Robert Redford: Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline: The Facts Deserve Repeating

[babylonsister]

Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline: The Facts Deserve Repeating
Posted: 02/ 8/2012 2:06 pm
Robert Redford


Joe Nocera's op-ed in the New York Times yesterday deserves a response and a reiteration of the facts surrounding the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. President Obama rejected the pipeline's permit last month when the GOP, in a political stunt, forced his hand to approve it without even the final route evident.

Let's put the rhetoric aside, and simply focus on the facts. Nocera wants us to believe that approving this pipeline is a matter of national security. He also seems to think that we should all be kicking ourselves because the Canadians are flaunting a tar sands sale trip to China.

Nocera might ask himself how likely this oil is really to go to China from Canada if Keystone XL is not built. He might ask why the oil companies are looking to bring tar sands almost 2000 miles south rather than just send it across British Columbia for export to Asia.

The answer can be found in the deep and fierce opposition to a new tar sands pipeline in Canada -- especially by the First Nations of British Columbia. In fact, those First Nations this week sent letters to President Hu of China and to the Chinese people letting them know their tar sands grievances in advance of Prime Minister Harper's trip this week.

The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would not make the United States of America safer. Why? It would not make us safer, because the majority of the processed oil was already scheduled for export to foreign countries. That's' right, this Keystone XL pipeline's Canadian tar sands oil would have no positive impact whatsoever on America's national security.

Canada wanted to send the dirtiest oil on the planet through the heart of America so that they could access export routes. And they proposed getting there by bringing the pipeline right over the Ogallala Aquifer, one of America's most important repositories of fresh water. Along the route, Democrats and Republicans alike opposed it.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-redford/joe-nocera-keystone-pipeline_b_1263231.html

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.

[Spazito]

2. Great response by Mr. Redford!

Recommended.

He is right, Canadians are very much against the proposed pipeline from Alberta to the British Columbia port, the proposed pipeline in Canada is called the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline for the same reason Americans are opposed to the XL pipeline.

The "Harper Government" is pushing these pipelines, Canadians are NOT in favor of this except for some in Alberta, Texas North.