Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Two Hopeful Signs The Obama Administration Will Not Approve The Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline
Two Hopeful Signs The Obama Administration Will Not Approve The Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline
By Joe Romm
50-50. Those were the odds you could get in DC for a bet on whether or not Obama would ultimately approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
But this week I think the odds turned against the pipeline, for two reasons:
Obama devoted far more of his second inaugural address to climate change than anybody expected — and framed the issue in stark, moral terms.
The State Department decision won’t come until after March, which means it will almost certainly be made by the new Secretary, climate hawk John Kerry.
Since so much as been written about the first point, let me start with the second. NBC reports:
The review is followed by a public comment period and then a final decision. That timeline means State’s decision will very likely be made by the man Obama nominated to replace Hillary Clinton.
Recall Kerry’s Senate speech this summer slamming the U.S. political discussion as a “conspiracy of silence … a story of disgraceful denial, back-pedaling, and delay that has brought us perilously close to a climate change catastrophe.” He goes on to say:
- more -
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/23/1485541/two-hopeful-signs-the-obama-administration-will-not-approve-keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeline/
By Joe Romm
50-50. Those were the odds you could get in DC for a bet on whether or not Obama would ultimately approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
But this week I think the odds turned against the pipeline, for two reasons:
Obama devoted far more of his second inaugural address to climate change than anybody expected — and framed the issue in stark, moral terms.
The State Department decision won’t come until after March, which means it will almost certainly be made by the new Secretary, climate hawk John Kerry.
Since so much as been written about the first point, let me start with the second. NBC reports:
“We don’t anticipate being able to conclude our own review before the end of the first quarter of this year,” said Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman at the State Department, which had previously said it would make a decision by that deadline.
The review is followed by a public comment period and then a final decision. That timeline means State’s decision will very likely be made by the man Obama nominated to replace Hillary Clinton.
Recall Kerry’s Senate speech this summer slamming the U.S. political discussion as a “conspiracy of silence … a story of disgraceful denial, back-pedaling, and delay that has brought us perilously close to a climate change catastrophe.” He goes on to say:
It is a conspiracy that has not just stalled, but demonized any constructive effort to put America in a position to lead the world on this issue….
Climate change is one of two or three of the most serious threats our country now faces, if not the most serious, and the silence that has enveloped a once robust debate is staggering for its irresponsibility….
I hope we confront the conspiracy of silence head-on and allow complacence to yield to common sense, and narrow interests to bend to the common good. Future generations are counting on us.
- more -
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/23/1485541/two-hopeful-signs-the-obama-administration-will-not-approve-keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeline/
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
(your "lips"
to the ears of the Goddess/God/Universe.
