Oil companies pursue offshore drilling, touting lower emissions

Offshore drilling companies like Shell are increasing deepwater oil and gas extraction in the Gulf of Mexico, claiming it is a cleaner alternative than onshore operations due to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Ivan Penn reports for The New York Times.

In short:

• Oil companies argue that deepwater drilling is crucial for global energy needs and has a lower carbon footprint than onshore drilling.
• The Gulf of Mexico has experienced rising oil production, reversing the decline after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.
• Environmentalists are concerned about the industry's pivot back to fossil fuels, urging a faster shift to renewable energy.

Key quote:

“We’re not talking about stopping oil production today. But no matter how you look at it, there’s a really dire need to accelerate this shift to clean energy.”

— Brettny Hardy, a senior lawyer in the Oceans Program at Earthjustice

Why this matters:

As critical planetary tipping points loom large, a continued focus on fossil fuel extraction threatens progress toward climate goals. Read more: We don’t have time for another fossil fuel bridge.