It was almost exactly four years ago today, in 2019, when I marched alongside fellow New Yorkers on a global day of walkouts. High school students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, and political affiliations called for political leaders to address the ever-worsening climate crisis. We called for a decrease in the burning of fossil fuels, which is by far the largest contributor to climate change. “This is an emergency. Our house is on fire.” I remember the desperateness in the then 16-year-old Greta Thunberg’s voice as she spoke for the enormous crowd. On Sunday, September 17th, 2023, an estimated 75,000 people took to the streets as part of the official March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City. The march demanded that President Biden end the emission of fossil fuels. More specifically, marchers called for Biden to stop federally approving new fossil fuel projects, phase out drilling on public land, and declare climate change a national emergency. Last weekend’s march called for the same thing as the march I attended four years ago: for politicians to take action. We were not taken seriously then, but we must be now. There is no alternative.
A new report from Oil Change International showed that the U.S. accounts for one-third of all planned oil and gas expansion across the world between now and 2050, more than any other nation. Since an export ban was lifted in 2015, the U.S.’ oil exports have increased by almost 850 percent and are set to hit an all-time high in 2023. This is all going on under President Biden’s administration with his full approval. Regardless of political affiliation, there is no doubt that Biden has proved nothing but contradictory to what he promised on his campaign trail for climate change. During his term thus far, Biden managed to expand upon federal drill leasing, approve the Willow Project in Alaska, advance the Mountain Valley Pipeline, approve the Alaska LNG Project, and more. Not only has he signed off on policies detrimental to the climate, but he refuses to address his hypocrisy and stop the pattern.
Most of the U.S.’ current output of fossil energy is from oil companies that drill on private or state property, which President Biden is powerless to stop. What he is not powerless to do, however, is to remove oil companies who drill on public property. He can also reinstate a ban on oil and gas exports from private land. He can choose to stop saying yes to all new oil and gas projects, declare the destabilized climate the emergency it is, and stop sending the billions of federal dollars invested in fossil fuel financing abroad. He can implement federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, end federal fossil fuel financing programs, and mandate that all cars sold are carbon-emission-free by 2030; as well as prosecute organizations based on obstructing the clean energy transition, as Governor Gavin Newsom of California recently did. The point is that it is well within President Biden’s power to make a significant difference in the movement against fossil fuels.
In a recent interview, President Biden claimed to have “practically” declared climate change an emergency because he “conserved more land”, rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, and invested $368 billion into a climate control facility. There is no doubt that these steps were important, however, the fact remains that Biden’s actions have been significantly inadequate compared to what must still be done. Additionally, the U.S. Congress played a huge role in perpetuating the country’s high usage of fossil fuel energy due to its (unsurprisingly) deep entanglement with political and economic corruption in the industry. While unfortunate, this corruption is not going anywhere as of today. Hence, the majority of power now lies within the executive branch to make the most immediate changes against fossil fuel usage. The people are watching Biden and asking him to step up. It’s not too late.
Republican lawmakers have recently expressed their desire for increased domestic drilling for oil as a solution to rising gas prices. Former Vice-President Mike Pence said to FOX News that President Biden is to blame for rising gas prices due to “killing the keystone pipeline, taking federal lands off the list for exploration, (and) sidelining leases for oil and natural gas.” The U.S. Energy Information Administration, however, does not cite the production of U.S. oil as a contributor to gas prices. On the contrary, gas prices are entirely up to the ever-fluctuating whim of global markets related to the cost of crude oil, marketing and distribution costs, taxes, etc. There are simply no negatives to ending fossil fuel emissions.
The March to End Fossil Fuels came just days before the UN is set to hold its first Climate Ambition Summit. The event, according to UN Secretary-General and host Antonio Guterres, is aimed at “pressuring world leaders to commit to more rapid emissions cuts”. Biden does not plan on attending. The issue of fossil fuel emissions is one that we cannot, under any circumstances, ignore and push to the side. According to the United Nations, we have five years left until climate change is irreversible. Planet Earth, our home, is on fire and burning at a rapid pace. As humans, it is our responsibility to demand change be made not only for ourselves but future generations. President Biden holds an incredible amount of power right now. We have no choice but to relentlessly march, protest, rally, and speak out in any way we can until he makes changes. The future of everything depends on it.
Works Cited
“Biden’s Green Energy Money Is Sugar on a Poison Pill”, Lydia Millet, The New York Times, 19 September 2023
“Biden tries to bolster his climate credentials as activists push for more urgency”, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak, Arlette Saenz, CNNPollitics, 9 August 2023
“Causes and Effects of Climate Change”, Climate Action, United Nations
“Gasoline Explained”, “Factors affecting gasoline prices”, 22 February 2023, Independent Statistics and Analysis, U.S. Energy Information Administration
“New Research Exposes 5 Global North Countries Responsible for 51% of Planned Oil and Gas Expansion Through 2050”, Nicole Rodel, Oil Change International, 12 September 2023
“People of the State of California v. Big Oil”, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, CA.GOV, 16 September 2023 PETROLEUM & OTHER LIQUIDS, Independent Statistics and Analysis, U.S. Energy Information Administration
“Republicans Wrongly Blame Biden for Rising Gas Prices”, Lina Qiu, 9 March 2022
“Thousands march in New York to demand that Biden ‘end fossil fuels”, Rachel Waldholz, NPR, 17 September 2023
Featured Image credit to Vincent M.A. Janssen on Pexels.
