Kamala Harris's Shocking U-Turn: From Drilling Foe to Drilling Fan - What's Behind the Sudden Change?

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a move that has left many environmental advocates stunned, Vice President Kamala Harris revealed her recent shift in stance regarding oil and gas drilling, sparking intense debate on her decision.

Despite her history of opposing oil and gas extraction, Harris claimed during Tuesday's debate that the Biden-Harris administration has in fact overseen 'the largest increase in oil and gas production' – a development that has sparked skepticism across the environmental community.

Just a few years ago, as a senator from California, Harris was an outspoken critic of fossil fuels and drilling. Her reversal has left many questioning her dedication to issues related to climate change and clean energy.

When asked to address this apparent about-face, the Vice President explained her support for expanding domestic oil and gas production as an immediate energy solution that is needed in the near term to lower energy costs and meet growing energy demands.

While this shift in policy positions could potentially position Harris closer to the center in anticipation of her own presidential ambitions in the future, the strategy has simultaneously raised serious doubts among some within the Democratic base and her own allies, a constituency whose backing she desperately needs to retain if she hopes to maintain relevance within her own party.

Many critics are labelling her newfound backing for fossil fuels as a potential betrayal to her earlier stance and a move that directly undermines efforts to curb climate change.

'Kamala Harris is essentially sprinting to the middle and has chosen to leave behind her hard-fought environmental record,' according to a strong warning by John Mearsheimer, chairman of the environmental advocacy group Americans Against Fossil Fuels.

Back in 2019, when Harris supported legislation in the Senate that prevented the President from withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, she did not think twice about her willingness to take on the powerful oil lobby.

'It's time for the United States to rejoin the world community and our allies, and lead on addressing the climate crisis,' Harris had declared then.

Yet today, as her own White House ambitions have waxed, Harris has executed a jarring shift, now celebrating her support for the fossil fuel industry.

While Harris repeatedly emphasizes that she remains committed to advancing President Biden's climate agenda and finding new green technologies, critics point out that expanded drilling operations could unlock hundreds of years of fossil fuel production and boost US energy dominance at the exact same time that the White House says it is targeting an economy that can reduce net emissions in a hurry.

'It can't be stressed enough how oil production like this undermines any efforts to fight climate change and invest in renewable energy – however you try to spin it,' concluded Alexandria Stevens of Fight The Frack.

What's clear now is that Harris is recalculating her own priorities in anticipation of an impending White House race that is not expected to be pretty.