Keystone XL Pipeline Concept Gets Senate Support

[freedom fighter jh]

From The Agonist.

(Washington, DC 3/22) Today the United States Senate passed the Hoeven amendment 62 to 37, a non-binding amendment that expresses support for building the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

That’s the U.S. Senate, the chamber of Congress with a Democratic majority.

The planned Keystone XL pipeline would bring tarsands oil from its source in Canada to refineries in Texas.

Tarsands oil represents a whole new source of fossil fuel at a time when we need to be moving in the opposite direction, burning less fossil fuel and desisting from pumping planet-warming carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Before the tasands effort, it was just starting to look like oil supplies were dwindling and nature, by removing carbon sources, would force on us the much-needed changes we could not force on ourselves.

More at http://agonist.org/news-on-keystone-xl-pipeline-your-future-sold-for-8-million/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Shame on the Senate.

I am disgusted.

[freedom fighter jh]

2. Yes.

And every time I think I've accepted that Democrats do this stuff too, I'm shocked to find out that Democrats do this stuff too.

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. President Obama won't sign off on it... if we DEMAND he doesn't.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022555109

[freedom fighter jh]

6. You laugh.

Go ahead and laugh. Laughing is good for you.

But 350.org is truly trying to influence Pres. Obama that way. And one may dare to hope. Weeks after 12,000 protestors surrounded the White House back in November 2011 to demand no pipeline, President Obama sent the environmental impact statement back to the Dept. of State demanding a better route (through less sensitive territory) and consideration of climate change. In their new draft supplemental EIS, State did come up with a better route. And they took a ridiculous position on climate change, saying the tar sands will be mined anyway, so what difference will the pipeline make. But that document is a draft. Maybe it can be changed.

[PDJane]

4. This is heartbreaking.

Not only will it exacerbate global warming, it's a fine way to pollute whatever fresh water sources we have left...like the great lakes.

[freedom fighter jh]

8. Yes. And somehow all those senators miss that.

What planet are they on?

[Cali_Democrat]

5. The Keystone XL pipeline is nothing more than a project to line the pockets of the Koch brothers

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/02/koch-brothers-driving-keystone-xl-pipeline-from-canada-to-cut-out-venezuelan-oil.html

[lunasun]

7. This and Monsanto all in one month????

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/16598-focus-monsanto-protection-act-proves-corporations-more-powerful-than-government

[ProSense]

9. 350.org: Lead an action at your Senator's office

Bill's Response to the Senate Vote Today

Friends,

After a very chaotic week on Capitol Hill, I wanted to write you with an update on what just happened in the Senate today.

First and foremost: the oil industry's Senators did not manage to pass legislation that would force President Obama to build Keystone XL.

<...>

Now, this amounts to symbolic chest thumping by the oil industry: showing just how many Senators they can get to jump when told to. It's not the worst thing that could have happened, but it reminds everyone why, in one recent poll, congress had approval ratings lower than head lice and colonoscopies -- even on the symbolic stuff, they can't get it together to stand up to the oil industry guys cutting them checks.

In a certain way though, this vote couldn't come at a better time. Congress is going on break, and for the next two weeks, these 62 Senators will be back in their home states, doing things like meeting with constituents -- people like you.

Home states are where some of the most heroic work took place the last week -- in Minneapolis, say, where 150 350MN.org activists showed up on very short notice at Sen. Klobuchar's office in a snowstorm to tell her to vote no on Keystone (and she did, it should be added).

- more -

http://350.org/en/about/blogs/bills-response-senate-vote-today

Lead an action at your Senator's office
http://act.350.org/survey/kxl-senate-accountability-2013/

[freedom fighter jh]

11. 350.org is doing great work.

They have given a focus to the climate movement.

[msongs]

10. all that oil/gas if for EXPORT. our corporate enemies at work nt

[freedom fighter jh]

12. Yeah, I don't know what Americans get out of it

except pollution and risk of more pollution.

[lunasun]

13. They can't even prove it creates long term jobs lose lose no wins except to the 1%$

[autorank]

14. Thanks for posting. Demand freedom from "fossil fools!"

[autorank]

15. Kick for Konciousness;)