Note: I provided the following as a public comment to the State Department. The last day to submit comments is the day I am posting this, April 22nd, 2013. You can easily add your name to comments from 350.org.
Later today (Earth Day, April 22nd, 2013), I am going to engage in civil disobedience in San Francisco to pressure the State Department and Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline proposal.
I am part of a growing and determined movement to move us off of our addiction to fossil fuels – to keep the oil in the ground. A key part of that goal is stopping the mining of tar sands, which Michael Brune of the Sierra Club says “is symbolic of development that is not sustainable”. Right now the first step is preventing Keystone XL from being built.
The core of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline is section 1.4, titled “Market Analysis”. In it are tucked away all the assumptions and the mindset that leads to the glib conclusion that Keystone XL would not substantially contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
The basic argument is that the alternative ways to move tar sands oil to refineries are more polluting, and that the tar sands will be developed regardless of the decision on the Keystone XL proposal. Therefore, the logic goes, you might as well approve the pipeline.
The document essentially counsels capitulation to market forces.
But that’s the whole problem – “the market” is insane. It is leading us to catastrophic climate change. We need to interfere with the market. “Fundamental changes to the world crude oil market, and/or [more] far reaching actions than are evaluated in this Supplemental EIS, would be required to significantly impact the rate of production in the oil sands.” (Page 1.4-2)
That’s what we’re asking for, and that’s what we’re focusing on providing.
And thankfully, that’s happening. Other pipeline projects “face significant opposition from various groups”. (Page 1.4-26) Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is an active campaign to make sure that tar sands oil is not refined in Richmond, California. No doubt there are similar campaigns elsewhere. We will attempt to stop the destruction of the boreal forest, to stop the strip mining, to stop the pipelines and the trains and the ships, and to prevent the refining, distribution, and sale of products from tar sands oil.
Keystone XL does not have social license to operate – this is the beginning of the revocation of the social license to operate of all sorts of fossil fuel industries.
The State Department and President Obama can either help us in our effort to turn us back from catastrophic climate change, or they can try to hinder us. It would be “in the national interest” to come willingly and lead the way to a sustainable future. But we will act regardless.
Fish Rock Road 