Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Thursday, February 11, 2016
Locals and Activists Ask Feds to End Fossil Fuel Auctions for Good

Local Residents and Activists Turn up the Pressure to Permanently End Public Land Fossil Fuel Auctions
Contact: Jeremy Nichols (303) 437-7663 jnichols@wildearthguardians.org

MicahParkin, 350 Colorado, (504) 258-1247
RuthBreech, Rainforest Action Network, (415) 238-1766
TaylorMcKinnon, Center for Biological Diversity, (801) 300-2414
DianaBest, Greenpeace, (415) 265-8122

DENVER—Dozens of climate activists staged a climate rally outside of the Bureau ofLand Management’s office in Lakewood, Colo., calling for an immediate end tofossil fuel development on public lands. The group also delivered a letter toregional BLM Director Ruth Welch, asking her to cancel all future fossil fuel leaseauctions and to keep fossil fuels in the ground on public lands.

These“climate auctions” allow industry to bid on large swaths of public lands fordrilling and fracking. The Bureau had originally scheduled an auction on thisday; however, the sale had been postponed due to ongoing tribal consultations.The rally today highlighted that delaying these auctions is not enough. It istime to end climate auctions for good to prevent catastrophic climate changeand ensure a livable future for this and coming generations in Colorado.

Therally is part of the rapidly growing “Keep It in the Ground” movement callingon President Obama to define his climate legacy and stop new fossil fuel leaseson public lands and oceans — a step that would keep up to 450 billion tons ofcarbon pollution from escaping into the atmosphere. These auctions present agross conflict between the administration’s climate pledges and an energy policythat allows fuels that should be considered “unburnable” to be extracted frompublic lands. Federal fossil fuels—those that the president controls—shouldbe the first taken off the table to mitigate climate damage. Similar “Keep itin the Ground” protests are planned for upcoming lease sales in Reno, Salt LakeCity and New Orleans.

Groupsparticipating in today’s rally included: 350 Colorado, 350 Fort Collins, Centerfor Biological Diversity, CO People’s Alliance, Direct FRACK-tion, EarthGuardians, Flatirons Political Art, Food & Water Watch, Frack-Free CO,Greenpeace USA, Indigenous People’s Power Project, Rainforest Action Network,WildEarth Guardians and others.

Statements fromIndividuals and Groups:

“Our public lands, our communities, andour climate should no longer take a backseat to the demands of the frackingindustry,” said Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardains’ Climate and EnergyProgram Director. “It’s time for a absolute moratorium on leasingour publicly owned oil and gas.”

“Ata time when countries around the world have agreed that we must keep the globaltemperature rise under 2 degree C to avoid devastating climate change andscientists tell us that means keeping 80% of fossil fuels in the ground, it’sclear that the Obama administration’s only responsible course of action is tostop auctioning off public lands for oil and gas fracking – and we intend tohold them to that,” said Micah Parkin with 350 Colorado.

“Fossilfuel companies make millions off public land leases while wreaking environmentaldestruction, harming people’s health, violating Indigenous rights, and passingoff massive clean up costs to taxpayers,” said Ruth Breech, from RainforestAction Network. “President Obama should not just take a closer look at thesecorporate giveaways, but end them altogether.”

“It’snot enough to keep postponing these oil and gas lease auctions, they need to behalted permanently,” said Taylor McKinnon of the Center for BiologicalDiversity. “If we are to have any hope of meeting our climate change goals, the450 billion tons of potential carbon emissions on public lands and waters mustremain in the ground.”

“Witheach postponement, massive amounts of publicly owned fossil fuels stay in theground a little longer, and the movement to keep them there permanently getsstronger. Now, the Obama administration must move quickly to stop all fossilfuel leasing on public lands and waters so we can focus on building therenewable energy economy,” said Diana Best with Greenpeace, USA.

Background:

Sixty-sevenmillion acres of U.S. public lands are already leased to dirty fossil fuelindustries, an area 55 times larger than Grand Canyon National Park, andcontaining up to 43 billion tons of potential greenhouse gas pollution. Nearlyone quarter of all U.S. climate pollution already comes from burning fossilfuels from public lands. Remaining federal oil, gas, coal, oil shale and tarsands that have not been leased to industry contain up to 450 billion tons ofpotential greenhouse gas pollution.

InSeptember, more than 400 organizations called on President Obama to end federalfossil fuel leasing. In November, Senators Merkley (D-Ore.), Sanders (D-Vt.)and others introduced legislation to end new federal fossil fuel leases andcancel non-producing federal fossil fuel leases. Last month, the ObamaAdministration placed a moratorium on federal coal leasing while the Departmentof the Interior studies its impacts on taxpayers and the planet. Since November,the BLM has canceled or postponed oil and gas leasing auctions in Utah,Montana, Washington, D.C. and Wyoming.

Downloada copy of the letter to Director Ruth Welch here.

Downloadthe September “Keep it in the Ground” letter to Obama here.

DownloadPublic Lands, Private Profits, a report detailing thecorporations profiting from fossil fuel extraction on public lands, here.

DownloadGrounded: The President’s Power to Fight Climate Change, Protect Public Landsby Keeping Publicly Owned Fossil Fuels in the Ground here. This report details the legal authorities withwhich a president can halt new federal fossil fuel leases.

DownloadThe Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions fact sheet here.