A Huge Amount of Fossil Fuel Drilling Happens on Public Lands and Waters. Biden Is Taking Steps to Change That.

The document argues that fossil fuel extraction on U.S. public lands and waters is incompatible with climate goals, noting that nearly 25% of U.S. climate emissions originate from these areas. It highlights President Biden's early actions, including a pause on new oil and gas leasing and the protection of the Arctic Ocean and Atlantic canyons from drilling. The author calls for further measures, such as reinstating a coal leasing moratorium, strengthening methane regulations, and shutting down the Dakota Access Pipeline.

• Fossil fuels extracted from U.S. public lands and waters account for nearly 25% of the country's climate-cooking emissions, with over 22 million acres of public lands in the American West currently leased to oil and gas companies.
• President Biden took immediate steps to limit drilling, including an executive order that freezes a March 17 offshore drilling lease sale, protects most of the Arctic Ocean and Atlantic canyons, and pauses new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters pending a program review.
• The author recommends that the Biden administration reinstate President Obama's coal leasing moratorium, as coal from public lands contributes approximately 10% of U.S. emissions, and reject projects like the Dakota Access Pipeline.

APA

Earthjustice (2021). A Huge Amount of Fossil Fuel Drilling Happens on Public Lands and Waters. Biden Is Taking Steps to Change That. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2021/biden-oil-gas-leasing-arctic-public-lands

Chicago

Earthjustice. A Huge Amount of Fossil Fuel Drilling Happens on Public Lands and Waters. Biden Is Taking Steps to Change That. 2021. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2021/biden-oil-gas-leasing-arctic-public-lands.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=A Huge Amount of Fossil Fuel Drilling Happens on Public Lands and Waters. Biden Is Taking Steps to Change That. |date=3 February 2021 |url=https://earthjustice.org/brief/2021/biden-oil-gas-leasing-arctic-public-lands |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2021huge, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{A Huge Amount of Fossil Fuel Drilling Happens on Public Lands and Waters. Biden Is Taking Steps to Change That.}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://earthjustice.org/brief/2021/biden-oil-gas-leasing-arctic-public-lands}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }