Secretary Kerry Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change, Still Defends Arctic Drilling

In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, Secretary of State John Kerry defended the Obama administration’s decision to allow Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic, pushing back against claims that such a decision is at odds with the administration’s action on climate change.

“These are leases that were granted some time ago prior to President Obama becoming president,” Kerry told Huffington Post reporter Sam Stein. “So the leases existed, and Shell and other companies are going to be drilling somewhere over the course of these next years, because we’re not going to suddenly be weaned from oil.”

Moving to a de-carbonized economy, Kerry continued, could take up to 40 years.  He noted that during that transition the United States would still be dependent on oil to meet some of its energy needs.

“I’d rather have our supply come from an American-controlled source in that respect than somewhere else,” he said, adding that “in the long run, we have to wean ourselves from a carbon-based economy,” and that the country isn’t moving quickly enough toward a carbon-free economy.

“We have to do it much faster than we are right now.  I think the president understands that, I understand that.  We’re advocating as powerfully as we can,” Kerry said.

Kerry cited Congressional Republicans’ reluctance to act on climate change as a major obstacle toward quickly transitioning toward a carbon-free economy.  Without Congress’ support, the administration is forced to enact climate policies through executive action — like the Clean Power Plan — which Kerry said slows the rate of progress.

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