Tar Sands Day of Action in Washington DC

Sunday, November 6th, was a national day of action to tell President Obama to stop the dirty, dangerous Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline -- a proposed pipeline that would run from Canada through America's heartland.

Barack Obama gave Natural Resources Defense Council founder John Adams the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work defending the environment. Today John is at the White House again - this time to link arms with thousands of others to ask President Obama to live up to his campaign promises and reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

Thousands of people from all over the country descended upon Washington D.C. to circle the White House. This is a historic, defining moment in the push to move Beyond Oil.

While there was an impressive number of people in Washington D.C. standing up to Big Oil, it's not nearly enough. We need to build an online groundswell of awareness and support to stop this dangerous oil pipeline proposal.

You can help spread the word and let your friends and family coast-to-coast know that President Obama must stop this oil pipeline proposal.

Anyone who has examined this oil pipeline proposal quickly realizes that in addition to imperiling wildlife and an important source of water, it will increase reliance on fossil fuels and dramatically increase greenhouse gas emissions. In short it is an ecological disaster.

* Tar sands oil is the dirtiest source of oil on Earth, this pipeline is a line in the sand in our fight to stop climate disruption.

* Tar sands pipeline spills are not a question of if but when: TransCanada has a dismal safety record, including 14 oil spills in 12 months on the existing Keystone 1 Pipeline. Tar sands oil is more dangerous to transport, more difficult to clean up, and releases more toxic pollution than conventional oil.

* Tar sands oil spills in America's heartland could contaminate drinking water for millions and destroy the livelihoods of American farmers and ranchers.

Help build the movement that will stop this dirty oil pipeline proposal. Take action now online to be a virtual rally activist for our Tar Sands National Day of Action. Add your link in the online chain of action to encircle the White House.

In addition to those in Washington thousands of people took part in the Tar Sands Oil National Day of Action by participating online as virtual rally activists. They watched as live photos and videos streamed in, they also read comments and tweets live from the rally.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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President Obama and the Fate of the Keystone XL Pipeline

President Obama has indicated that he will factor environmental and human health issues into his decision about the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline is opposed by environmentalists and supported by those who say the jobs it would create are more important than the well being of the environment and the health of the American people.

On Tuesday November 1, President Obama indicated that in addition to economic concerns, health and economic issues would be taken into account when he decides whether or not to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

Here are excerpts of Obama's comments from an interview with Nebraska television station KETV:

"My general attitude is, what's best for the American people? What's best for our economy both short term and long term? But also what's best for the health of the American people?"

"We don’t want, for example, aquifers to be adversely affected. folks in Nebraska obviously would be directly impacted, and so we want to make sure we’re taking the long view on these issues.”

“We need to make sure that we have energy security and aren’t just relying on Middle East sources. But there’s a way of doing that and still making sure that the health and safety of the American people and folks in Nebraska are protected, and that’s how I’ll be measuring these recommendations when they come to me.”

"I think folks in Nebraska, like all across the country, aren't going to say to themselves, 'we'll take a few thousand jobs' if it means that our kids are potentially drinking water that would damage their health or if ... rich land that is so important to agriculture in Nebraska ends up being adversely affected."

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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NRDC November 6 Protest Against the Keystone XL in Washington DC

On November 6 in Washington, DC the NRDC is organizing a protest to encircle the White House to ask President Obama to reject Keystone XL.

The protest will be led by NRDC Founding Director John Adams who will be leading a group of NRDC staff, members, and activists. They will be joining thousands of concerned citizens who are concerned about the implications of locking America into decades of dirty tar sands oil which scientists say will dramatically hasten climate change, destroy boreal forest, and threaten groundwater.

To be part of the White House protest in Washington DC register here.

For those who are unable to be in DC, the NRDC is encouraging people to send President Obama a message to stop Keystone XL. For more information about this campaign click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Nebraska's Special Session to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline

The state of Nebraska convened a special session of the legislature on Tuesday November 2, in a final ditch effort to stop or re-route the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project. The Nebraska Legislature's special session will determine whether the state can force TransCanada Pipelines to reroute the pipeline around the ecologically sensitive Sandhills region overlaying the Ogallala Aquifer.

