This is urgent. Just a couple weeks ago, President Biden signed an executive order pausing new oil and gas leasing on public lands while the Interior Department conducts a top-to-bottom review of the rigged leasing system. It's a huge deal, friend.

The response from the oil and gas industry has been swift and fierce. Now, as leaders in the House and Senate negotiate a COVID-19 package, Republican lawmakers are still trying to attach amendments that would undermine Biden's order.

We can't let them make it into the final agreement. Biden's executive order was one of the first steps in undoing the years of damage that Trump did to federal lands and environmental protection laws.

We need to raise hell, but we don't have much time. The debate over the COVID-19 package is happening now. In the lead-up to the next vote, we're looking for every LCV member to pitch in — it's up to the environmental movement to keep up the fight in both chambers.

We need your help to secure these protections and oppose these damaging amendments. Please — can you help us? Even $5 makes a huge difference in how we plan our work to stop these harmful efforts by the oil and gas industry »

Friend — it's not just the fight over the COVID-19 package — the oil and gas industry have already launched a well-funded PR campaign in the districts of lawmakers in vulnerable seats. They've filed lawsuits. If these attacks go unanswered, it's a HUGE problem. The oil and gas leasing pause is temporary, which means we could be back to business as usual if Big Oil succeeds in pressuring lawmakers to lose their nerve.

This fight is WAY too important to back down now. Fossil fuel extraction on public lands generates A QUARTER of America's greenhouse gas emissions alone. Stopping oil and gas companies is not just a question of land protection, but of creating a better climate for our children, and leading us toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy infrastructure for generations. This is the difference between more extreme weather, polluted air, rising sea levels — this order alone is a huge step to curbing climate emergencies.

We can win this fight — I promise. Going toe-to-toe with Big Oil is what we do here at LCV. We've won campaigns against them year after year — even when we're wildly outspent. The problem is that after months (years, really) of must-win fights against the Trump administration, our resources are tight.

We're asking you to show up — our climate action work is going to be much less impactful without your help. Your donation of just $5 or more can be the difference in whether or not we can stay in this fight »

This is just the beginning of our fight — we've got to not only protect what we've won for the environment, but defend against new opposition from the oil and gas industry. We can only make this work with your help. The best thing you can do is make an emergency contribution today, any amount big or small is a huge way to grow our power in 2021.

Thank you for your commitment, friend — and for everything you do for the environment. A brighter future is in sight — let's get there together.

Onward,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters