During the Obama administration alone, the Interior Department leased 2.2 billion tons of coal, unlocking more than 3.9 billion metric tons of carbon pollution - more than the annual emissions of the entire European Union.Īnd all of that comes from public lands - land that belongs to you and me. In the United States, the biggest contributor to this problem has long been the federal coal leasing program, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Interior Department. Coal mining and coal-burning power plants are also linked to devastating local pollution and public health impacts. In fact, one-third of all global carbon emissions come from burning coal. Here’s Why It MattersĮven as global reliance on coal decreases, it’s still the single largest contributor to global warming. After years of people-powered organizing and activism against coal mining on public lands, the Interior Department has halted coal lease sales on publicly-owned land, effectively keeping billions of tons of coal in the ground.
On January 15, 2016, the Obama administration announced a major step forward in the fight to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
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