Obama should act on fossil fuels

To avoid catastrophic climate change, we need to put a stop to all new fossil fuel development and accelerate a just transition to a clean energy economy. The only way to achieve this is to keep coal, oil and gas in the ground. President Obama has executive authority to direct federal agencies to stop leasing public fossil fuels and he should define his climate legacy by doing just that.

The time for a just transition to a clean energy economy is now. President Obama can demonstrate true climate leadership by committing the U.S. to breaking free from fossil fuels and keeping them in the ground.

Keeping fossil fuels in the ground provides us with a chance to avoid the worst impacts of climate change while safeguarding our air and water and protecting frontline communities.

The United States has already leased more fossil fuels than we can burn to avoid climate catastrophe. To solidify his climate legacy, President Obama should stop all new federal fossil fuel leasing on public lands and waters.

Richard Moller

Lynnwood

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Friday, May 10

A sketchy look at the newss of the day.… Continue reading

Schwab: The Everett Clinic lost more than name in two sales

The original clinic’s physician-owners had their squabbles but always put patient care first.

Bret Stephens: Why Zionists like me can thank campus protesters

Their stridency may have ‘sharpened the contradictions,’ but it drove more away from their arguments.

Saunders: Voters need to elect fiscal watchdogs to Congress

Few in Washington, D.C., seem serious about the threat posed by the national debt. It’s time for a change.

Charles Blow: Will young voters stick with Biden despite rift?

Campus protests look to peel away young voters for Biden, but time and reality may play in his favor.

Michalle Goldberg: Why senators need to stop anti-semitism act

The application of a standard against anti-semitism was meant as tool, not a basis for legislation.

Making adjustments to keep Social Security solvent represents only one of the issues confronting Congress. It could also correct outdated aspects of a program that serves nearly 90 percent of Americans over 65. (Stephen Savage/The New York Times) -- NO SALES; FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY WITH NYT STORY SLUGGED SCI SOCIAL SECURITY BY PAULA SPAN FOR NOV. 26, 2018. ALL OTHER USE PROHIBITED.
Editorial: Social Security’s good news? Bad news delayed a bit

Congress has a little additional time to make sure Social Security is solvent. It shouldn’t waste it.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks to reporters during a press conference about the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Senate Democrats reintroduced broad legislation on Wednesday to legalize cannabis on the federal level, a major shift in policy that has wide public support, but which is unlikely to be enacted this year ahead of November’s elections and in a divided government. (Valerie Plesch/The New York Times)
Editorial: Federal moves on cannabis encouraging, if incomplete

The Biden administration and the Senate offer sensible proposals to better address marijuana use.

A radiation warning sign along the road near the Hanford Site in Washington state, on Aug. 10, 2022. Hanford, the largest and most contaminated of all American nuclear weapons production sites, is too polluted to ever be returned to public use. Cleanup efforts are now at an inflection point.  (Mason Trinca/The New York Times)
Editorial: Latest Hanford cleanup plan must be scrutinized

A new plan for treating radioactive wastes offers a quicker path, but some groups have questions.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, May 9

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Nicholas Kristof: Biden must press Israel on Gaza relief

With northern Gaza in a ‘full-blown famine,’ the U.S. must use its leverage to reopen crossings to aid trucks.

David French: Greene, MAGA crowd not as powerful as they think

Speaker Mike Johnson and some Republicans are finding they can stand against the party’s fringe.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.