Despite Joe Biden's campaign promises to end drilling on federal lands, the U.S. is now producing more oil than any country ever has, revealing the difficulty of halting oil production.
Maxine Joselow reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- The Biden administration has approved more drilling permits on federal lands than the Trump administration.
- High gas prices and legal challenges have pressured Biden to support increased oil production.
- Biden’s climate goals face political and market constraints, making it difficult to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Key quote:
“The fact is that President Biden has followed the rule of law in this country, and the rule of law says that if you have already given a lease to a fossil fuel company, you have to give a permit.”
— Leah Stokes, associate professor of environmental politics at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Why this matters:
U.S. oil production's continued growth underscores the challenge of balancing economic needs with climate goals, impacting global energy markets and environmental policies. Any future administration will face similar obstacles in reducing fossil fuel dependency.
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