Opponents of the pipeline are hoping this session of the legislature will find a legal means of blocking or at least re-routing the project away from an important source of ground water.

Although there is considerable resistance, Nebraska's governor, David Heineman, has yet to introduce a proposal on resiting the pipeline. "Normally when a governor calls a special session he introduces a bill, but the governor has not done that," said Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska, which has been leading the protests. "We are afraid that they will hold a special session and not pass anything and say they have done their best."

A state senator, Anne Dubash, is working on a separate proposal to give the state the authority to re-route the pipeline. There are also moves to try to block the pipeline by challenging TransCanada's methods for obtaining land use rights.

Nebraska's special session to stop the Keystone XL pipeline opened on Tuesday November 1, and is expected to last until at least November 14.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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South Dakota Wants Additional Protections Against Spills from the Keystone XL Pipeline

Due to concerns about groundwater contamination, South Dakota govenor Dennis Daugaard has asked the Legislature to "impose additional protections" on the Keystone XL pipeline, similar to concessions that Nebraska lawmakers recently won from TransCanada.

TransCanada met with Nebraska officials and offered concessions in lieu of rerouting the pipeline, among them encircling the pipeline with concrete or rock jacketing where it crosses a shallow water table, moving spill response teams closer to the Sandhills and offering a $100 million performance bond to cover spill cleanup. All of which were dismissed as inadequate by Nebraska environmentalists.

Opponents nationwide are waging a much more aggressive campaign to block Keystone XL than they mustered against the first project known as Keystone I. Aquifer contamination from groundwater spills have been a concern for both pipelines. However, these concerns are greater for the Keystone XL as the proposed route of the pipeline traverses the massive Ogallala Aquifer, which is the main source of water for eight states including South Dakota.

Since 2008, Dakota Rural Action and some South Dakota legislators have unsuccessfully pushed for a pipeline cleanup fund, similar to what TransCanada now is offering Nebraska.

Daugaard spokesman Tony Venhuizen said it is only fair that South Dakota should be offered similar protections to those offered to Nebraska. "We've already let TransCanada know that they can't be cutting special deals for some states just because they protest more," he said. "The squeaky Cornhusker wheel shouldn't get all the grease."

It would appear the protests in Nebraska have forced TransCanada to offer additional safety measures. In South Dakota there have been less protests making it easier for TransCanada to ignore the safety concerns in that state.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Safety Measures for the Keystone XL Rejected by Environmentalists in Nebraska

TransCanada Pipelines has proposed new safety measures for the Sandhills portion of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. The seven new measures outlined by pipeline developer TransCanada Inc. were dismissed by critics of the project as “window dressing.”

TransCanada offered the new safety steps in response to four Nebraska state senators who are concerned that the state's groundwater, including the Ogallala Aquifer, is threatened by the pipeline.

Although they refused to reroute the pipeline, TransCanada said it would encase the pipeline in concrete in areas of high groundwater extending an extra layer of concrete for 35 miles.

TransCanada offered several new steps to address concerns raised by the Nebraska lawmakers about possible contamination of groundwater, including providing a $100 million performance bond to ensure the financial resources to clean up any spills and basing a five-member emergency spill response team. In addition TransCanada proposed providing a concrete barrier around the pumping station and moving response crews closer to the Sandhills.

Pipeline opponents said that most of the safety measures would not prevent a leak. The $100 million bond for cleaning up a Sandhills spill would be inadequate, when compared with the projected $700 million cost of cleaning up a crude-oil pipeline leak that spilled 800,000 gallons of oil into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River 15 months ago.

Why should we be discussing inadequate safety measures when the best solution would be to preempt the problem altogether by scuttling the Keystone XL pipeline project.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Arrests Mark One of the Largest Acts of Civil Disobedience in Canadian History

At the Ottawa action on September 26th 2011, approximately 200 people were arrested in an act of civil disobedience on parliament hill. These people were protesting the Alberta tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline.

Those arrested included Maude Barlow, Tantoo Cardinal and dozens of other leaders from Canada. People who crossed the police barricade were briefly detained and then set free after being fined.

