The Uinta Basin and surrounding areas were once named "one of the stupendous features of this country" by explorer John Wesley Powell. Now, it has become a lifeless wasteland, the monotony punctured only by oil wells and thick smog choking the horizon. The Uinta Basin is home to rich oil deposits, and oil companies have been slowly but surely extracting it for decades. However, their efforts have been slowed because it is difficult to transport the oil to places where it can be used. This may not be true for much longer.

Utah representatives are proposing an 88-mile railway that would allow oil companies in the Uinta Basin to quadruple their exports. And President Biden is not making any move to strike it down. This railway would spell disaster for the precious and pristine land of Utah. The railway would pollute over 400 precious streams, many leading to the Colorado River, which provides drinking water to 40 million people. At a time when much of the West is in the grips of drought, we can not afford to lose any other water source. Going through with this railway plan would be irresponsible and incredibly damaging to the people depending on the Colorado River for clean water. Construction will pass directly through vital big-game migration routes and disrupt the breeding grounds of the endangered greater sage grouse. The Biden Administration also approved the passing of the railway through Ashley National Forest, land which is supposed to be protected by the government. 

The damages of this railway go beyond the United States. Science has repeatedly told us that we have less than a decade left to switch to renewable energy before it is too late. Our dependence on fossil fuels is killing us, and we need to act now if we want to have any chance of survival. Joe Biden has promised again and again to protect our planet. Since the beginning, a cornerstone of his campaign was his support of renewable energy and conservation. Now, it has become abundantly clear that those words were nothing but empty promises. Joe Biden has become nothing more than another puppet politician, controlled by the oil companies he vowed to oppose. United States oil and gas production has spiked under the Biden administration. At a press conference, he flouted the fact that he has already approved over 9,000 oil drilling permits on federal land, as if caving to corporate interest is something to be proud of. The increase in oil production caused by the railway could release as much as 53 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the air annually. Allowing any more land to be used for fossil fuels is a step backwards. 

It is not too late to stop the Uinta Basin Railway. This is Biden's chance to show us who's side he is on; the millions of people that he is supposed to serve, or the the few mega-rich companies that he seeks to please. This is a fight for our survival. Our warming planet has shown us what is in store if we continue to treat the world like a dumping ground. If we make our voices heard, we can remind Biden of the promises he made to us during his campaign. Please share this petition as much as you can, participate in protests, and be a role model for a climate-friendly future.

 

Sources:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/charts-how-fossil-fuels-have-fared-under-biden

https://grist.org/politics/an-oil-train-is-set-to-destroy-pristine-utah-mountains-why-wont-biden-stop-it/

 https://www.kuer.org/health-science-environment/2021-08-10/uinta-basin-railway-would-require-significant-mitigation-to-offset-negative-environmental-impacts-final-review-says

 

Some organizations to get involved with:

Sunrise Movement

350.org

Fridays For Future

Citizen's Climate Lobby

There are hundreds of organizations like this, try to find one that best suits your interests!