In response to the State Department’s review of the Keystone XL Pipeline, 350.org, CREDO Action and environmentalists from around the country teamed up in short time and were able to hold close to 300 of vigils condemning the pipeline. Last summer, President Obama imposed a “climate test” to his approval process of the Keystone Pipeline and as Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, an official with the National Resource Defense Council, stated:
This is not a “he said, she said” situation. The State Department lays out a number of scenarios. Taking a closer look, we see that in one very realistic scenario, the report acknowledges that Keystone XL could drive tar sands expansion and the associated climate pollution. This is significant and gives President Obama what he needs to reject the pipeline. The relevant scenario reflects the low oil prices such as are anticipated by the International Energy Agency. It also reflects the pipeline constraints anticipated by this very report. For example, the State Department got it right when they decided no longer to consider the proposed Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline crossing British Columbia as viable and when they said that the proposed Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline expansion to Vancouver is logistically difficult. Even more, this scenario reflects what we are hearing again and again from the industry itself: that Keystone XL will drive tar sands expansion. It should come as no surprise. This is why industry wants Keystone XL so badly.
Efforts against the pipeline have been spearheaded by environmentalist Bill McKibben from 350.org, CREDO and other green advocate groups. Here are photos and tweets from last night’s events.
This is what we can do in 72 hrs, friends. 280 actions, 8K people. Be part of it: https://t.co/f9A1J2tMLM #NoKXL pic.twitter.com/EOtPdfJ8Ao
— 350 dot org (@350) February 3, 2014
#NoKXL lighting it up at the White House pic.twitter.com/8QcgvWQGms
— Energy Action (@energyaction) February 3, 2014
US Sen. @SenSanders is apparently on his way to the vigil in DC #nokxl #arealhero
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) February 3, 2014
Heading downtown Milwaukee for a vigil. One in Madison as well. Cold out, but gotta be visible! @350 @NOKXL #NOKXL pic.twitter.com/bxAIK0GJdT
— OverpassLightBrigade (@OLBLightBrigade) February 3, 2014
Crowd gathering in the snow at union square–so beautiful! #nokxl pic.twitter.com/aDY5FDsVCE
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) February 3, 2014
Houston #NoKXL vigil RT @HighTechAztec: From Alberta to Texas, Transcanada is a Trans-National Squatter. pic.twitter.com/zdIzZkVktz
— Tar Sands Blockade (@kxlblockade) February 4, 2014
115 Nebraska landowners refusing to sign agreements with TransCanada, willing to engage in civil disobedience http://t.co/wXnj4WEKMO #NoKXL
— allisonkilkenny (@allisonkilkenny) February 3, 2014
Fav #NoKXL photo of the night: MN High Schools students writing letters to the @MichiganCats 3 pic.twitter.com/yqsBIP5gpO via @YankaStra
— Tar Sands Blockade (@kxlblockade) February 4, 2014
Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline Vigil in Pasadena, California! #noKXL pic.twitter.com/aGLjw9CHlD
— Viva la causa! (@70torinoman) February 4, 2014
“Mother Earth does NOT negotiate.” MT @DanSchreibs: Banner at #NoKXL vigil in #sf, @BarackObama reject this pipeline pic.twitter.com/Rltv8ObRz1
— Stop The Wars (@sickjew) February 4, 2014
Vigil in Amherst, MA to tell Obama NO on the Keystone XL Pipeline: http://t.co/HGL9et90zD #NoKXL pic.twitter.com/MRvhOB2Sf0
— The Other 98% (@other98) February 4, 2014
