The hearing was supposed to be about the number of jobs that oil and gas drilling create, and how they help out nearby communities. And while drilling does create some jobs, the panel today is glossing over the millions of jobs that are threatened by drilling on public lands.
This includes supporting efforts to responsibly site projects, ensuring a fair return for the use of our public lands and increasing the certainty of the legal instruments used to manage development.
When he was ready to roll out his plan, Vice President Cheney famously said, “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient … energy policy.” His &ldq
The last four years have been incredibly important for oil and gas drilling on America’s wild public lands. Gone are the unbridled – and often illegal – leasing extravaganzas of the Bush administration that threatened millions of acres of wild lands.
