This is the best news I’ve seen recently.
In Climate Move, Obama to Halt New Coal Mining Leases on Public Lands
By CORAL DAVENPORT
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will announce on Friday a halt to new coal mining leases on public lands as it considers an overhaul of the program that could lead to increased costs for energy companies and a slowdown in extraction, according to an administration official.
The move would represent a significant setback for the coal industry, effectively freezing new coal production on federal lands and sending a signal to energy markets that could turn investors away from an already flailing industry. President Obama telegraphed the step in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, saying, “I’m going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet.”
The action is certain to further inflame a political debate over the federal government’s control of public lands, most recently illustrated by an armed takeover of a wildlife refuge in Oregon. About 40 percent of the nation’s coal is mined on public land, and most of that land is in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming.
“It appears that they’re going after the federal coal leasing program with the intention of keeping coal in the ground,” said Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association.
But companies can continue to mine the coal reserves under lease, estimated to be enough to sustain current levels of production from federal land for about 20 years, according to the administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details of the plan had not been made public.
Mr. Obama hopes to make curbing climate change a cornerstone of his legacy.
Republicans will howl with indignation, and attack President Obama as acting capriciously. We need to seize the opportunity for a teachable moment and show our support for the President’s acting to limit the grievous damage we are doing to our planet. This Public gets lower than market for these leases. That was originally meant to keep the price of electricity low here in this country, and absolutely should NOT be used by the coal companies to subsidize the cheap export of the dirtiest of our fossil fuels. We must face our predicament with all the URGENCY it deserves.
The President deserves our gratitude.
Petition to thank President Obama on halting new leases of Federal Public Lands to mine Coal