This is the map of all of the pipelines throughout the United States as of 2006. It makes me wonder, how much more damage will the Keystone XL pipeline actually do? It seems as though there are already pipelines going through environmentally sensitive areas. In fact, it almost looks like there are pipelines along the same route as that proposed for the extension.  Surprising, isn’t it?

This raises the question of WHY people protest the pipeline. Here are some possible reasons: we must disregard when these pipelines were built, and focus on the time we are in- do we want to support the mining of tar sands? Do we want to put the environment and people at greater risk [than they already are]? Are we against the pipeline in principle or for other reasons?

We know it’s bad for us…. and yet…

TransCanada and Hillary Clinton have both accepted one thing: oil is not going anywhere, and alternative forms of energy are not coming soon. So do we take the oil, or do we let it be shipped elsewhere? This is a question on whether we want the responsibility for producing more greenhouse gases than before, because this unconventional oil not takes more to produce, but burns dirtier than petroleum, or we want to prolong our dependence on oil, and keep our lives the way we know them (however destructive they may be).

“Proponents of the pipeline say that it will allow the US to have a secure source of oil coming from a friendly nation and will create thousands of jobs.

“What these millionaire actors and professional activists do not seem to understand is that saying no to Keystone means saying yes to more conflict oil from the Middle East and Venezuela filling American gas tanks,” TransCanada spokesman James Millar said, referring to Hollywood actors, such as Mark Ruffalo. TransCanada initially estimated the pipeline would create around 5,000 jobs, but since then has boosted that to 20,000, though opponents say this job figure was pulled out of thin air.

The tar sands issues is controversial in Canada as well. The exploitation of the region has led to water pollution, political conflict with First Nations people, and large-scale deforestation in the Boreal. In addition, the rising emissions from exploiting the tar sands have forced Canada to back-off its climate goals.

Conflict-of-interest?

Meanwhile, the issue has become complicated by recently released emails showing an allegedly cozy relationship between the State Department and TransCanada lobbyists. A relationship, critics say, that has corrupted the entire review process.

In addition, the New York Times recently reported that TransCanada hand-picked the consulting firm that oversaw the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which environmentalists criticized for not addressing the issues of greenhouse gas emission at all, and for painting a rosy picture of possible oil spills.

“The State Department should recuse itself from the Keystone XL decision and the whole permit process should be scrapped. [...] President Obama pledged to have “the most transparent government in history.” This runs completely contrary to that promise,” Henn said of recent revelations. ”

These protesters included the symbolic pipeline…

The protesters range in age, gender, and race. All people want the same thing.

The president has noticed the uproar and said in Nebraska, “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.”

You can expect a final decision from the president by the end of this month. He has noted the amount of input he will be receiving from the State Department will aid in this decision.

“On Sunday November 6 the Tar Sands Action will return to Washington DC to send an unmistakable message to the President.

Exactly one year before the election, we want to encircle the whole White House to ask President Obama to reject Keystone XL and live up to his promise to free us from the tyranny of oil. In doing so, we want to remind him of the power of the movement that he rode to the White House in 2008. This is bigger than any one person – President or no – and we will carry on, with or without him.

We’ve never tried something this ambitious before, and we don’t know if there are the thousands of people that it will take to encircle the White House. But if we can pull it off, it will be an unmistakable message. Also, we’re not expecting any arrests at this action, which means that anyone and everyone is able to participate.

We’ll be getting started at around 2 pm, and finishing up early evening. We’ll be carrying signs with Obama’s own words to show him we haven’t forgotten his promises.

UPDATE: Over 3000 people have signed up to join the action, which means we have an opportunity to send a decisive message to the President on the 6th. With scandals around Keystone XL brewing, and momentum shifting in our direction, we need to make this action as big as possible. Hope to see you there:”

-Article from http://priceofoil.org

Be sure to stay updated in the coming days!!!!

Obama must recognize the importance of indigenous concern when he gave his speech at the University of Colorado in Denver and during Keystone protests.

In the words of Tom Poor Bear, Vice President, Oglala Lakota Nation

” I feel that the United States of America should fulfill their obligation to the Treaty Tribes of the territory of the 1851 and 1868 Fort Laramie Treaties, and also their obligation to us as the true owners of this territory. President Obama must honor these treaties. We just want Obama to respect our Mother, the Earth. We just want Obama to respect our water, which is life – and to respect our future generations. We ask all indigenous people to join us in our plight to oppose the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. We feel that Obama, in his position as President of the United States, should look at this issue very seriously because he also purports to represent us as indigenous peoples. So we are asking all indigenous peoples and Treaty Nations, as well as all other peoples who also respect our Mother, the Earth, to join our opposition and stop the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. Through a unified effort, we will accomplish this task. As our great leader of our ancestral days, Crazy Horse, once said: “You cannot sell the land your people are buried on.” I believe today he would say: “You cannot desecrate the land your people are buried on.”

In respect of Mother Earth and our Future Generations” – Excerpt from Tar Sands Action

How will Obama react to the negative criticism from the indigenous? Only a few more days…..

Occupy Protests: The protests taking place over America to spread awareness of the economic gap in our country. This gap is comprised of 1% making over $350,00 a year and the other 99% making under. This is a result of our economic decisions previously and goes to show how we virtually eliminated the middle class.

November 6th 2011: The day that protestors of the Keystone XL project with “encircle” the White House to express disapproval of the project. Note that Nov. 6 2011 is exactly one year prior to the elections.

Fracking: hydraulic fracturing by a high-pressure injection of a water  and chemical mix to release gas.

Enjoy this cartoon depiction explaining the problems