President Biden addresses climate today in Massachusetts.

SETH GLADSTONE, sgladstone@fwwatch.org, @foodandwater
Gladstone is media director at Food & Water Watch. He said today: “Evidence from the last decade clearly shows that promoting cleaner energy while still advancing new fossil fuel projects will not reduce climate pollution.” See report from the group: “Averting Climate Catastrophe: Fossil Fuels Must End While Renewables Take Over.”

He said today: “Biden stated repeatedly and unequivocally that upon taking office he would halt all new leases for drilling and fracking on federal lands. This action does NOT require the declaration of a climate emergency. He could have done it on day one. Instead, he allowed new leasing and permitting of drilling and fracking at even a higher rate than under the Trump administration over the same period.”

The group’s recent report recommends:

* “President Biden should use his authority to stop fossil fuel extraction on federal lands.

* “President Biden should use his authority to stop the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure, including LNG [liquefied natural gas] exports, by denying the needed federal permits.
* “Congress should ban fracking everywhere.

* “Congress should pass legislation laying out a managed transition off fossil fuels that protects workers and communities that have depended on the industry.”