I have been blogging about this catastrophe for over three years but I am pleased to say that today the senate narrowly rejected a Republican measure that would have allowed construction on the Keystone XL pipeline to begin immediately.
This issue is so important on so many fronts I can’t even begin to impress on people how important it is. If you love birds, you will do everything you can to make sure the Keystone XL Pipeline does NOT go through.
Watch this interview with Dr. Jeff Wells on the Boreal Forest and the impact of the tar sands development on the forest and wildlife habitat in Alberta, Canada and on the entire continent.
The degradation of the Boreal Forest, North America’s premiere bird nursery, is threatening millions of birds every year. And for what? The only beneficiaries of this catastrophe in the U.S are the oil companies refining the dirty oil. The refined oil products will all be shipped to Asia.
In 2009, TransCanada told the Canadian government that Keystone XL is meant to relieve the oversupply of oil in the Midwest. By diverting oil to ports in the Foreign Trade Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, the pipeline would cause oil prices to rise in the Midwest, which will likely mean consumers will pay more at the pump for their gasoline.
As the American people learn the true facts about this debacle they are sure to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The Republicans are digging themselves a hole they will never get out of. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner blasted out multiple statements today on the issue, as they are eager to paint Obama’s opposition as both job-killing and detrimental to gas prices. Both of these claims are false.
Along with all the Senate Republicans, eleven Democrats voted for the pipeline. I suggest these Dems need a good talking to: Baucus (D-MT), Begich (D-AK), Casey (D-PA), Conrad (D-ND), Hagan (D-NC), Landrieu (D-LA), Manchin (D-WV), McCaskill (D-MO), Pryor (D-AR), Tester (D-MT) and Webb (D-VA). If any of these Democrats belong to you, I suggest writing them a letter or emailing them to explain your disdain for their vote.
Once again, if you love birds, you will oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline. The problem couldn’t be more blatant—Senators and Representatives take money from people like Exxon and Koch Industries, and they give them gifts, with our money. It’s gone on for years, and it needs to stop. The vote today is a perfect example: the Senators voting for the pipeline have received $27,552,302 from fossil fuel industries, on average 3 times more than those voting against it.
Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline by joining the Natural Resources Defense Council and send a message to your Senators and Representatives telling them that you oppose this project now and always.
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Thank you for keeping us updated on the status of the pipeline, and letting us know what we can do about it!
@Nick you are very welcome. I just hope that birders all over the country understand how important this is to the North American bird population