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On Tuesday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in favor of 13 states that have sued the Biden administration over its temporary pause on oil and gas leasing on public land. The judge did not rule on the legality of the case but blocked the suspension of lease sales as the case proceeds. While this could be a setback in the administration's fight against climate change and for a fair return for taxpayers on the use of public resources, it's unclear the effect that this action will have.
The Interior Department has stated that it will comply with the decision and may resume lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. However, the department argues that lease sales are not required by law but are directed by the Interior Secretary and "no existing lease has been cancelled as a result of any of the actions challenged here, and development activity from exploration through drilling and production has continued at similar levels as the preceding four years."
Despite the judge's claim that the pause is costing states "millions and possibly billions of dollars," it has been established that the leasing pause is not having a negative impact on the oil and gas industry. The Energy Department found that it will have no effect on the industry until 2022, which currently holds 10 million acres and 7,700 permits to drill that are unaffected by the pause, allowing them to continue business as usual. In previous SEC filings and shareholder conference calls, multiple oil industry CEOs confirmed that they will be unaffected by the leasing pause.
In the coming weeks, the Interior Department is expected to release an interim report on the oil and gas leasing system that will include "initial findings on the state of the federal conventional energy programs, as well as outline next steps and recommendations for the Department and Congress to improve stewardship of public lands and waters, create jobs, and build a just and equitable energy future," according to Interior Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz.
30x30: Rhetoric or reality?
The Biden administration has established a goal to conserve 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030 for the benefit of all Americans. This goal, known as “30x30,” has been recommended by scientists in order to prevent the collapse of the planet’s natural systems while supporting communities across the country. Although the 30x30 initiative has widespread support from elected leaders, scientists, and the public, a number of bad actors have worked to spread misinformation on the topic. Here's a look at the established facts.
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What I think is amazing about having identity-specific [trail] crews is that a lot of people—including myself, when I was 16—are terrified to learn wilderness skills while having to deal with homophobia or transphobia. In [the Rainbow Crew] we don’t have to worry about that.”
