White House pauses permits to export natural gas

Summary

The transcript discusses President Biden's decision to freeze liquefied natural gas exports from Texas, the top U.S. producer, to Europe amid an energy crisis there. Critics argue this panders to his base and is bad policy, as it could lead Europe to increase coal use which is worse for emissions. There is debate around whether this move politically hurts Texas Democrats. Supporters contend exports haven't fully halted, Biden is reviewing projects, and this shows his commitment to younger voters on climate change.

Takeaways

• 😡 President Biden's halt on LNG exports hurts Texas, a top producer.
• 😠 The policy panders to Biden's base but is bad economically and politically.
• 😤 Without LNG exports, other countries will burn more coal, increasing emissions.
• 😫 The US has cut emissions by transitioning from coal to natural gas.
• 🤬 Biden's policy contradicts efforts to address climate change.
• 😱 Environmentalists want serious climate action despite short-term costs.
• 🤔 The policy just reviews new LNG projects, without halting all exports.
• 😈 Trump would likely criticize Biden heavily over this.
• 😡 Experts argue stopping LNG exports will hurt the planet, not help.
• 😩 The policy frustrates younger voters who want climate action.

Q & A

What policy decision by President Biden is negatively impacting Texas?

President Biden has frozen the export of liquefied natural gas, which hurts Texas since it is the nation's top producer of natural gas.

Why is freezing LNG exports bad policy according to the speakers?

The speakers argue it is bad policy because other countries will burn dirtier coal instead of natural gas for electricity, which is worse for the environment.

How has the U.S. been able to reduce carbon emissions?

The U.S. has reduced carbon emissions by closing coal plants and using natural gas instead to generate electricity.

What are the potential political consequences for Texas Democrats?

Biden's border and LNG policies could hurt Texas Democrats like Gutierrez and Allred who are trying to unseat Ted Cruz.

Is Biden completely halting LNG exports?

No, LNG exports are still happening at record rates. Biden has just paused approval of new projects.

Who does Chao think Biden is trying to appeal to with this policy?

Chao believes Biden is trying to appeal to his younger base who care about climate change.

What argument could Trump make against this policy?

Trump could criticize Biden using his "drill baby drill" philosophy and argue this policy will hurt rather than help the planet.

How long have LNG exports from the U.S. been discussed?

One speaker mentions discussions about U.S. LNG exports going back 10 years to 2014.

How imminent is the threat of climate change according to Chao?

Chao says climate change is a concern for her children's future, even though the effects are 10-20 years away.

Where do the speakers stand on the policy of freezing LNG exports?

The speakers all argue strongly against freezing LNG exports, saying it is bad policy economically and environmentally.

Outlines

00:00

😕 Biden's LNG export freeze hurts Texas economy and environment

Paragraph 1 discusses how President Biden's decision to freeze liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Texas, the top LNG producing state, hurts the Texas economy and environment. It suggests the move panders to Biden's base despite being bad policy as it will lead countries to burn more coal, increasing emissions. The decision also politically damages Texas Democrats.

Keywords

💡liquefied natural gas

This refers to natural gas that has been converted to liquid form for easier storage and transport. It is one of Texas' major exports. Biden's decision to freeze these LNG exports is damaging Texas' economy and energy industry, a key theme.

💡export

Sending liquefied natural gas abroad to other countries. Restricting LNG exports hurts the Texas economy and energy sector. It also means other countries may use dirtier energy sources like coal instead.

💡base

In this case, Biden's political base - the supporters and voter groups that elected him. His export restrictions may be an appeal to climate-focused younger voters.

💡climate change

The video discusses how natural gas exports can reduce global greenhouse emissions by replacing dirtier energy sources. Restricting exports contradicts climate change goals.

💡economy

The video emphasizes how Biden's export limits damage the Texas and U.S. economies which benefit greatly from LNG.

💡electricity

Natural gas is used to generate electricity domestically and abroad. Limiting LNG exports could force other nations to utilize dirtier power sources.

