The fossil fuel industry has more than 20 new or expanded fracked gas export terminals planned, primarily along the Gulf Coast, to ship their dirty product overseas. Expanded gas exports would threaten already-vulnerable frontline communities, raise energy prices for American families, and lock in climate pollution far beyond what our planet can afford.
The Biden administration must act urgently to protect communities and the climate from the risks of gas exports by putting a halt to the industry’s plans to lock us into decades of oil and gas extraction and pollution.
The science is clear that in order to avert the worst of the climate crisis, we cannot allow for any new expansion of fossil fuels, including so-called “natural” gas.[1] Every step of the way — from extraction by fracking, to transport by pipeline, to energy-intensive liquefaction — gas export projects release significant amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas and a major contributor to the climate crisis. President Biden has laid out an ambitious agenda for climate action and environmental justice, but supporting the industry’s massive expansion of fracked gas exports would be totally out of step with the administration’s climate goals.
Even as we reduce climate emissions in the power sector here at home, we won’t meet our climate goals if the fossil fuel industry continues to extract oil and gas and receive billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks from the federal government.
Gas exports along the Gulf Coast are also a serious environmental injustice. Sited primarily in communities of color, these gas export facilities would exacerbate the pollution and associated public health impacts of communities that are already overburdened by fossil fuel pollution. These are also the same communities that are hit the hardest by extreme weather events fueled by climate change. It’s time for the Biden administration to step in and stop these communities from being treated as disposable, sacrifice zones for the oil and gas industry, as they have been for far too long.
The fossil fuel industry sees that the growing transition to a clean energy economy has left the US with no need for expanded fossil fuel development, so they’re trying to export oil and gas to new overseas markets to pad their bottom line while American families face increased pollution and higher energy prices as a result.
The fossil fuel industry continues to lobby to protect their corporate profits and we must take action to ensure that the Biden administration is standing up for our water, air, climate, and communities.
Tell Biden Administration to stop supporting the expansion of fracked gas exports!
[1] https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2021