Obama Tells Keystone Foes He Will Unveil Climate Measures

[xchrom]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-13/obama-tells-keystone-foes-he-will-unveil-climate-measures.html

With his administration under pressure from environmentalists to reject the Keystone XL pipeline project, President Barack Obama plans to unveil a package of separate actions next month focused on curbing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

At closed-door fundraisers held over the past few weeks, the president has been telling Democratic party donors that he will unveil new climate proposals in July, according to people who have attended the events or been briefed.

Obama’s promise frequently comes in response to pleas from donors to reject TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s proposed Keystone XL project, a $5.3 billion pipeline that would carry tar-sands oil from Canada to U.S. refineries. Opponents of the pipeline say it would increase greenhouse-gas emissions by encouraging use of the tar sands.

While Obama has not detailed the specifics of his plan to the donors, pipeline opponents anticipate the package will include a plan from the Environmental Protection Agency to issue final rules to limit greenhouse-gas emissions from new power plants. In April, the EPA delayed issuing the rule after the electric-power industry objected on legal and technical grounds. Since then, the agency has been rewriting the rule to address those concerns.

[hatrack]

1. And then they'll rewrite, and then delay, and then rewrite, and then delay . . .

Keystone, however, will likely face no such obstacles.

[xchrom]

2. they keep on building sections of the pipeline

and there hasn't even been any 'approval'.

[FogerRox]

4. Approval needed to cross border with Canada with KXL

Obviously, not the border from Texas & Oklahoma.

[wtmusic]

3. Ah, "separate actions".

Actions which wouldn't threaten his multi-million petroleum industry sugar drip.

This is truly disgusting.

[FogerRox]

5. Will Obama propose a trade? Major solar and wind initiatives for KXL approval

choke............... cough.........

[wtmusic]

6. A trade would defeat the purpose.

Apparently he doesn't care what kind of hellhole Sasha and Malia, and their kids, have to live in.

[FogerRox]

7. Agreed, but that "trail ballon" has been floated.

[FogerRox]

8. The other one I read was a trade, KXL for a carbon tax

[wtmusic]

9. I don't get the basis for any kind of "trade".

It's like saying, "I'll stop shooting missiles at citizens in Pakistan, if you let me keep killing them in Afghanistan."

[hatrack]

10. Yes, and I'm sure the GOP in the House will go along with this plan . . .

. . . especially if the counter-offer has the word "tax" attached to it.

Pathetic.

[grntuscarora]

11. If he approves the KXL,

it's hardly going to be the end of the story, just the start of a really interesting new chapter. If Mr. President thinks Pipeline opponents will quietly pack up their tents and go home once he gives the KXL greenlight, with heads hanging sheepishly, then he is ridiculously out of touch with the activists working on this issue, imo.

But perhaps he'll do the right thing. Or, perhaps I'm wrong and KXL opposition will crumble. (But I don't think so.)

[octoberlib]

12. TransCanada and the Feds are labeling peaceful protestors as terrorists

In the midst of recent national controversy surrounding government surveillance of the public, a recent Freedom of Information Act request to the Nebraska State Patrol has exposed evidence that TransCanada provided training to federal agents and local Nebraska police to suppress nonviolent activists protesting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by arresting them on “anti-terrorism statutes.” The presentation slides, obtained by grassroots landowner advocacy group Bold Nebraska, target Tar Sands Blockade activists by name.

“This is clear evidence of the collusion between TransCanada and the federal government assisting local police to unlawfully monitor and harass political protestors,” said Lauren Regan, legal coordinator for Tar Sands Blockade and executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center. “These documents expose the truth that the government is giving the nod to unlawful corporate spying. By slinging false allegations against peaceful activists in this presentation, TransCanada puts them at risk of unwarranted prosecution.”

Although TransCanada’s presentation to authorities contains information about property destruction, sabotage and booby traps, police in Texas and Oklahoma have never alleged, accused or charged Tar Sands Blockade activists of any such behaviors. Since August 2012, Tar Sands Blockade has carried out dozens of successful nonviolent direct actions to physically halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in Texas and Oklahoma. All of these acts, as well as every pipeline protest in Nebraska, have maintained strict commitments to nonviolence.

http://ecowatch.com/2013/transcanada-caught-training-police-nonviolent-keystone-xl-protesters-terrorists/



So much for the 1st amendment