💡coal

Coal has much higher emissions than natural gas. Restricting U.S. LNG exports could cause other countries to burn more coal for electricity.

💡emissions

Greenhouse gas and carbon emissions causing climate change. Natural gas emits less than coal and oil when burned for energy.

💡policy

In this case, Biden's executive order freezing approval of new LNG export projects. The video argues this policy is misguided and damaging.

💡plants

LNG export facilities in Texas and Louisiana. Freezing new project approvals restricts capacity to export this key energy resource.

Highlights

Biden's border policy is battering his standing in Texas

Texas is the top US producer of natural gas, much of which is exported as LNG

Biden froze LNG exports to Europe and elsewhere for an environmental review

Question if Biden is sending a political message to Texas Governor Abbott

Freezing LNG exports is bad policy since it will increase coal use abroad

US has cut emissions by switching from coal to natural gas for electricity

Politically stupid to freeze LNG exports which are a major Texas export

Current LNG export rates are at record levels, only new projects are halted

Younger voters want Biden to take climate change seriously

We face climate impacts in 10-20 years that were predicted decades ago

This is not a full halt on LNG exports, only a review of new projects

Trump would campaign on unfettered oil and gas drilling

Freezing LNG exports will hurt rather than help the environment globally

Oman discussed LNG exports to Europe 10 years ago

The freeze only applies to some new LNG projects, not all

Transcripts

.

Welcome back. As if President

Biden's standing in the Lone

Star State wasn't battered

enough by his border policy, the

commander in chief added some

insult to economic injury this

week by freeze ING the export of

liquefied natural gas just in

case you weren't aware, Texas is

the nation's top producer of

natural gas. A growing quantity

of which is exported to Europe

and elsewhere in the form of LNG

panel. President Biden's

conduct an analysis of the

impact of these shipments.

Environmental and otherwise.

Question is this a coincidence,

or could the president be

sending Greg Abbott a message?

Bill, I know you've looked at

this. I think this is pandering

to his base. I don't think it's

Abbott, but look, this is the

dumbest public policy I've ever

heard of in my life. You know,

if you don't export LNG to these

countries, what do you think

they're going to burn to create

electricity? Coal? They're going

to burn coal, which is ten times

worse than natural gas. The

United States is one of the few

countries that's reducing its

carbon emissions on a per capita

basis right now. And the way

we've done it is by closing coal

pants and instead using natural

gas to generate electricity.

That can be exported over the

whole world. We've got a huge

surplus of the United States.

It's nuts not to do it, but it's

also politically stupid. I mean,

we just get a poll that shows

that Gutierrez and Allred are

within a couple of points of Ted

Cruz. They've got to be pulling

their hair out this morning. Not

only is Biden like shooting them

in the back on his border

policy, now he puts another

bullet in them. Was saying,

we're going to do away with

Texas biggest export. This is

dumb politically. It's dumb from

a policy standpoint. Absolutely.

Any thoughts here? Chao. Well, I

don't think that politically I

actually think this strategy of

halting and taking a look and

just by the way, they're

exporting LNG at at at record

rates this year, there are seven

plants in Texas and Louisiana.

This is just a way to look and

see if the new projects are

within the confines of national

believe that Biden is looking at

his younger base, and the

younger base is saying, look, we

are serious about climate change

as a mother with young children

who are going to have to grow up

in this world. It is something

we think about. We don't think

about it day to day because

it's, you know, ten, 20 years

down the line. But look where we

are now. We're ten, 20 years

climate change two decades ago.

So yes, this is at least a

judicious response to just

reviewing things. We're not

halting LNG exports, okay. You

can almost hear Trump on the

campaign trail. Yes Drill baby

drill. He did say, listen,

listen, this is Biden. I'm

sorry. I hate to wake you up.

Listen, I listen, but, uh, look,

you have got to not stop this

bill is 100% right. If they're

not doing. When I went to Oman,

they were talking about LNG

2014, ten years ago about this.

If you don't do this, it is

going to absolutely increase

everything else. This is going

to hurt the planet, not help the

planet. This pause and let me be

clear, is not all LNG. This is