A pause on offshore drilling is a good first step. Lets make it permanent. – USA TODAY

Jacqueline Savitz, Opinion contributor Published 8:00 a.m. ET Feb. 2, 2021

Permanently ending new offshore oil and gas leasing in U.S. waters would prevent the release of catastrophic greenhouse gas emissions, which drive ever larger wildfires, hurricanes and floods.

President Joe Biden hit the ground sprinting on his first day of office. On day one he rejoined the Paris Agreement, and now he has announced a pause on offshore oil and gas leasing. Its exciting to hear the presidents plan to return science to policy decision-making, even advancing his science adviser to a cabinet-level position. These encouraging moves will certainly translate to more effective action on climate.

Oil and gas are killing us. Burning fossil fuels is driving climate change, which is causing a wave of extinction and disasters that devastate property and the environment, and cost human lives. But President Biden has committed to aggressively address the climate crisis, which gives me great hope that we can work together to permanently protect our climate and coasts from offshore oil and gas.

Permanently ending new offshore oil and gas leasing in U.S. waters would prevent the release of a catastrophic amount of greenhouse gas emissions, which are driving ever larger and more intense wildfires, hurricanes and floods. A new report from Oceana estimates that permanent protection against offshore drilling would prevent 19 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions and $720 billion in damages to people, property and the environment.

In addition to the climate impacts, offshore drilling also leads to oil spills. We saw what a spill can do to coastal economies when the BP Deepwater Horizon spewed hundreds of millions of gallons into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Today, the likelihood of another catastrophic spill is even greater than it was in 2010. Not only is the industry drilling in deeper waters, but the Trump administration also weakened the too-few safety rules put in place after the BP disaster.

The oil rig Deepwater Horizon on April 21, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana.(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)

While protecting us from offshore oil and gas drilling, President Biden can also restore and strengthen the drilling safety rules that were weakened by former President Trump, ensuring that any existing drilling operations be subject to robust safety protocols, oversight and financial assurances. Combining this with movement toward clean energy, like environmentally responsible offshore wind, would set us up for success in the journey toward a renewable energy future.

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These are big first steps, but even more will be needed. One of the most powerful tools we have to help head off the worst effects of the unfolding climate catastrophe is a clean, diverse, and abundant ocean. In addition to permanent drilling protections, we will also need measures to protect habitat for ocean wildlife, and responsible, science-based management of our fisheries to restore them to their previous bounty. This will strengthen our economy and provide additional food security, compliments of a healthy ocean.

A healthy ocean explodes with life billions of carbon-based plants and animals cycle and store tons of carbon. And all that sea life can provide a nutritious source of protein that doesnt require us to trade away arable land, healthy forests or fresh water. If we take care of our fisheries, our oceans could dramatically offset the contribution to the climate crisis that comes from land-based agriculture.

Mitigating the climate disaster will take an all-hands, multisector approach. No one solution will solve this massive problem, but every tool is vital, and the oceans are perhaps more essential than any other.

Offshore drilling fuels the climate crisis and threatens our lives and livelihoods. Ending offshore drilling permanently and shifting to clean energy would be good for our economy, improve the health of our ocean and bolster our fight against climate change. We owe it to future generations to reverse our assault on the natural world and restore its bounty.

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President Biden should be commended for starting strong right out of the gate. A pause is a great first step. But climate change is a threat to every American today and will still be a threat a year from now, and even 10 years from now. Hopefully, this is just the promising beginning of the end. Now is the time to stop the expansion of offshore drilling, forever.

By Jacqueline Savitz, Chief Policy Officer at Oceana, the largest international organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation.

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A pause on offshore drilling is a good first step. Lets make it permanent. - USA TODAY