Courtney Bourgoin, courtney.bourgoin@sierraclub.org
Monroe, LA— Yesterday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Biden administration's pause on new oil and gas leasing on public lands and offshore. The court’s preliminary injunction, which applies to Department of the Interior leasing nationwide, harms efforts to rapidly transition the nation away from fossil fuels and stave off the worst effects of climate change, including catastrophic droughts, floods and wildfires.
Earlier in the case, the Sierra Club joined environmental and community organizations in seeking to intervene in the case to defend the pause— citing climate, economic and public health concerns— but that motion was denied. Sierra Club has since participated in the case as an amicus curiae.
In response to the decision, Eric Huber, Managing Attorney at the Sierra Club, released the following statement:
"The Biden administration's leasing pause was a promising first step to phase out new wasteful fossil fuel development on public lands and offshore, which contributes to nearly a quarter of this country's climate emissions.
“The industry wants us to believe the pause is a crisis, yet they are sitting on millions of acres of unused oil and gas leases right now. The real crisis is our rapidly changing climate, the pollution from extraction being poured into communities, and the economic instability caused by fossil fuel boom-and-bust cycles.
“We will continue fighting to end fossil fuel leasing on public lands and waters once and for all."
More Background:
In May 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report demonstrating a viable pathway to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius that calls for an immediate end to new fossil fuel leasing worldwide while ensuring stable and affordable energy supplies, universal energy access, and robust economic growth. Under the court’s order, however, the Department of Interior would be required to hold lease sales for our public lands and oceans.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.