** Interior to examine social costs of public lands drilling as Biden heads for COP26
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Monday, November 1, 2021
President Biden will spend this week at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, US House of Representatives ([link removed])

This weekend, President Biden traveled to Glasgow, Scotland for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which will take place over the course of this week. Many have called COP26 the world's "last best chance ([link removed]) " to come to a consensus around combatting climate change. Throughout the proceedings, President Biden will seek to convince world leaders that the United States is finally serious about addressing climate change ([link removed]) , even as Congress has forced him to abandon high-impact elements of his climate agenda.

However, Biden also enters the conference with a new climate win, literally on American soil: on Friday, the Interior department announced that they will for the first time analyze national greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas drilling on federal lands ([link removed]) . The department will defer offering some oil and gas leases that were scheduled to go up for auction while it completes environmental assessments. The exact number of deferred leases remains unknown.

The announcement is a first step towards reforming the leasing system so it accounts for the full climate and social cost of extracting oil and gas from America’s public lands. Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director of the Center for Western Priorities said in response ([link removed]) , "[The] announcement is a big step in the right direction... At the same time, this decision demonstrates how crucial it is for the Biden administration to implement full top-to-bottom reforms of the oil and gas leasing system. A piecemeal approach is necessary in the short-term, but it is not a long-term solution, and the clock is ticking."

The inclusion of emissions in lease sale reviews will allow the administration to take into account the increasing social costs of climate change that result from burning fossil fuels from public lands. That cost could be very high, as fossil fuels extracted from federal public lands produce about one-fifth of all U.S. energy-related emissions ([link removed]) .

Even with the new change, the administration still plans to auction off 80,000,000 acres ([link removed]) for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in mid-November, just days after President Biden returns from the COP 26. That sale is projected to generate more than 1,000,000,000 barrels of oil in the coming decades.
Quick hits


** The BLM was hobbled under Trump—now it is key to Biden’s climate agenda and trying to rebuild
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** Environmental justice coalition backs monuments in Texas and Nevada
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E&E News ([link removed])


** We’re in uncharted territory for the world’s climate, UN report says
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The Guardian ([link removed])


** Keeping cattle on the move and carbon in the soil
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New York Times ([link removed])


** The Native American way of fighting wildfires
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Bloomberg ([link removed])


** As climate change causes damage to beloved features at national parks, Biden's Build Back Better bill could help parks
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National Public Radio ([link removed]) [Climate damage] | National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) [Build Back Better]


** A Colorado town nearly ran out of drinking water, and a report says that groundwater flow to the Colorado River may decline by a third over the next 30 years
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Colorado Sun ([link removed]) [Drinking water] | USGS ([link removed]) [Groundwater flow]


** Are these Colorado trees culturally modified… or just bent?
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Quote of the day
Castner Range and Avi Kwa Ame are incredibly beautiful and sacred places to so many of us in Monumental SHIFT... we are honored to work with community leaders on the ground in advocating to protect those lands and so many more."
—Maite Arce, president and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, E&E News ([link removed])
Picture this


** National Park Service ([link removed])
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That’s the spirit…👻

National parks offer boo-tiful scenery, wildlife sightings, and a connection with nature. We want your trip be safe and enjoyable. As you prepare for a walk or hike, keep in mind some general safety tips as you embark on your adventure:

🎃 Dress appropriately for your park activity. For sun protection, we recommend wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Research the route and terrain of the hike before you go and identify the right equipment for your trip. Like shoes. (Unless you prefer to hover.)

🎃 Check the weather before you head out. If conditions are not ideal, don’t take the chance! Getting caught in the rain can really dampen your spirits.

🎃 Keep track of the time. (This hike seems like forever!) Remember that your total hike time includes the time it took you to hike to your destination and back to your starting point. If any of your hike, in either direction, is uphill, plan for it to take at least double the time it took you to go downhill.

🎃 Be aware of the time you set out and turn around so you don’t get stuck outside in the dark. (Unless that’s your thing.)

Image: Ghouls just wanna have fun. Person in a ghost costume poses with the vast Joshua Tree landscape behind. NPS/Hannah Schwalbe

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