Do not be fueled: How investing in renewables can save the world and neutralize modern Russia

In recent days, GOP senators, governors, and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), have begun calling on the Biden administration to boost domestic oil and gas production as a way to ease rising energy costs caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine. From an age-old playbook, the fossil fuel industry and its allies are exploiting the Ukraine crisis to boost US oil and gas development and weaken environmental protections for new oil and gas projects. 

This is dangerously short-sighted, both in our collective fight to save a dying planet and in the fight against an aggressive, autocratic petrostate like Russia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represents further proof that America needs to shift quickly to a clean energy economy that will protect our national security, secure energy independence, and save Americans money. 

Even in times as desperate as these, we cannot afford to backtrack on what little ground we have gained towards curbing carbon emissions. 

Let’s Correctly Define the Problem 

This is not a problem of dwindling supply in the United States. The GOP may opportunistically call for an increase in production to address the Ukrainian crisis, but that will not address the immediate issue and will send us hurtling backward into a climate catastrophe. First, the United States is already the top producer of oil in the world. Second, building new gas pipelines will take years and do nothing to address immediate prices at the pump. Third, there are already 9,000 existing oil and gas leases not in use by big oil companies. There is no need to issue any new lease at this time while existing leases lie fallow. And finally, the U.S. imports only 3 percent of its oil from Russia. 

Rather than pursuing stock buybacks and increasing executive compensation in a time of crisis, oil and gas CEOs could be working with the Biden administration to address the drastic price fluctuations on the world stage. Last year alone, the five largest oil and gas companies raked in over $75 billion in profits, which constituted the largest increase in profits in seven years, during a global pandemic.   

Energy independence must include a diversified energy portfolio, including renewables, to protect Americans, and the world, from price fluctuations. A clean energy economy would be insulated from gas hikes caused by global conflicts. 

The GOP is Right About One Thing — We Need to Act Immediately

We cannot drill our way to energy independence, but we very well could drill our way out of existence. Last week, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its most damning report to date on the effects of climate change. If we do not immediately reverse policy on the use of fossil fuels, within 20 years, the world will be sicker, hungrier, poorer, and far more dangerous. Climate impacts pose grave risks to our global security because they increase competition for resources (like access to clean drinking water), cause economic distress, and lead to climate migration from uninhabitable areas. Any further delay in cutting greenhouse gas emissions means our species will “miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all.”  

Russia’s economy is based in large part on the export of oil and gas, which means that the more reliant we are on fossil fuels, the better funded dictators like Putin are to wage war. To be clear, Russia has been earning over $700 million a day in crude oil and gas exports to fund its Ukraine invasion. We must do everything possible to immediately reduce demand for Russian exports by divesting from fossil fuels. Biden’s recent action to ban the import of Russian oil and natural gas is a good start, but we must also work with our allies to shift to a clean economy that is not dependent on authoritarian regimes.  

Now is the time for big, transformative action and leaders. Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and executive orders are a step in the right direction, but more is needed, and as soon as possible. It has never been more critical for Congress to pass some version of the Build Back Better Act to boost investment in clean energy and to provide much-needed cost savings to the average American. In doing so, the U.S. can again become a climate leader, create 2.3 million jobs over the next five years, and give European countries the confidence to follow our lead.  

European leaders can do their part by adopting the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 10 -point plan for reducing Europe’s reliance on natural gas from Russia.

Had U.S. leaders continued President Obama’s efforts to increase affordable electric vehicles (EVs) and increase fuel economy standards (which went backward under President Trump), we would not be feeling as much pain at the pump today resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

What You Can Do Right Now 

First, you can help organizations working on the front lines to expedite the countries’ shift to renewable energy, like Lawyers for Good Government. Specifically, L4GG is a nationwide group of over 125,000 legal advocates working with local governments across the country to meet aggressive climate targets. Second, push state-level action. Contact your state representatives and ask them to pass legislation to increase renewable sources produced in your state. And last, you as an individual can work to electrify everything. Electrifying your home will reduce our dependence on foreign dictators, boost the American economy, and will reduce your monthly costs.   

We Cannot Go Backwards 

As we watch the horrors unfold in Ukraine, remember that it is because the western world is so dependent on fossil fuels that Russia and other petrostate regimes have the power that they do. We cannot continue the cycle or go backwards. Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in a clean economy to dilute the power of foreign dictators, reduce costs to everyday Americans, and save the very planet we call home. 

Jillian Blanchard is the director of the climate change program at Lawyers for Good Government and a nationally recognized energy and natural resources attorney.