FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2019
CONTACT:
David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil.org
Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org
Oil Change U.S. response to Joe Biden’s climate plan
This morning, Joe Biden released his plan to combat climate change, committing to sign the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge and ban new oil and gas permits on public lands and waters. In response, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change U.S., issued the following statement:
“Today’s climate plan from Joe Biden is the latest recognition that climate change is the defining issue of the 2020 election. The climate crisis has arrived not just in our backyards, but in our politics. After a weak trial balloon swiftly beaten back by a powerful movement demanding urgent action, Biden has responded by committing to take the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge and outlining some important actions that begin to approach the levels needed to address the climate crisis.
“We’re thrilled that Vice President Biden has committed to join 16 of his fellow candidates in signing the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. In so doing, he solidifies a near-consensus position amongst Democratic presidential contenders in finally rejecting the fossil fuel industry’s influence on our politics.
“Ending reliance on fossil fuel money allows candidates to begin to consider actions commensurate with the challenge we face in the climate crisis, and Joe Biden’s plan continues this trend. Our public lands should not be the scenes of climate crimes by way of fossil fuel extraction, and we’re happy to see Biden join the Democratic chorus in calling for the end of fossil fuel extraction on public lands and waters.
“Vice President Biden’s call for ending international fossil fuel subsidies and finance of ‘high carbon’ projects is an important step, but it should reflect the reality that all fossil fuels are high carbon at this late date in the climate struggle. Export credits and development finance should not only explicitly exclude coal, but also all other fossil fuel infrastructure including oil and gas.
“Unfortunately, Biden’s plan remains problematic in several ways, and we hope he will listen to concerns from communities and scientists in the days and weeks ahead. Reliance on unproven techno-unicorns like carbon capture and storage promotes the interests of the incumbent fossil fuel industry, while forestalling critical action needed to swiftly move away from fossil fuels completely. It’s especially troubling to see Biden commit to doubling down on government subsidies for carbon capture and storage, given his plan calls for a global ban on fossil fuel subsidies writ large.
“Overall, today’s plan from Vice President Biden is another indication that the climate crisis has arrived. The Democratic Party would be wise to lean into this reality, by hosting a debate focused on the climate crisis and allowing the American public to see which candidates are ready to rise to the challenge. Not only is the climate crisis an issue of paramount importance for the next president, but showing climate leadership is clearly a political winner for candidates in the 2020 race.”
###
Notes to Editors:
– For a full listing of No Fossil Fuel Money pledge signers in the presidential race, see: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/presidential-signers/
– New research shows that even if methane emissions from gas production were eliminated immediately, continued expansion of gas production would make it impossible to meet global climate goals: http://priceofoil.org/2019/05/30/gas-is-not-a-bridge-fuel/
– Biden’s full climate position can be found here: https://joebiden.com/climate
PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUS.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.
I hope Biden will join most of the rest of the Democratic candidates by endorsing the Green New Deal. Out time is limited to divest from fossil fuels, and embrace a clean energy economy. I hope he begins to focus on issues such as climate change so we know where he stands in comparison to other candidates. We have the technology and expertise to move much faster toward a clean energy future. Politics is getting in the way.