The clock is ticking fast on the Keystone XL decision. Secretary Kerry’s national interest recommendation to the president — expected in early May — will be here before we know it. The past few weeks have seen even1 more2 evidence3 that the State Department drastically underestimated the impact of Keystone XL, a game-changing XL Dissent action at the White House where 398 students were arrested to show President Obama exactly what is on the line with his decision, dozens more activists arrested in San Francisco and Philadelphia, and last week our allies came together to deliver an astounding 2 million comments to the State Department opposing Keystone XL. But we cant just rest on our laurels or hold our breath as we wait for a decision. The oil industry certainly isn’t. It collected nearly half as many comments as tar sands opponents, in support of Keystone XL. Grassroots pressure has never been the fossil-fuel industrys primary method to influence the debate in the Beltway, so that’s a clear signal that the industry will fight to the end to force approval. We need to use these final weeks to show the president that he stands to lose a lot more by approving Keystone XL than whatever he thinks he could possibly gain. Here is how you can help make the most powerful closing case to the president: 1. Sign up for your nearest Pledge of Resistance Action Team to show the President that you’re prepared to take action if the Obama administration makes the mistake of moving toward final approval. Yesterday, we crossed 90,000 people who have joined you in committing to risk arrest if necessary to protest Keystone XL -- we need to show we are ready to mobilize. The action being prepared nearest you is: Houston Federal Building Sit-in. Click here to see all the actions in your area. 2. RSVP for the Reject and Protect March on April 27 if you are near the Washington, DC, area or can get there. On April 22nd, a group of ranchers, farmers and tribal communities from along the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline route, called the Cowboy Indian Alliance, will ride into Washington, DC, and set up camp near the White House to tell President Obama to reject the pipeline. Then, thousands of people will join them on Sunday, April 27, and stand together to send a powerful message that the Keystone XL pipeline and the tar sands must be rejected — to protect this, and future generations. Read the invitation from the Cowboy Indian Alliance and RSVP. 3. Chip in to fund our last burst of organizing against Keystone XL. There’s a lot left to do to make sure President Obama rejects Keystone XL, and be prepared to hold him accountable if he approves it -- and its not possible without your help. Stay tuned - next week well be announcing locations for a Pledge of Resistance training tour in April, to train the local leaders who will help us double the number of planned pledge of resistance actions ready to deploy around the country if Secretary Kerry recommends that Keystone XL is in the national interest. Thanks for standing with us and making sure we do everything in our power in these final weeks to pressure president Obama to reject Keystone XL. Elijah Zarlin, CREDO Action Amanda Starbuck, Rainforest Action Network John Sellers, the Other 98% P.S. Looking for a great article on why the pipeline is such a bad idea? Brad Wieners, executive editor at Bloomberg BuisnessWeek -- hardly a green, lefty institution -- published a piece last week entitled Give Me One Good Reason Obama Should Approve Keystone XL, which clearly debunks every argument that oil companies have laid out for approval of Keystone XL. Its worth reading and sharing widely. 1. Did the State Department Manipulate Facts to Support Keystone XL?, Oil Change International, 3/6/14 2. Canada oil-by-rail deliveries in 2013 lagged U.S. estimate, Reuters, 3/5/14 3. Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline: The ‘significance’ trap, Carbon Tracker Initiative, 3/3/14 © 2013 CREDO. All rights reserved.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 15:28:43 +0000
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