The trade-off of fossil fuels’ billions in subsidies

The article highlights the disconnect between public opposition to fossil fuel subsidies and congressional spending priorities. It introduces a 'fossil fuel subsidies tradeoff calculator' created by Friends of the Earth and 13 other groups to illustrate how funds given to 'Big Oil' could instead support social services like Pell grants, park rangers, and veteran healthcare. Specifically, it notes that a 2004 tax break for domestic manufacturers cost taxpayers $656 million last year, which could have funded medical care for 221,622 combat veterans.

• There is a significant gap between public opinion, where majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents oppose fossil fuel subsidies, and the actions of the U.S. Congress.
• A tax break for domestic manufacturers signed by President George W. Bush in 2004, which includes the fossil fuel industry, cost taxpayers $656 million in the previous year.
• Redirecting the $656 million spent on the aforementioned manufacturer tax loophole could provide Pell grants to 114,485 students, hire 20,796 park rangers, or provide medical care to 221,622 combat veterans.

APA

Fox, A. (2015). The trade-off of fossil fuels’ billions in subsidies. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/blog/2015-01-the-trade-off-of-fossil-fuels-billions-in-subsidies/

Chicago

Fox, Audrey. The trade-off of fossil fuels’ billions in subsidies. Friends of the Earth, 2015. https://foe.org/blog/2015-01-the-trade-off-of-fossil-fuels-billions-in-subsidies/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fox |first1=Audrey |title=The trade-off of fossil fuels’ billions in subsidies |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=2 February 2015 |url=https://foe.org/blog/2015-01-the-trade-off-of-fossil-fuels-billions-in-subsidies/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fox2015tradeoff, author = {Fox, Audrey}, title = {{The trade-off of fossil fuels’ billions in subsidies}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2015}, month = feb, url = {https://foe.org/blog/2015-01-the-trade-off-of-fossil-fuels-billions-in-subsidies/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }