Addressing Climate Change and Building a Renewable Energy Future

‘Keep it in the ground’ anti-drilling movement has some liftoff

WASHINGTON – The anti-fossil fuel movement – “Keep It in the Ground” – has been inching toward the mainstream as prominent Democratic politicians ramp up their commitment to combating climate change. The shift follows an intense and well-funded activist campaign that has mixed closed-door Washington meetings with petition drives during

Dem-sponsored bill would block federal fossil fuel development

A House Democrat on Thursday introduced a bill that would ban all future fossil fuel production on federal land.  Rep. Jared Huffman’s (D-Calif.) Keep It In The Ground Act would block new leases to tap fossil fuel reserves on federal land and in federal waters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans,

Oregon senators cheer pause, review in federal coal leases

WASHINGTON – Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., cheered news Friday that the Interior Department will pause and conduct an environmental review of the federal coal leasing program: “A wholesale review of the federal coal program is long overdue,” Wyden said. “This provides an opportunity to make sure taxpayers

Obama temporarily bans new coal leases on federal land

Angering coal supporters, the Obama administration announced a temporary ban on new coal leases on federal lands Friday as part of a broad environmental and economic review of the nation’s federal coal program. The decision, which was lauded by environmental advocates, came three days after President Obama said in his State of

Merkley Statement on Omnibus Vote

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to pass an end-of-year spending omnibus bill. The package also included extensions of tax provisions and legislation to lift the ban on U.S. exports of crude oil. “This omnibus and tax bill contains many

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