The Biden administration irked
environmentalists
by approving an oil drilling venture in
Alaska
on Monday.
The Willow Project, which
received approval
from the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, will produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day on five drilling pads.
Over two dozen environmental groups issued a joint statement Monday
opposing the measure
. They said the move once “again demonstrates how political and industry interests put ‘business as usual’ before the health of people and the planet.”
Whether or not environmentalists want to admit it, though, approving new drilling in Alaska is a green move.
More domestic oil production will benefit the United States. It could reduce costs for consumers and help the country avoid energy shortages. However, it also has some environmental benefits.
U.S. oil has better environmental standards and a lower carbon footprint than oil from other countries. A barrel of crude U.S. oil will emit 89 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is lower than the global average of 95 kilograms,
according to the Brookings Institution
.
Therefore, the U.S. can cut its carbon emissions by using domestic oil rather than importing it from people who hate us. Plus, purchasing oil from foreign countries can enrich countries that sponsor terrorism,
such as Iran
. The U.S. should avoid commerce with such countries whenever possible.
The Earth is warming, and
humans contribute
to the problem. Reducing emissions
where economically feasible
is a good idea. However, the U.S. needs oil. Millions of people drive gas-powered cars, and commerce depends on a trucking industry powered by gasoline. That will not change soon, so the country should seek out oil with a lower carbon footprint, such as American oil.
Although climate change is real, the alarmists have
greatly exaggerated its threat
, and climate-related deaths have
decreased
as the world has industrialized. Focusing on
climate resilience
is a more pragmatic way to save lives than cratering an economy with a
Green New Deal
in an attempt to control the Earth’s temperature.
So while left-wing environmentalists will dislike the Biden administration’s decision, it is a rare instance in which it got something right. If the U.S. takes realistic steps to reduce emissions and improve the environment, it can make a difference. Posturing over pie-in-the-sky proposals will not change anything.
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Tom Joyce (
@TomJoyceSports
) is a political reporter for the New Boston Post in Massachusetts.
