350 Wenatchee Climate Conversations NCW

Big Oil execs are at it again — they’re still desperate for a way to profit from the pandemic. First, they demanded lower royalties for drilling on public lands. So far, that plan hasn’t worked — so they’ve switched to asking Congress to buy $3 billion of crude oil for its Strategic Petroleum Reserves.

A bipartisan group in Congress just introduced a bill that would waste billions on buying up oil that we don’t need. Tell them to stop putting polluters before people!

The one thing we aren’t short on right now is oil. There’s a glut on the market, and demand is extremely low. While oil executives ask for handouts, communities are desperate for protective gear, testing kits, ventilators, and more. Congress should be providing funds for those necessities, not stocking up on dirty fuels.

Tell Congress that stimulus money should support people, not polluters!

The dirty fuel industry already gets plenty of government handouts — research from 2017 found that half of their profits were tied to tax benefits and royalties. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are struggling to pay bills and access unemployment benefits. Helping the most vulnerable isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also a crucial step towards long-term recovery.

Thanks for all you do,

Lena Moffitt
Senior Director, Our Wild America
Sierra Club