"Democrats are embracing a once-fringe demand that could cut emissions at the scale of the Obama administration's biggest climate policies.

A growing number of presidential candidates want to lock down the vast fossil fuel deposits sitting beneath federally owned lands and waters. President Obama resisted such calls until the end of his term, when he halted new leases for coal mines and some offshore drilling. Now, White House hopefuls want to go even further on their first day in office.

"Keep it in the ground" has transformed from an activist chant into a mainstream campaign promise thanks to a Democratic electorate increasingly attuned to climate change. It also signals a backlash against President Trump's aggressive drilling proposals."

Adam Aton reports for ClimateWire May 6, 2019. [2]