We (and by we I mean those of us committed to living on a planet that can sustain our civilization) must end the extraction of fossil fuels. The easiest method to prevent fossil fuel extraction is to keep oil companies from drilling on public lands. That’s easier said than done, especially since the Obama administration has been willing to let the Interior Department expand oil drilling in places like the Arctic Circle and the Atlantic Coast. If we intend to reduce GHG emissions to sustainable levels, we should be rolling back oil and gas drilling on public lands, not expanding.
Unfortunately, Tim Kaine supports expanding offshore oil drilling along the Atlantic coast. Here’s language from a joint letter he signed with Mark Warner and every other Atlantic seaboard Republican senator (it’s “bipartisan”):
Offshore energy exploration can be an opportunity to diversify the economy and create jobs in the Mid- and South-Atlantic region, as well as a means to lessen our national reliance on foreign sources of energy,” the Senators wrote. “Our states want the opportunity to create new jobs, generate new revenue and make the United States more energy secure. As you work to develop energy legislation in the 114th Congress, we would appreciate the committee’s consideration of revenue sharing so that Mid- and South-Atlantic states are provided a fair revenue share alongside Gulf Coast states.
He also disagrees with the Interior Department’s decision to wait on approving offshore drilling in waters off Virginia’s coast. Like all the other governors, he wanted some revenue to help the state’s budget.
Tourism, fishing, and recreation along the Atlantic coast of Virginia supports more than 200,000 jobs and $20 billion in revenue, but Tim Kaine is more interested in cashing in on the oil industry revenue from offshore leasing. We’ve seen the devastating impact of offshore drilling accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, but apparently Tim Kaine isn’t worried about the possibility of that destruction expanding to Chesapeake Bay.
He may be good on other climate issues. For instance, he opposed the Keystone XL pipeline, he supports President Obama’s Clean Power Plan and worked with Virginia’s coastal communities to develop climate adaptation plans. But, his support of offshore oil drilling is a red flag. When the money is on the table, Tim Kaine is willing to go to bat for fossil fuel companies. This, plus many other good reasons, makes him a terrible pick for VP.
