Have you ever come across the dunes sagebrush lizard?
Most people haven’t. If you haven’t either, it’s understandable—unless you’ve wandered through the remote landscapes of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, you likely wouldn’t have learned about this peculiar creature.
It’s in those rugged terrains that the spiny little lizard thrives. Measuring just 2 inches, it burrows into the sandy dunes beneath shinnery oak trees, predominantly in the Mescalero and Monahans Sandhills.
Though you might not have heard of the dunes sagebrush lizard, its struggle for survival is about to affect your life. On May 17, coinciding with the DOW’s historic close above 40,000, it was designated as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
This classification ensures that both the lizard and its habitat are now safeguarded under federal law.
Unfortunately, this legal protection might have come too late; much of the dunes sagebrush lizard’s habitat has already been destroyed, with what remains now fragmented into small patches.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, 95 percent of its habitat has been lost due to oil and gas extraction and sand mining for fracking. The USFWS aims to conserve the remaining habitat, allowing the lizard a chance to thrive.
As part of this endangered status, the USFWS will identify critical habitats for the species, which will inevitably curb oil and gas operations and slow production in parts of the Permian Basin, the most productive oil field in the U.S.
Consequently, oil and gas companies will need to steer clear of areas that the lizard inhabits, with potential fines and imprisonment awaiting those who fail to comply. However, the delineation of these critical habitats is still pending, necessitating further research.
The Politics of Lizards
By all measures, lizards are significant. Their existence matters just as much as that of humans or the duck-billed platypus; they deserve to live in tranquility.
Moreover, the politics surrounding lizards—just like those concerning global climate change—are vital in regulating the oil and gas sector and addressing energy security in the United States. For some political factions, oil and gas companies are seen as a liability, unlike the enigmatic dunes sagebrush lizard.
Recall that in January, President Biden halted approvals for pending and future liquefied natural gas (LNG) export applications. The official rationale for this pause was to assess LNG export terminals’ effects on global climate change.
However, the true motivation is tied more closely to appeasing votes from climate change advocates rather than genuine environmental concerns.
The backdrop of this predicament lies in America’s ample supply of natural gas. As a result, it remains inexpensive domestically, while prices in Europe are often over 450 percent higher than those in the U.S.
Before natural gas can be exported, it must first be converted to LNG, requiring cooling to an astonishing minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit—a process that consumes a significant amount of energy, as does the actual shipping.
Energy is required for many things, including illuminating and regulating temperatures in the U.S. Capitol Building. It’s also necessary for President Biden’s vintage 1967 Corvette Stingray and John Kerry’s private jet trips to climate summits.
In the realm of climate politics, certain energy applications are deemed acceptable while others aren’t. Currently, exporting LNG falls into the latter category—though this could change post-election, regardless of the victor.
Just Press the Button
Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—constitute approximately 60 percent of total utility-scale electricity generation in the U.S. Transitioning to renewables in the near future remains improbable, especially without bolstering nuclear power to ensure a steady baseline supply.
For now, the United States will continue to depend on oil and gas, especially for transportation, where, as of late 2023, electric vehicles represent merely 1 percent of all registered vehicles on American roads. This paltry figure does little to reduce the demand for fossil fuel-based gasoline.
Fortunately, over the previous decade, U.S. oil and gas production has experienced tremendous growth. As of late 2023, the U.S. Energy Information Administration revealed that crude oil production reached unprecedented levels, hitting 13.25 million barrels per day in September 2023.
By November of that year, production had climbed to 13.29 million barrels per day, though there was a slight decrease thereafter. Still, numbers hovered around 13 million barrels daily.
This remarkable production surge is particularly noteworthy when one considers that just over a decade ago, in 2010, U.S. monthly crude oil output was a mere 5 million barrels per day. This remarkable turnaround has been fueled by advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, enabling U.S. producers to deliver a plentiful supply to consumers.
These enhancements in drilling efficiency have propelled record production at competitive prices, all while utilizing a reduced number of oil rigs. This achievement is even more impressive given the oil and gas policies instated by the Biden administration that are seen as restrictive.
Amid myriad challenges facing America, domestic oil production has thrived. So much so that discussions surrounding global climate change politics often overlook its significance. Biden’s actions as President suggests a belief that increasing oil supply can simply be toggled on and off at will.
Happy Motoring in the Time of Biden
Under the Biden administration, the U.S. domestic energy policy restricts the production and refinement of carbon-based fuels, thereby jeopardizing America’s energy security. In response to rising oil prices for consumers, President Biden has often resorted to shortsighted political strategies.
Throughout his presidency, he has methodically drawn down the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve (SPR), intended as an emergency buffer against supply disruptions. However, Biden has leveraged the SPR for political purposes.
Prior to the 2022 mid-term elections, he released oil from the SPR to lower gas prices at the pump, benefitting Democratic candidates.
The SPR currently holds about 368 million barrels of oil. When President Biden took office in January 2020, the reserve contained 638 million barrels, meaning he has depleted over 42 percent of the nation’s emergency supply for non-critical actions.
Now, in a desperate move to secure another term, he’s further reckless—depleting the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve. U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm indicated the objective is to lower consumer prices during the summer motoring season.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is laser-focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season. By strategically releasing this reserve between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring ample supply flows to the tri-state and northeast when hardworking Americans need it the most.”
This sounds promising, provided there isn’t a geopolitical crisis while the entire northeast operates without gasoline reserves.
With America’s energy security undermined by regulations and the reckless depletion of reserves, it is nearly certain that these political policies—along with the preservation of the lizard species—will have repercussions in the near future.
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Sincerely,
MN Gordon
for Economic Prism
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