This was one of the largest climate change focused acts of civil disobedience in Canada in decades. However, the crowd remained peaceful throughout the demonstration.

This action sent a powerful message to lawmakers in Ottawa whose fall parliamentary session coincided with the protest.

As protesters where being arrested on Parliament Hill, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae was asking the Harper's Conservative government to explain its woeful record on the environment and its strategy going forward.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Supporters of the Ottawa Action Opposing the Tarsands and the Keystone XL Pipeline

A number of high profile organizations and individuals supported the Ottawa Action protesting the Alberta tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline. Here is a summary of the organizations and individuals that endorsed the action in Ottawa.

Organizational Endorsers
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice (CUSJ)
Citizens Climate Lobby (CCLC), Toronto, Sudbury, Red Lake chapters
EcoSanity
Équiterre
Erosion, Technology & Concentration (ETC) Group
Global Exchange
Keepers of the Athabasca Watershed Council of the Keepers of the Water
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Peaceful Uprising
Physicians for Global Survival (PGS)
Post Carbon Toronto
Science for Peace
The Ruckus Society
The Tipping Point
Toronto Climate Campaign (TCC)
UK Tar Sands Network
Voice of Women

First Nations Endorsers
Assembly of First Nations
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Dene Nation
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Unis’tot’en Nations
Wet’suwet’en Nation
Yankton Sioux Tribe
Yinka Dene Alliance

Individual & Celebrity Endorsers
Bill McKibben – Writer, Environmentalist, Founder of 350.org
Bruce Cox – Executive Director, Greenpeace Canada
Clayton Ruby – Criminal Lawyer and Member of the Order of Canada
Dr. Danny Harvey – University of Toronto Professor and Lead Author, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Dave Bidini – Canadian Musician & Author, Rheostatics, BediniBand, DaveBedini.ca
Dave Thomas – Actor, Writer, Producer, Hoser Doug Mckenzie, SCTV
George Poitras – Mikisew Cree Indigenous First Nation
Gordon Laxer – Professor of Political Economy
Gordon Pinsent – Elder Statesman of Canadian Theatre, Away From Her, Due South
Graeme Gibson – Author and Member of the Order of Canada
Graham Greene – Actor, The Green Mile, Dances with Wolves, Die Hard with a Vengence
Hart Bochnar – Actor, Die Hard
James Biggar – Executive Director, LeadNow.ca
James Hansen – Internationally renown Climate Scientist
James Kamau – Director, Youth Initiative Canada (YIC)
John O’Connor – Medical Doctor
Joseph B. Uehlein – Labor Organizer and Environmentalist
Judy Rebick – Journalist, Political Activist and Feminist.
Kai Nagata – Ex-CTV Bureau Chief and journalist
Kate Vernon – Actress, Battlestar Galactica
Kevin Washbrook – Director, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change (VTACC)
Maude Barlow – Chair, Council of Canadians
Mia Kirshner – Actress, The L World, The Black Dahlia, 24, Vampire Diaries
Naomi Klein – Author and Journalist
Nia Vardalos – Actress, Writer, Producer, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Peter Keleghan – Actor, 18 to Life, The Newsroom, PolluterHarmony.ca
Shirley Douglas – Canadian television, film and stage Actress and Activist
Tahmoh Penikett – Actress, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville
Tantoo Cardinal – Actress, Dances with Wolves, Member of the Order of Canada
Toghestiy Wet’suwet’en – Wet’suwet’en Nation
Tom Goldtooth – Director, Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)
Tony Clarke – Author and Director of the Polaris Institute
Tzeporah Berman – Canadian Author and Activist

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Ottawa Action Opposing the Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline

On Monday, September 26th 2011, more than 1,000 people people came together in Ottawa for a peaceful protest against tar sands oil and the Keystone XL pipeline. This pipeline will transport toxic tar sands across the continent from Alberta to Texas. If we are to address the climate crisis we need to move away from fossil fuels, particularly tar sands oil.

People from across Canada congregated at 10am at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill, where final instructions for the sit-in were shared at a solidarity rally.

