Environmentalists and Democrats see the recent ban on Russian oil imports, as well as the effects of the ban on American gas prices, as a further impetus to accelerate the development of renewable energy, according to The Hill.
The ban came the same week that average gas prices in the United States reached a record high, and while the United States only imports a small amount of oil from Russia, President Biden acknowledged during his speech announcing the ban that the move would likely lead to even higher prices.
Republicans and the fossil fuel industry argue that the crisis highlights the need for more domestic fossil fuel exploration, but Democrats and environmentalists argue that the economic downturn highlights the need for the United States to become more energy independent and invest in green solutions.
According to The Hill sources, if the Russian import ban leads to increased domestic production of fossil fuels, the US will become even more fossil-fuel dependent, they will set the world on fire faster for their children, and they will be even more exposed the next time Vladimir Putin, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, or whoever else does something that boosts global energy markets.
According to John Paul Mejia, national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, the Ukraine crisis has revealed how our country’s reliance on oil utterly destabilizes the lives of working people.
Mejia criticized what he called “talking points” from the oil and gas industry in the United States that argue energy independence will be achieved by relying more on oil and gas produced in the United States, and that this is a false solution.
Members of the government have also indicated that they see the situation as emphasizing the necessity for a transition.
President Biden said in a tweet on Tuesday that the shift to renewables will be the long-term answer to the energy crisis.
However, the most significant impediment to the shift to renewable energy remains the absence of existing infrastructure for quick deployment, as well as the high cost of technologies such as electric automobiles for the typical American.
Advocates have suggested that by using the Defense Production Act, the White House could greatly speed up the process (DPA).
The DPA gives the president the authority to instruct private enterprises to prioritize the development of materials critical to national military needs. Since taking office, Biden has used it to increase production of both COVID-19 pandemic protective equipment and fire hoses for the 2021 wildfire season.