The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
On Feb. 11, new legislation that would prohibit companies from making new leases on federal lands and waters for coal, oil and gas was introduced to Congress. If passed, this would permanently protect Arctic and Atlantic coasts from new oil explorations and drilling operations.
The “Keep it in the Ground Act” would ban gas, oil and coal extraction on publicly owned land and coastal waters in the United States.
The bill has support from environmental groups such as 350.org, a climate activist group. The organization is well known and has chapters in 188 countries worldwide. The organization’s co-founder, Bill McKibben, worked with the 17 Congressional members who sponsor the bill, one of them being presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Environmentalists believe this proposed bill would not only protect coasts currently being used for drilling, but the “Keep it in the Ground Act” will also encourage the United States energy system to shift to more renewable resources.
If the United States government puts more regulations on obtaining fossil fuels, then the easy solution to supply our energy needs would be to turn to renewable energy.
Switching our country’s energy supply to mostly renewables such as wind and solar would reduce input of carbon which could slow the impacts of climate change.
Kevin Meyers, president of the Stevens Point 350 club and sophomore water resources major, said, “By burning oil it releases carbon dioxide and a whole other slew of chemicals into the air and in turn our planet suffers for it by overheating.”
Even before being burned for fuel, the process of extracting oil has the potential for harmful environmental impacts.
Drilling, especially offshore, has become a highly controversial topic in recent years due to the tragic BP oil spill. When oil rigs burst, the oil coats the surface of the water, making it hazardous to marine life. Birds get the oil on their feathers and lose the ability to fly, fish and other aquatic life breathe in the toxic mixture of chemicals.
Economies relying on marine life, such as in the fishing industry, suffer from lower yields due to mass fish die-offs.
The “Keep it in the Ground Act” is projected to have plenty of opposition. According to the Congress website, the bill has a 4% chance of becoming enacted as law.
With that in mind, only 3% of the bills introduced to congress between 2013 and 2015 were passed.
Opposition to the bill is centered around the jobs provided by the oil industry. The fear is that if the fossil fuel industry disappears, the jobs will go with it.
Many people have worked their whole life on the oil fields, and they are afraid their way of life will be eradicated if more regulations are put in place for drilling.
Consumers are also skeptical of the affordability of newer, greener energy sources. Renewable energy resources tend to have a high upfront cost of installation, but they end up paying for themselves after a few years of use.
Katie Delaney, freshman special education major, said, “I think people wouldn’t support this bill because people are used to the way things are, and they don’t want to spend the extra money. But I think it’s worth it in the long run.”
The “Keep it in the Ground Act” has yet to be voted on in Congress, which may take months. If it passes through congress it must be signed by the president before it becomes law.
When asked why he cares about green living, Meyers said, “Because I live here. I care about it because I care for people and everything that’s on the planet.”
Genevieve Adamski
Reporter
gadam590@uwsp.edu
