Energy Policy and Legislation

Our nation is now at a crossroads. We can continue to follow the road that keeps us addicted to oil or we can take the road towards cleaner, safer alternative energy options. Defenders of Wildlife is actively engaging Congress in support of environmentally sound, smart and wildlife friendly energy policies.

We are a leader in the ongoing battle to support solutions to:

• offset oil’s stranglehold on Americans and their wallets
• protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from Big Oil
• safeguard our coasts from offshore drilling prospects
• ensure that renewable energy sources are a substantial part of our energy future and are pursued in an environmentally sustainable way

Mankind did not wait until there were no stones left to leave the stone age. Similarly, we do not need to squeeze out the last drop of oil from the planet before we move forward to better energy options. We will never have enough oil in the United States to meet current demands, let alone any growth in demand over time. Instead of digging up our last protected areas and sacrificing our wild lands let’s use the faster, cheaper, cleaner and safer energy alternatives we have today. It’s time to leave the oil-age and enter the era of clean energy!

What Congress Needs to Do

To avoid the current pitfalls of our failed energy policy we need to move toward a new energy efficient and renewable economy. We need to focus on fuel economy standards, incentive programs, investing in renewable energy industries and funding further innovation, investing in transportation alternatives and commuter programs and matching American workers with millions of new jobs created by new energy technologies.

Fact sheet:  Real Energy Solutions

American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved comprehensive energy and climate legislation, the American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) on May 21, 2009.

This historic bill, introduced by Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA), moves America closer to increasing our energy security and tackling global warming and also works to address the impacts of global climate change on wildlife and natural resources.

This bill will help decrease our dependence on oil and other dirty energy sources, promote energy efficiency, establish an aggressive renewable electricity standard, and create thousands of green jobs across the United States, revitalizing our economy. The bill also includes language championed by Representatives Raul Grijalva, John Dingell, Nick Rahall, and Norm Dicks that provides safeguards for wildlife and natural resources in a warming world.

Learn more about the natural resources provisions in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

Learn more about global warming and its impacts on animals and habitats.

Protecting our Coastlines from Drilling

The outer continental shelf, where the moratorium on drilling was allowed to expire in 2008, is the richest part of the ocean. It is an area of relatively shallow ocean surrounding the continent, extending from the shoreline and sloping gently out to the edge of the continental plate. Past this shelf the ocean floor slopes into deep ocean.

The relatively shallow waters of the continental shelf allow greater penetration of sunlight, and rich deposits of sediment on the shelf floor provide nutrients not found in the deep ocean. This combination creates an incredibly productive ecosystem that is the nutrient base for ecologically and commercially important species from shrimp to fish to sea turtles and marine mammals.

In 2008 Congress allowed the 27 year moratorium on drilling on the outer continental shelf to expire. For almost three decades this bipartisan moratorium protected vast areas of our coasts while allowing oil drilling in areas known to be rich in oil resources like the Gulf of Mexico.

Defenders strongly supports the renewal of the congressional moratorium on drilling. Until the moratorium is renewed we will also call for strong protections and safeguards against drilling off our coasts. In addition, we advocate for the protection of Bristol Bay and the Polar Bear Seas which were not covered by the original moratorium but deserve special consideration for the rich biodiversity they serve.

Fact sheet:  Impacts of Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Drilling

The Importance of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The wildest place left in America, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – often called the "American Serengeti" – is home to caribou, muskoxen, arctic foxes, wolverines, grizzlies, and snow geese, all of which depend on this fragile, unique ecosystem for survival.

More about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge >>

Drilling is Not a Solution

Oil Truths
For eight years, under the Bush administration the number of oil leases on public lands almost tripled. It didn’t help gas prices, which doubled in 2008, and it didn’t make us energy independent. All that drilling only made it clear that more domestic drilling is not a solution to our energy problems. It may line the pockets of Big Oil but it doesn’t help American consumers and it damages our public lands. Unfortunately, some members of Congress blinded by oil contributions and focused on winning political points are insisting that our energy future has to include the sacrifice of our last protected areas to oil development. That’s just not so.

The U.S. has less than 3% of the world’s oil reserves. No matter how much we drill in the U.S. that number is not expected to change. No matter how much we drill here, we will never have enough to satisfy domestic demand for energy (we currently use 25% of the world’s oil) and we will not have enough to significantly impact prices on the world market. In short, drilling for more domestic oil is a dead end.

Renewable Energy and Wildlife Habitat Considerations

Defenders of Wildlife strongly supports expanded development of renewable sources of energy. Doing so will help reduce emission of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global climate change.

• Generating power using wind, solar and other renewable resources will reduce the need for coal-fired and nuclear power plants, which will improve air quality and reduce the dangers associated with nuclear power and radioactive waste.
• Expansion of renewable energy resources in the U.S. will also help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and, in turn, our dependence on oil exporting nations.

Examining the Impacts of Renewable Energy

While there are many advantages to expanding the use of renewable resources to generate heat electricity and replace gasoline as automotive fuel, we also recognize that even clean, renewable energy can have environmental impacts.

These impacts can take the form of land requirements for growing biomass energy or siting wind farms, the construction of new facilities and roads, and other issues associated with the production and transmission of renewable energy.

Defenders has taken a closer look at three types of renewable energy: biomass, wind and geothermal, and has issued recommendations for development of these resources in a manner that reduces adverse impacts on wildlife habitat and the environment.

More about Renewable Energy >>