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u.s. news Diasabra 27 November 2021

Biden sets out oil, gas leasing reform, stops short of ban

(AP) — The Biden admin- criticism from congressio- proximity to existing oil and
istration on Friday recom- nal Republicans and the oil gas infrastructure, the report Energy companies including Emissions from burning and
mended an overhaul of industry, even as many envi- said. Shell, BP, Chevron and Exx- extracting fossil fuels from
the nation’s oil and gas ronmentalists and Democrats onMobil offered a combined public lands and waters ac-
leasing program to limit said Biden should make the The White House declined $192 million for offshore count for about a quarter of
areas available areas for leasing pause permanent. to comment Friday, referring drilling rights in the Gulf, U.S. carbon dioxide emis-
energy development and questions to Interior. highlighting the hurdles sions, according to the U.S.
raise costs for oil and gas The new report seeks a mid- Biden faces to reach climate Geological Survey.
companies to drill on pub- dle ground that would con- The federal leasing program goals dependent on deep cuts
lic land and water. tinue the multibillion-dollar has drawn renewed focus in fossil fuel emissions. Environmentalists hailed the
leasing program while re- in recent weeks as gasoline report’s recommendation to
The long-awaited report forming it to end what many prices have skyrocketed and The leases will take years to raise royalty rates, but some
by the Interior Department officials consider overly fa- Republicans complained develop, meaning oil com- groups said the report falls
stops short of recommend- vorable terms for the indus- that Biden policies, includ- panies could keep producing short of action needed to ad-
ing an end to oil and gas leas- try. ing the leasing moratorium, crude long past 2030, when dress the climate crisis.
ing on public lands, as many rejection of the Keystone XL Biden has set a goal to lower
environmental groups have The report recommends hik- oil pipeline and a ban on oil greenhouse gas emissions by “Today’s report is a complete
urged. But officials said the ing federal royalty rates for leasing in Alaska’s Arctic Na- at least 50%, compared with failure of the climate lead-
report would lead to a more oil and gas drilling, which tional Wildlife Refuge, con- 2005 levels. Scientists say the ership that our world des-
responsible leasing process have not been raised for 100 tributed to the price spike. world needs to be well on the perately needs,″ said Taylor
that provides a better return years. The federal rate of 12.5 way to that goal over the next McKinnon of the Center for
to U.S. taxpayers. percent that developers must Biden on Tuesday ordered a decade to avoid catastrophic Biological Diversity, an envi-
pay to drill on public lands is record 50 million barrels of climate change. ronmental group.
“Our nation faces a profound significantly lower than many oil released from America’s
climate crisis that is impact- states and private landowners strategic reserve, aiming to Yet even as Biden has tried The report “presumes more
ing every American,″ Inte- charge for drilling leases on bring down gas prices amid to cajole other world lead- fossil fuel leasing that our
rior Secretary Deb Haaland state or private lands. concerns about inflation. ers into strengthening efforts climate can’t afford” and
said in a statement, adding Gasoline prices are at about against global warming, in- abandons Biden’s campaign
that the new report’s rec- The report also said the gov- $3.40 a gallon, more than cluding at this month’s U.N/ promise to stop new oil and
ommendations will mitigate ernment should consider 50% higher than a year ago, climate talks in Scotland, he’s gas leasing on public lands,
worsening climate change raising bond payments that according to the American had difficulty gaining ground McKinnon said.
impacts “while staying stead- energy companies must set Automobile Association. on climate issues at home.
fast in the pursuit of environ- aside for future cleanup be- The American Petroleum
mental justice.″ fore they drill new wells. The Biden administration The administration has pro- Institute, the top lobbying
Bond rates have not been in- conducted a lease sale on posed another round of oil group for the oil industry,
The report completes a re- creased in decades, the report federal oil and gas reserves and gas sales early next year in said Interior was proposing
view ordered in January by said. in the Gulf of Mexico last Wyoming, Colorado, Mon- to “increase costs on Ameri-
President Joe Biden, who di- week, after attorneys general tana and other states. Interior can energy development with
rected a pause in federal oil The Bureau of Land Man- from Republican-led states Department officials pro- no clear roadmap for the fu-
and gas lease sales in his first agement, an Interior Depart- successfully sued in federal ceeded despite concluding ture of federal leasing.”
days in office, citing worries ment agency, should focus court to lift the suspension that burning the fuels could
about climate change. potential leasing on areas that on federal oil and gas sales lead to billions of dollars in Other groups were more up-
have high potential for oil that Biden imposed when he potential future climate dam- beat.
The moratorium drew sharp and gas resources and are in took office. ages.

South Carolina abortion appellate hearing moved to January

(AP) — Appellate argu- abortion can only be per- Mississippi’s new abortion Texas — to sue an abortion the entire measure instead of
ments over a lawsuit chal- formed if the pregnancy was law. South Carolina’s law has provider, or anyone else who just the provision being chal-
lenging South Carolina’s caused by rape or incest, or if been blocked, pending the may have helped someone lenged. Several months later,
abortion law have been the mother’s life is in danger. outcome of that legal chal- get an abortion after the limit, 20 Democratic attorneys
pushed into the new year. lenge. and seek financial damages of general voiced support for
Opponents have argued Mississippi wants the high up to $10,000 per defendant. the legal challenge to South
Oral arguments in the case many women do not know court to uphold its ban on Carolina’s law, arguing that
had originally been planned they are pregnant at six most abortions after the 15th In July, 20 mostly Republi- the restrictive measure could
for next month, but the 4th weeks. And, they argue, with week of pregnancy, telling can-led states went on record harm their states by taxing re-
U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- such an early deadline, the the court it should over- in support of South Caroli- sources if women cross bor-
peals has rescheduled them law gives women little time rule the landmark Roe v. na’s law, arguing that a feder- ders to seek care.
for the last week in January, to consider whether to have Wade decision guaranteeing al judge was wrong to pause
according to an order from an abortion. a woman’s right to an abor-
the court. Earlier this week, tion, and the 1992 decision in
attorneys for the state also re- Medical experts say the car- Planned Parenthood v. Casey
quested that the case be heard diac activity is not an actual that prevents states from ban-
toward the end of that week, heartbeat but rather an ini- ning abortion before viability.
due to a scheduling conflict. tial flutter of electric activity
within cells in an embryo. South Carolina is among
Planned Parenthood is suing They say the heart doesn’t a dozen states awaiting the
South Carolina to over the begin to form until the fetus U.S. Supreme Court’s deci-
measure, which was signed is at least nine weeks old, and sion on Texas’ abortion law
into law by Republican Gov. they decry efforts to promote — the most restrictive in the
Henry McMaster earlier abortion bans by relying on nation — which bans abor-
this year and requires doc- medical inaccuracies. tions as early as six weeks and
tors to perform ultrasounds has no exceptions for rape or
to check for a so-called “fetal The 4th Circuit had origi- incest.
heartbeat.” If cardiac activ- nally planned to hear the case
ity — which can typically be the week of Dec. 6. That’s a Its unique enforcement
detected about six weeks into week after the U.S. Supreme mechanism also allows any-
pregnancy — is detected, the Court hears a challenge to one — even someone outside