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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Bill McKibben

Joe Biden just did the rarest thing in US politics: he stood up to the oil industry

man in a suit and tie talks at a lectern
‘Biden has called their bluff, and it’s beautiful to watch.’ Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA

Ten days ago Joe Biden did something remarkable, and almost without precedent – he actually said no to big oil.

His administration halted the granting of new permits for building liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals, something Washington had been handing out like M&Ms on Halloween for nearly a decade. It’s a provisional “no” – Department of Energy experts will spend the coming months figuring out a new formula for granting the licenses that takes the latest science and economics into account – but you can tell what a big deal it is because of the howls of rage coming from the petroleum industry and its gaggle of politicians.

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