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From Common Dreams
Summary
On January 1, 2024, President Joe Biden announced a permanent ban on offshore oil and gas drilling across more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory, including areas along the East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea. This decision, made just before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, aims to protect coastal communities and ecosystems from potential damage caused by fossil fuel exploitation. Biden emphasized that this ban reflects the sentiments of coastal communities that recognize the risks associated with drilling, especially in light of historical events like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Highlights
- 🛢️ Major Ban Announced: Biden bans offshore drilling over 625 million acres to protect U.S. coasts.
- 🌊 Community Concerns: The decision reflects the views of coastal communities worried about the environmental impact of drilling.
- 📊 Public Support: Recent polling shows 64% of Americans support the ban on new offshore drilling.
- 🚨 Historical Context: The ban comes after the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill, raising awareness about drilling risks.
- 🌍 Climate Crisis: Biden states that protecting coasts is crucial as the nation transitions towards a clean energy economy.
- 🔍 Future Challenges: With Trump’s administration poised to take over, there are concerns about potential rollbacks on environmental protections.
Outgoing President Joe Biden on Monday moved to permanently ban offshore oil and gas drilling across more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory, protecting swaths of the East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from fossil fuel exploitation just before President-elect Donald Trump is set to retake power.
Biden said in a statement that his decision “reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs.”
Invoking the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill—the largest in U.S. history—Biden said future drilling off the coasts he’s seeking to protect “is not worth the risks.” Recent polling indicates that a majority of the American public agrees: 64% support action to shield U.S. coastlines from new offshore drilling, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the advocacy group Oceana.
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Read the full post at Common Dreams.
