Why do so many people believe moving to a sustainable economy will have such a negative impact on our economy and individual budgets? Because of the oil companies. They’ve been making trillions of dollars for generations, externalizing all the costs to the world while burying reports on climate change and lobbying against climate legislation. The oil and gas industry spend $125 million on lobbying and receive $26 billion annually in direct subsidies and far more in various indirect subsidies every year.
These subsidies are yet another factor that obscures the true cost of fossil fuels. That money would be better spent to help individuals transition to a sustainable economy - both the workers who work in these industries, and the rest of us who rely on fossil fuels to power our lives.
When your industry is looking at losing trillions of dollars, you’ll spend nearly anything to prevent regulation, especially when those regulations will devastate your industry. It’s time for us to end all fossil fuel subsidies and the power of oil and gas lobbyists in the climate change debate. We need to ensure the workers in these industries are taken care of, but the executives can’t continue to weaken the planet to line their own pockets.
We also absolutely should not be providing leases to companies that are going to exploit public lands - both on and offshore - to harvest oil, gas, and coal. There is no way to get at these resources without permanently damaging our priceless public lands, and yet you can stake a claim to an acre for a buck fifty. We need to stop the practice of providing these leases, and move to end the current ones as quickly as possible.
Problems to be Solved
- checkThe oil and gas industry has had enormous influence over the years in the climate change debate; convincing many that climate change isn’t real.
- checkHarvest of oil, gas, and coal is destroying public lands and producing fossil fuel emissions.
- checkBillions of dollars are wasted in fossil fuel direct subsidies every year, the very fossil fuels that are causing climate change.
- Oil companies will stop getting subsidized under my plan. The rest of us will see cheaper energy costs, better air quality, and new, local jobs that we can use to support our families.
Goals
- checkEnd the ability of lobbyists to shape federal climate change policy
- checkDirect federal resources towards combating climate change, not accelerating it through fossil fuel subsidies
- checkStop federal contributions that promote fossil fuel production
As President I will...
- End all fossil fuel subsidies and use that money for retraining programs and subsidies for low-income individuals to transition to sustainable energy sources.
- Ban anyone who serves in my administration from lobbying for a period of time after they leave their position.
- Ensure representation in my government for workers who will be displaced by our shift to renewable energy and a sustainable economy, so that we are sure to find solutions that enhance their quality of life.
- Refuse to hire anyone who formerly worked as a lobbyist for oil, gas, or coal company, or served in an executive capacity at one of those companies.
- Stop all new leases for oil and gas companies on public lands, and end any currently existing lease.
- Fight against any new pipeline or similar infrastructure, especially any that would cut across contested land.