Politics

Willow oil: Biden walks political tightrope over Alaska project

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2023

Harry Miller

Getty Images

By Matt McGrath

Environment correspondent

US President Joe Biden has approved a major oil and gas drilling project in Alaska, intended to create local investment and thousands of jobs.

But the Willow project has faced strong opposition from environmental activists over its climate and wildlife impacts.

So why has Mr Biden, a president who has embraced strong action on climate change, approved a project dubbed a “carbon bomb”?

It’s because Willow is very much about politics and the law – and not just the environment.

While running as a candidate back in 2020, Joe Biden promised that there would be “no more drilling on federal lands, period”.

That statement helped him garner support from green Democrats and climate campaigners, unsure about Biden’s record on this issue.

However, that campaign promise was broken last year when the administration announced plans to sell drilling leases under pressure from the courts.

The White House will likely say that the role of the courts has also influenced the Willow decision.

Oil company ConocoPhillips have held the lease since 1999 and would have had a strong case to appeal if their plans had been turned down.

The Biden administration is obviously aware that from a purely climate perspective the project can’t really be justified.

The International Energy Agency have baldly stated that if the world wants to keep the rise in global temperatures under 1.5C, no new oil or gas drilling can go ahead.

So, in an effort to limit the impact of the Willow approval, the White House has outlined new bans on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Ocean and across Alaska.

Most environmentalists aren’t buying this trade-off.

Willow is also a political decision.

Mr Biden came to COP27 in Egypt and spoke of the big picture of climate change, threatening the “very life of the planet” – but he’s also attuned to US bread-and-butter issues, especially the price of gas.

Last year, in response to the Ukraine war, the White House authorised the release of millions of barrels from the US strategic petroleum reserve. This helped push down prices at the pump.

With a presidential election in 18 months, Mr Biden is keen to reinforce his reputation as a moderate.

Approving a reduced version of the original Willow plan will be sold as underlining the President’s ability to forge compromises across political divides.

Trade unions are backing the project, as are many native groups across Alaska who argue that Willow will boost jobs, local revenues and eventually oil supplies.

Mr Biden’s supporters argue that the cut-down project will see measures put in place to offset some of the extra emissions by planting trees, and the US target of curbing CO2 by 52% below 2005 levels would still be achieved.

But the decision is fraught with political danger.

Willow saw unprecedented opposition on social media, drawing over three million signatures on a petition against the project.

In giving the greenlight to drilling, President Biden is now risking the support of many young people who voted for him in large numbers in 2020.

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Politics

NDP caving to Poilievre on carbon price, has no idea how to fight climate change: PM

Published

21 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.

Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.

On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.

Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.

Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.

British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Politics

Quebec consumer rights bill to regulate how merchants can ask for tips

Published

2 days ago

September 12, 2024

Anne Joseph

Quebec wants to curb excessive tipping.

Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.

That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.

The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.

And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.

Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

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Politics

Youri Chassin quits CAQ to sit as Independent, second member to leave this month

Published

2 days ago

September 12, 2024

Anne Joseph

Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.

He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.

In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.

Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.

He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.

Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.

He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

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