exports rise 23%. As wind and solar replace gas in the power sector, the decline in domestic gas demand is tempered by an increase in gas consumption within the oil and gas industry itself. Gas consumption by energy-hungry LNG export plants grows by 140%.
- Rhodium’s model shows the Inflation Reduction Act may fall significantly short of achieving the United States’ stated Paris Agreement goal of reducing emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. The central scenario projects a 16-18 percentage point gap in meeting this target, emphasizing the need for additional policies to ensure faster emissions decline this decade and beyond.
- Science shows that the only way to maintain the 1.5ºC climate goal is to phase out fossil fuels. Continued growth in U.S. oil and gas production and exports will not only threaten this goal, but will also exacerbate the ongoing suffering of communities living on the frontlines of oil and gas production, processing, and exports.
- These impacts are disproportionately borne by Black, Brown, Indigenous, and poor communities — specifically in Appalachia, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico.
Ahead of COP28, these findings spotlight the urgent need for the Biden administration to go beyond the IRA and take bold measures to align with international climate objectives and address environmental injustice issues head-on. It is imperative for the United States to stop fossil fuel exports, end leasing on federal lands, halt approval of new fossil fuel infrastructure projects, and phase out fossil fuels.
The United States is the world’s largest producer, expander, of oil and gas and the largest exporter of fossil gas. Since taking office, President Biden has approved at least a dozen fossil fuel projects at home and abroad. This year alone, Biden has approved the Willow oil project in Alaska and multiple LNG export facilities, greenlit almost $2 billion in public finance for fossil fuel infrastructure abroad, and thrown its support behind the Mountain Valley fracked gas pipeline. While the IRA was touted as the “largest investment in climate and energy in American history,” it could turn out to be a failure if Biden doesn’t also take bold action on fossil fuels. As the world gathers for COP28, Biden still has a chance to be the climate leader he claims he is by making a commitment to phasing out fossil fuels.
Collin Rees, United States Campaign Manager at Oil Change International, said:
“The Biden administration touts the Inflation Reduction Act as a centerpiece of its achievements on climate. In reality, the bill leaves a massive escape hatch for the fossil fuel industry to continue business as usual. To align with global climate goals, President Biden and his administration must phase out the export of oil and gas, end fossil fuel leasing on federal lands, and stop all approvals for new fossil fuel infrastructure projects.
“At COP28 the spotlight will be on our collective effort to end the fossil fuel era. Will the United States deliver, or will Biden’s climate legacy be one of disastrous oil and gas expansion and failure to adequately tackle the climate crisis?”
Roishetta Sibley Ozane, Founder of The Vessel Project of Louisiana, said:
“It’s clear that President Biden’s promises made to frontline communities are nothing but a smokescreen. The Inflation Reduction Act leaves a massive escape hatch for the fossil fuel industry to continue its destructive practices, and my family battles the real consequences from fossil fuel production every day.
“We supported Biden for change, not to deal with deadly decisions made without us at the table. The fight against climate disaster is collective, and the United States cannot preach about caring for communities while exporting pollution globally. President Biden, our fight is your fight.”
Read the Full Report: https://priceofoil.org/fossil-fuel-fail
Oil Change International is a research, communications, and advocacy organization focused on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the ongoing transition to clean energy.
(202) 518-9029LATEST NEWS
Antiwar Voices Rip Biden's 'Utterly Unhinged' Assent to Ukrainian Use of US Long-Range Missiles
Meanwhile, a senior Russian official called the move "a very big step towards the start of World War III."
Nov 17, 2024
While neocons from both sides of the proverbial political aisle welcomed what some described as President Joe Biden's "long overdue" decision Sunday to allow Ukrainian forces to strike deep inside Russia with U.S.-supplied long-range missiles, antiwar voices sounded the alarm on what one senior Kremlin official called "a very big step towards the start of World War III."
"Biden has for the first time allowed Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike deep inside Russia," comedian, podcaster, and antiwar writer Lee Camp wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "Apparently the Dems want WWIII before they leave office. Utterly unhinged."
President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office in 63 days, has vowed to quickly end the nearly 1,000-day war, which Russia started in February 2022 with a massive invasion of its smaller neighbor amid significant NATO provocations.
The New York Timesreported that the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS)—which has a range of 190 miles—will likely first be deployed against Russian and recently arrived North Korean troops in the Kursk region of western Russia, where Ukrainian forces have seized a sizable swath of Russian territory.
"Strikes with U.S. missiles deep into Russian regions will inevitably entail a serious escalation, which threatens to lead to much more serious consequences."
The Times said Biden dropped his previous reservations over allowing Ukraine to use the missiles for fear of Moscow's retaliation due to "the sheer audacity of Russia's decision to throw North Korean troops at Ukrainian lines."
Earlier this year, Biden quietly gave Kyiv the green light to carry out limited cross-border strikes near Kharkiv with shorter-range missiles as Russian forces menaced Ukraine's second-largest city.
Taking their cues from Biden, Britain and France on Sunday also dropped their objections to Ukraine using long-range offensive missiles provided by the two countries to attack targets inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday: "Today, many in the media are talking about the fact that we have received permission to take appropriate actions. But blows are not inflicted with words. Such things are not announced. The rockets will speak for themselves."
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S. and its allies that approval for Ukrainian attacks with Western long-range missiles "will mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries."
Russian officials responded to Biden's move with warnings of serious repercussions.
