Frontline Activists Protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline

[limpyhobbler]

On Sept. 24, eight blockaders started an indefinite tree sit to stop the Keystone XL pipeline.
Photo by Laura Borealis.

"As we write, our friends with the Tar Sands Blockade are blocking construction of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline in the woods of Texas. For the past six months they have built a movement of climate activists, rural landowners, Texans, Oklahomans and people from all over the country to fiercely resist it. For two weeks, they have captured the imagination of the world with a daring tree-sit and bold ground actions near Winnsboro, TX that have delayed TransCanada’s operations.

TransCanada has responded by allowing its employees to operate their heavy machines with reckless disregard for the safety of protestors and tree-sitters. Police have responded with brutal means such as pepper-spray and Tasers against peaceful protestors. Prosecutors have responded with elevated charges.

It is clear what is at stake. NASA’s leading climate scientist Dr. James Hansen has called the Keystone XL pipeline, “a fuse to the largest carbon bomb on the planet.” If all the carbon stored in the Canadian tar sands is released into the earth’s atmosphere it will mean “game over” for the planet.

In 2011, we saw the Tar Sands Action galvanize environmental and social justice communities in an unprecedented show of unity during the sit-ins in front of the White House. Every day members of Indigenous communities, faith communities, labor communities, anti-mountaintop removal movements, anti-fracking movements and many more stepped forward and put their bodies on the line in solidarity. In the year since, we have witnessed people from the Lakota nation in South Dakota and from Moscow, Idaho putting their bodies in roads and highways blocking large transport trucks carrying oil refining equipment to develop further tar sands extraction. Now, the Tar Sands Blockade has taken the next logical step confronting climate change...."

http://ecowatch.org/2012/show-solidarity/

[DhhD]

1. Lobbyist are sticking lots of money in the pocket of Texas and US lawmakers. TEA politician's

are allowing the destruction of our health, economy and natural resources. When gas and oil are shipped away the supply goes down so the energy companies have a double gain, the price of fuels go up. Right now gasoline in California is almost $6.00 per gallon.

Wonder how much longer Texans are going to be able to hold everything together before they finally get out and vote to stop the tea party?

[freshwest]

2. First thing they need to do is elect Sadler and defeat Cruz for Hutchinson's old seat. Don't when

Texans will get a chance to get rid of Perry.

In all of these events, common people who profit. They fulfill the adage, 'I can hire half the poor to kill the other half.'

This is being framed as eminent domain, which is supposed to be for the public good, and I've been educating people I know about these abuses.

Does the USA really need this energy to survive? Can't we do something else?

If we can't, and the private sector is truly doing the public's bidding in providing these fuels, we must change the equation. These old fossil fuel thinkers are doing the only thing they know now. Get more, and to hell with the long-term consequences.

In my state we have money going into solar, wind and other projects. Texas could do the same with the right leadership and force these companies to drill in the old way that didn't do this.

However, I've run across people, even at DU, who support shale oil drilling and say those who oppose it are idiots and it's going to happen, no matter what.

I hope that Texans will come to realize that the land and water being destroyed are more valuable than the oil market.