Washington, DC — 350.org Policy Director Jason Kowalski issued the following statement on news that U.S. Congress will lift the oil export ban as part of a larger legislative package:
“Supporters of climate action in Congress need to realize that caving on the oil export ban is like a group of firefighters giving an early Christmas present to the local arsonists. Big Oil’s business plan is to burn the planet and lifting the ban just adds fuel to the fire.
The climate movement has won some big victories this year, but this is a good reminder that, when left to their own devices, politicians will still cave to the power of ExxonMobil and their partners in crime.
It’s a setback, but it won’t do much to sap this movement’s growing momentum. With a Keystone XL win and a global climate agreement under our belts, we’re more fired up than ever to take on the fossil fuel industry in the months ahead and make sure that this sort of political cowardice comes with a serious price tag.”