FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2022
Contacts:
Collin Rees, collin@priceofoil.org, +1 308 293 3159 (WhatsApp or Signal, in Egypt at COP27)
Election Response: Our movements won’t back down — Biden must step up to defend democracy, stop climate chaos
WASHINGTON, DC — Early midterm election results indicate a number of tight races still to be decided in the coming days and weeks.
In response, Collin Rees, United States Program Manager at Oil Change International, released the following statement:
“As we await final results in a number of tight races, it’s more critical than ever that President Biden stand strong against Big Oil and its allies by taking bold executive action to confront the climate crisis. Frontline communities are already under attack, and they need a president who has their back in the fight for their lives and for a habitable planet.
“We’ve been here before. When climate progress faced hostile opposition a decade ago, Indigenous and frontline communities pressured President Obama to use his executive authority to stop the disastrous Keystone XL tar sands pipeline — and eventually, then won and he did. President Biden must do the same and take swift executive action on climate.
“No matter the final results, our movement for climate justice won’t back down. Declaring a climate emergency and stopping new fossil fuel projects should be at the top of Biden’s agenda — the future of the planet and U.S. democracy is at stake. The last thing Congress should do is pass Big Oil’s dangerous ‘permitting reform’ legislation to sacrifice frontline communities and fast-track climate chaos.
“Fossil fuel expansion is a death sentence for those suffering from dire climate impacts. Big Oil may have tried to buy this election, but we will stand united in resisting its dirty agenda and push for a strong, just implementation of recent climate legislation while protecting our democracy.”
Notes to Editors
- Recent Oil Change International analysis estimates that emissions from a subset of fossil fuel projects President Biden can stop with executive authority would equate to nearly 400 coal-fired power plants.
- The nationwide People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition of more than 1,200 organizations has been pushing President Biden to stop fossil fuel expansion and declare a climate emergency.
- Specific demands for executive action are detailed in the Build Back Fossil Free Executive Action Blueprint and Frontlines Climate Justice Executive Action Platform.
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