A federal judge canceled major oil and gas leases over climate change

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A federal judge canceled major oil and gas leases over climate change

Transcript¹

Late last year, just days after pledging to cut fossil fuels at international climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, the Biden administration held the largest oil and gas lease sale in U.S. history.

On Thursday, a federal judge invalidated that sale in the Gulf² of Mexico, saying the administration didn't adequately consider the costs to the world's climate.

The administration used an analysis conducted under former President Donald Trump³ that environmental groups alleged⁴ was critically flawed.

The decision represents a major win for a coalition⁵ of environmental groups that challenged the controversial sale, calling it a "huge climate bomb."

Eighty million acres — an area twice the size of Florida — were put up for auction⁶ in November.

Climate groups urged the Biden administration to stop the sale, but the Interior Department said it was compelled to move forward after a different federal judge struck down the administration's temporary moratorium⁷ on new oil and gas lease sales. Oil and gas companies only ended up bidding on 1.7 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico.

Those leases will be vacated by the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia's decision, and the Interior Department will have to conduct a new environmental analysis if it decides to hold another sale.

"We are pleased that the court invalidated Interior's illegal lease sale,"?said Earthjustice's senior attorney, Brettny Hardy⁸.?"We simply cannot continue to make investments in the fossil fuel industry to the peril⁹ of our?communities?and increasingly warming planet."

The development and consumption of fossil fuels is the largest driver of climate change. The world has already warmed by more than 1 degree Celsius¹⁰ since preindustrial times, worsening wildfires, hurricanes and heat waves, and disrupting the natural world.

Roughly a quarter of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions¹¹ come from fossil fuels extracted from public lands.

The Biden administration has promised to review the country's oil and gas leasing program to better account for its contribution to climate change.

Shortly after taking office, it temporarily blocked all new oil and gas leasing on public lands while it conducted its review, but the moratorium was struck down after being challenged by more than a dozen Republican-led states.

Scheduled lease sales resumed after that decision, including the massive sale in the Gulf, which elicited¹² nearly $200 million in bids.

The climate impact analysis used by the Biden administration was actually conducted under Trump. It argued that not leasing the acreage would result in more greenhouse gas emissions because it would increase fossil fuel production abroad.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras wrote that the Interior Department acted "arbitrarily and capriciously in excluding foreign consumption from their greenhouse gas emissions," adding that the "error was indeed a serious failing."

"The U.S. offshore¹³ region is vital to American energy security and continued leases are essential in keeping energy flowing from this strategic national asset," said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, in a statement.

The Biden administration could choose to do a new analysis and put the section of the Gulf of Mexico up in another lease sale. Environmental groups would be waiting.

"The fight is not over," said Hallie Templeton, legal director at Friends of the Earth. "We will continue to hold the Biden administration accountable for making unlawful decisions that contradict its pledge to take swift, urgent action on 'code red' climate and environmental justice priorities."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

7 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

8 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

9 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

10 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

11 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

12 elicited   

引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Threats to reinstate the tax elicited jeer from the Opposition. 恢复此项征税的威胁引起了反对党的嘲笑。
• The comedian's joke elicited applause and laughter from the audience. 那位滑稽演员的笑话博得观众的掌声和笑声。

13 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。