"Strikes with U.S. missiles deep into Russian regions will inevitably entail a serious escalation, which threatens to lead to much more serious consequences," said Leonid Slutsky, who chairs a key foreign affairs committee in the State Duma, according toReuters.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Campaigners Demand 'Biden Make a Final Stand' for Climate Before Trump Takeover
"Trump is not in office yet, and the Democrats have the power to do so much more in the coming weeks to stand up to this fossil fuel agenda, and we need them to seize this moment," said one campaigner.
Nov 17, 2024
With the clock winding down on President Joe Biden's tenure and the dark cloud of Republican President-elect Donald Trump's imminent administration looming, activists rallied Sunday in Washington, D.C. to demand that the Biden administration "use every tool possible to make progress on climate justice" while there's still time.
Under the rallying call "Biden make a final stand, fossil fuels destroy this land," members and allies of groups including the Green New Deal Network, 350.org, Center for Biological Diversity, Fridays for Future USA, Extinction Rebellion D.C., Sunrise D.C., Oil Change International, Food & Water Watch, and others gathered outside the headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—which will be run by fracking champion Lee Zeldin if Trump's nominee is confirmed by what will be a Republican-controlled Senate.
"The stakes could not be higher. Donald Trump and his fossil fuel allies are about to take control of the White House, doubling down on dirty energy policies that are destroying our planet and our communities," Food & Water Watch policy director Jim Walsh told attendees of Sunday's protest. "We will not stand by idly and watch them put the profits of fossil fuel companies above the health and well-being of our communities."
"Trump is not in office yet, and the Democrats have the power to do so much more in the coming weeks to stand up to this fossil fuel agenda, and we need them to seize this moment," Walsh continued. "We know the truth: To protect our communities, we must phase out fossil fuels. No more drilling! No more pipelines! No more permits! We need bold action on climate, and we need it now!"
In addition to calling on congressional Democrats to reject a permitting reform bill introduced earlier this year by Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) that critics have linked to Project 2025, a conservative coalition's agenda for a far-right overhaul of the federal government.
Walsh called the proposed legislation—which has previously been derided as Manchin's "dirty deal"—a "giveaway to the fossil fuel industry masquerading as some sort of bipartisan energy solution."
"In reality, this bill will clear the way for decades of pollution and climate chaos," Walsh added. "It will poison communities for the profits of fossil fuel interests. This will do nothing except forward Donald Trump and the Project 2025 agenda."
Walsh also called on Biden to reject half a dozen permits related to the export of liquefied natural gas.
The rally coalition is calling on Biden to take the following action during the remaining 63 days of his administration:
- Declare climate change a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act;
- Declare climate change a national emergency under the Stafford Act;
- Redirect all agency funds towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuels to build back fossil-free in impacted communities; and
- Establish high labor standards to protect workers against extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and other climate emergencies through strong Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.
"President Biden has the power to act today," Walsh stressed.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Pope Francis Urges Genocide Probe of Israel's War on Gaza
The pontiff's call comes as the International Court of Justice is reviewing evidence in a South Africa-led genocide case against Israel.
Nov 17, 2024
In a new book set to be released this week, Pope Francis I endorsed a genocide investigation into Israel's war on Gaza—which has killed or maimed more than 150,000 Palestinians and forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened millions more over the past 13 months.
"In the Middle East, where the open doors of nations like Jordan or Lebanon continue to be a salvation for millions of people fleeing conflicts in the region: I am thinking above all of those who leave Gaza in the midst of the famine that has struck their Palestinian brothers and sisters given the difficulty of getting food and aid into their territory," the pontiff wrote in his latest book, which goes on sale in some countries on November 19.
"According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide," the Pope added. "It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies."
The Pope's words echo last week's finding by a United Nations expert panel that Israel's annihilation of Gaza is "consistent with the characteristics of genocide."
The International Court of Justice—a U.N. organ—is currently weighing a South Africa-led genocide case against Israel backed by more than 30 nations and regional blocs as well as hundreds of groups and experts around the world.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three former Hamas leaders assassinated by Israel, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination.
Many jurists, scholars, and other experts—including some of Israel's leading Holocaust historians—have called Israel's policies and actions in Gaza genocide. Early in the war, Raz Segal—an Israeli historian and professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University in New Jersey—called Israel's Gaza onslaught "a textbook case of genocide."
Numerous world leaders and other international officials, artists, entertainers, and others—including half of Democratic voters in the United States surveyed in May—also agree that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Many Palestinian Christians have been killed, injured, or otherwise harmed by Israeli forces during the bombardment, invasion, and siege of Gaza. With just 800 to 1,000 people believed remaining in Gaza, members of the world's oldest Christian community warned early in the war that they were "under threat of extinction."
In their most infamous attack on Gaza Christians, Israeli forces bombed the 12th century Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, Gaza's oldest, in October 2023, killing 18 Palestinians including numerous children. Among the victims were two women and an infant related to former Republican U.S. Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan.
After an Israeli sniper fatally shot an elderly woman and her daughter on the grounds of a Catholic church in Gaza City last December, Pope Francis condemned what he called an act of "terrorism."
Amid the death and destruction wrought by Israel's assault on Gaza, last December's Christmas celebrations were canceled in Bethlehem, the purported birthplace of Jesus Christ.
"How can we celebrate when we feel this war—this genocide—that is taking place could resume at any moment?" asked Palestinian Lutheran pastor Munther Isaac at the time.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular