Fossil Fuel Revolution: Tell Obama To 'Keep It In The Ground'

The Center for Biological Diversity has launched a groundbreaking campaign to end all new fossil fuel development on America's public lands, and now we need your help to drum up support and help break the flow of business as usual.

Under his "all of the above" energy policy, President Obama has already leased nearly 15 million acres of public land and 21 million acres of ocean to the fossil fuel industry. And, in total, more than 67 million U.S. acres -- an area 55 times larger than Grand Canyon National Park -- are now leased to the fossil fuel industry.

But importantly, those fossil fuels that haven't yet been leased contain up to 450 billion tons of potential climate pollution. That's over a quarter of the world's remaining carbon budget and vastly more than any U.S. share of it. We simply can't burn it -- and if we can't burn it, it should be banned.

Take action today -- sign our petition urging President Obama to step up as a true climate leader and stop new fossil fuel development on America's public lands.
Dear President Obama,

We, the undersigned, thank you for taking important steps to address the urgent threats posed by climate change. But so far these efforts, and those of other leaders, simply aren't enough to avert dangerous levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

The environmental costs of continuing fossil fuel leasing on public lands are too high. And the science is clear that, to avoid catastrophic levels of warming, the world must keep the vast majority of its remaining fossil fuels in the ground. Federal fossil fuels -- those that the public owns and that you control -- are the natural place to begin.

As president you have direct legal power over up to 450 billion tons of potential climate pollution in the United States' publicly owned fossil fuels. That pollution would use up more than a quarter of the world's remaining carbon budget and vastly more than any U.S. share of it. Again -- this coal, oil and gas must remain safely in the ground, and we urge you to act now to formally end all new federal fossil development.

Doing so would lock away billions of tons of climate pollution while protecting America's public lands, rivers, oceans and wildlife. This is the smartest move and the one most urgently needed ahead of the Paris climate talks: Your commitment to stop new fossil fuel leasing on public lands would set a powerful and inspiring precedent in the global fight to keep fossil fuels in the ground and avoid the worst scenarios scientists have predicted from climate change.
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