Environmental policy of the Tom Kirkman administration

The **environmental policy of the Tom Kirkman administration** is characterized by addressing climate change, investing in renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions, reduced baseline regulation, and reformed pollution standards.

Kirkman took office following the Richmond administration's environmental agenda prioritizing the reduction of carbon emissions and regulating the fossil fuel industry. He reversed or lightened many Richmond policies on the environment and energy, authorizing oil and gas drilling with baseline environmental regulation.

The Kirkman administration supported increased drilling on currently leased land, but banned the use of fossil fuels for new infrastructure projects only if a renewable option was available. Kirkman approved new domestic oil and gas drilling on newly-leased land, so long as it was not in a national forest, near national monuments or parks, or in protected wildlife reserves. He also allowed for offshore oil and gas leasing, as long as it followed the administration's strict environmental protection regulations.

Kirkman and his Cabinet appointees believe the scientific consensus that climate change could have catastrophic impacts and supports baseline environmental protection regulation, but opposes excessive fossil fuel regulation, believing it would have catastrophic impacts on the American individual. The official environmental policy of the Kirkman administration is for the U.S. to attain energy independence through a mixed fossil fuel and renewable energy grid. In 2021, the administration announced that it had reached net zero fossil fuel imports from foreign nations, achieving energy independence in the United States.

Reaction to the Kirkman administration's environmental policy has been mixed, primarily based on political affiliation. A majority of Americans in most polls widely support the policies, though members of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party have criticized it as not going far enough to combat climate change. More Republicans support the policies, though some farther-right conservatives have claimed it hurts business innovation despite widespread business growth and economic expansion under the administration.

## Overview

### Domestic energy policy

*Main article: Infrastructure policy of the Tom Kirkman administration*

Despite serving in the administration of Robert Richmond, Kirkman had some differences on policy, particularly on energy and the environment. He agreed with the administration on its stance on climate change, believing it could eventually become an existential crisis, and the need for baseline environmental regulation and pollution standards, but rejected the notion that the United States would be able to prohibit the use of fossil fuels in the next two decades. Kirkman opposed prohibiting new oil and gas drilling leases as long as they had strict environmental protection standards and did not impose on protected lands and waters, parks, or were located within a certain location to highly populated areas.

### Department of the Interior

The Department of the Interior is responsible for the management and conservation of natural resources, most federal lands such as national parks and forests, wildlife refuges and tribal territories. Kirkman was critical of decisions made on leasing restrictions. He supports using unused leased land in untapped oil and natural gas reserves.

Kirkman also directed the Department of the Interior to focus on environmental standards, along with global warming actions. He prioritized reducing carbon emissions through carbon capture methods and his administration's regulation on fossil fuel use in order to ensure clean air and water.