More context for those who need it:
The US just finished hosting a massive trade summit in San Francisco that included a lot of Liquefied natural Gas (LNG) deals; Next week the annual climate talks known as COP28 start in Dubai hosted by an oil & gas company executive; And the planet briefly (and temporarily) warmed more than 2 degrees Celsius last week. Things are not going well on planet earth.
Lots of new reports have come out recently that illustrate that the US, and the world, are falling far behind our promises in the Paris Climate Agreement. And a big reason is the US expansion of LNG exports. In fact, a new report just out from our friends at Oil Change International finds that by the Biden Administration's own accounting:
- Gas exports are projected to nearly double by 2035, and all fossil fuel extraction and exports will increase (not decrease). And
- That increase in fossil fuel production and infrastructure is the reason that we will miss (by a lot) our climate goals of reducing US emissions by 50% by 2030, and to "net zero" by 20250.
We're asking you to sign and send several versions of this message because we've got a plan to deliver all the comments and signatures, and hopefully turn the Biden Administration around on this crucial issue.
The US is falling behind on our climate commitments, despite some big investments in renewable energy like the Inflation Reduction Act, because we're in the middle of a massive fossil fuel export boom. The biggest culprit of this fossil fuel expansion is "liquefied natural gas" (LNG) shipments. And most of those new export facilities are proposed to be built along the Gulf of Mexico.
To anyone who knows the Gulf Coast, the idea of putting more facilities that exacerbate the climate crisis in a place where hurricanes are growing ever stronger is ludicrous. These LNG projects are also slated to be built in mostly poor communities of color who already face higher rates of air pollution and disease. The Biden Administration promised to stop siting new fossil fuel projects that lock in pollution, extraction, and climate chaos in poor communities of color. Just like the promised to cut pollution in half by the end of this decade.
But just one of the newly proposed LNG terminals — CP2 — will cause 20 times (2000% more) the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the Willow Arctic oil project in Alaska, and will be located in a poor, black community in Louisiana.
LNG terminals are dangerous not just because of the emissions from burning gas. Methane leaks at the sites combine to make LNG as bad for the climate as coal! We can’t allow for more fossil fuel expansion as the climate crisis continues to worsen and impact our communities.
We're working on plans to deliver all these signatures (and more). And with the Biden team eager to deliver some good news on climate action at the COP talks next month, this could be the moment for a breakthrough.
But only if we all take action right now, together. Send a comment to FERC and DOE with our friends at Beyond Extreme Energy and stand up to be counted among the fossil fuel fighters!
Thanks for taking action,
Drew and the 198 methods to stop climate change but LNG exports ain't one crew