The solidarity rally at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill at 10:00 am included statements from a range of speakers. It was also an opportunity to support sit-in participants. Unlike the sit-in, this rally was intended for broader participation and did not involve the risk of arrest.

After the rally, protesters gathered in front of the Canadian Parliament for an act of civil disobedience. Their message to the Harper government: The tar sands are killing First Nations people, polluting the water and contributing unacceptable levels of climate change causing greenhouse gases.

More than 180 people, in groupings of 32 waves are preparing to peacefully cross the police barricade in front of the Centre Block.

Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow spoke momentarily before she joined the first wave of activists to pass over the fence.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Training for the Tar Sands and Keystone XL Ottawa Action

On Sunday September 25 between 1pm and 8pm there was a training for participants in the September 26th tar sands/Keystone XL civil disobedience.
The training was intended to ensure that people understood the legal implications and practical logistics of the action. The training was mandatory for all participants and it emphasized the importance of non-violent direct action.

In addition to the safety reasons, the training was crucial to make sure that everyone acted together. One of the goals was to build group solidarity and trust for the action.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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An Invitation to Join the Protest Against the Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline

"There comes a time…"

There comes a time when you need to take a stand. When sending letters and signing petitions isn't enough. When together we must say, "enough is enough — not on our watch".

That time is now. We must act together for the health of our planet, our air, our water, our climate, and our children.

On September 26th we need you to come to Ottawa to join a historic action to oppose the tar sands. In a large peaceful protest, many will be risking arrest to tell the Harper governmentthat we don’t support his reckless agenda; that we want to turn away from the toxic tar sands industry; and that we oppose the direction he's taking this country.

In the U.S., people by the thousands are taking a stand. From Aug 20th to Sept. 3rd, thousands are pledging to risk arrest in daily acts of civil disobedience to convince President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring dirty tar sands oil to the U.S. On September 26th, we will stand up to Prime Minister Harper to pressure him to stem the tar sands industry at its source.

Tar sands mining and other extreme forms of energy extraction like Arctic drilling, shale fracking, and nuclear power generation send us in the exact opposite direction that we, as a civilization, must go to ensure global survival. If we burn the tar sands, we blot our nation's reputation; if we leave that carbon in the ground, we'll do the world an enormous favour.

On September 26th we are asking you to come to Ottawa to participate in one of the largest acts of civil disobedience on the climate issue that Canada has ever seen.

Be a part of turning Canada away from the toxic tar sands industry. Help forge the future we all want to live in.

If you are interested and willing to take action email ottawaaction@gmail.com or go to www.ottawaaction.ca to sign-up today. It will be a powerful day, and more powerful if you're a part of it.

Sincerely,

The Council of Canadians
Greenpeace Canada
Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Protest in Washington and Now Ottawa

Late this summer, mass protests against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline took place in Washington. On Monday September 26th similar protests are planned for Ottawa. Before the Keystone XL protest in Washington came to an end, many people were jailed included 350.org leader Bill McKibben. Even NASA's leading scientist was arrested.

People are protesting the pipeline because of the exorbitant amounts of CO2 it will produce. Canadians are protesting because the oppose Canada's growing role as a dirty energy superpower. In addition to GHGs, there is also a very real danger posed by oil spills.

Although many claim the pipeline will provide significant economic benefits, economists at Cornell University have questioned the economics of the pipeline.

Nobel prize laureates are amongst those that oppose the Keystone XL pipeline and religious leaders also have joined the growing resistance to the Keystone XL.

Eleven U.S. and Canadian scientists and environmentalists encouraged people to participate. The call came from Maude Barlow, Wendell Berry, Tom Goldtooth, Danny Glover, James Hansen, Wes Jackson, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, George Poitras, David Suzuki, and Gus Speth. They asked people to come to Washington D.C. and join in two weeks of non-violent civil disobedience actions to try to stop the tar sands the Keystone XL pipeline. The response was overwhelming.

On September 26th 2011, Canadians will match the courage and determination of those who protested in Washington. People across Canada will converge on Ottawa to help defuse the largest carbon bomb in North America.

For more information or to get involved click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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