Tar Sands activists converge for White House Sit in

[SpiralHawk]

This is a HUGH issue that has by and large flown under the radar -- but this peaceful, nonviolent action, which will reportedly involve over 1,000 volunteers for Mass Arrest - may bring the issues to the table.

Web site to connect and help out, sign petition, etc.
http://www.tarsandsaction.org/invitation/

Beginning Aug. 20, 2011, in response to a Call to Action by Bill McKibben and other renowned environmentalists, thousands of climate activists will converge in Washington, DC. to take action, and many will risk arrest, in order to try and stop a disastrous development known as the Keystone XL Pipeline which would transport oil from the Alberta tar sands in Canada -- across the Heartland of America and the Ogalalla Aquifer - to refineries in Texas - from whence it will be sold to the HIGHEST BIDDER.

KEY ORGANIZERS
Maude Barlow – Chair, Council of Canadians
Wendell Berry – Author and Farmer
Tom Goldtooth – Director, Indigenous Environmental Network
Danny Glover – Actor
James Hansen – Climate Scientist
Wes Jackson – Agronomist, President of the Land Insitute
Naomi Klein – Author and Journalist
Bill McKibben – Writer and Environmentalist
George Poitras – Mikisew Cree Indigenous First Nation
Gus Speth – Environmental Lawyer and Activist
David Suzuki – Scientist, Environmentalist and Broadcaster
Joseph B. Uehlein – Labor organizer and environmentalist

[SpiralHawk]

1. Tar sands

[SpiralHawk]

2. The great stinking Pipeline that is planned for the tar

[jwirr]

8. This map does not show the pipeline that was just built across MN.

Is that the same project?

[SpiralHawk]

10. Nope. It's a new GIRNORMOUS clusterf*ck - Ultimate decision up to Hillary at State Dept.

[SpiralHawk]

3. Final kick - this thread is sinking beneath the reeking Tar Sands of Indifference

...which, if memory serves, are adjacent to Dante's "Slough of Despond."

[gratuitous]

19. That was Bunyan's Slough of Despond

The Pilgrim's Progress.

Anyway, I hope these Firebagging r-tards get the full measure of what's coming to them for their public criticism of our president while he's on vacation during war time.

[saras]

20. You mean the oil companies aren't responsible? Progressives are?

Wow. Between the oil multinationals wanting to do this, and the administration's broad and generous support of multinationals, I can't really see how ANY criticism of Obama will have ANY effect on this. Are you SURE it's not the gays' fault?

[gratuitous]

22. That's what I've heard

And the folks telling me that sounded pretty authoritative, so I have to believe them. I guess. Otherwise, I'm nothing more than some firebagging, McCain-preferring, pony-loving, dirty fucking hippie. And who wants that?

[SpiralHawk]

28. Oh yeah - tough to keep the sloughs thingy straight some days

Despond, paranoia, indolence, teabaggery, shiteatery and so forth

[Mnemosyne]

4. K&R

[Octafish]

5. More corn dog.

We need the filthy oil for War Inc chunka-chunka.
TFB if it hastens the ecological collapse.



Who runs Bartertown DC? Big Oil's toadies run Bartertown DC.

[SpiralHawk]

7. Corn Dogs for a Clean & Safe Planet Unite !

[Octafish]

9. What's on a man's mind?

Howl of the Wolf Movie...

[G_j]

6. K&R!

[SpiralHawk]

11. Senator Sanders statement on Tar Sands action

Senator Sanders: Tar Sands Action

Tar Sands Action
by Senator Bernie Sanders

Senator Bernie Sanders (Vt-I) offers his opinions on the Keystone XL Tar Sands pipeline.

We need to move aggressively as a nation toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy to reduce carbon pollution, reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, and create good jobs here in the United States.

Big Oil, with record profits of $1 trillion for the top five oil companies over the last decade, is trying to keep us hooked on oil, even using tobacco industry tactics to confuse the public about global warming.

The science is clear however. The U.S. Global Change Research Program, which includes top scientists at the Departments of Defense, Health, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Commerce, Interior, State, as well as NASA, the EPA, and the National Science Foundation, has stated that “warming of the climate is unequivocal…due primarily to human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases…mainly from the burning of fossil fuels.” We have a national and global imperative to move away from fossil fuels, which pollute our air, imperil our planet, enrich hugely profitable corporations, and make America less secure.

That is why I am disturbed by a proposal to build the Keystone XL pipeline, which could carry as much as 900,000 barrels of dirty tar sands oil across America from Canada every day.

It is not just the safety concerns, and those are clear from the BP oil disaster in the Gulf, and more recent pipeline spills in Montana and Michigan. It is the fact that we have better choices for our families, our environment, and our economy.

Building this pipeline will keep America addicted to oil, and while it might be a good deal for Koch Industries, which supplies and refines large volumes of Canadian tar sands oil, it is a bad deal for America.

This pipeline would lock in a larger market for higher-priced tar sands oil, which emits up to 82 percent more carbon pollution than conventional oil according to EPA. According to NASA scientists James Hansen, if we exploit tar sands resources aggressively, we could increase carbon dioxide concentrations by more than 50 percent from today’s levels. This would make it essentially impossible, according to Hansen, for us to stabilize and reduce carbon dioxide concentrations enough to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

We should say no to Big Oil, and instead say yes to stronger fuel economy standards. President Obama should be commended for increasing fuel standards for cars and light trucks to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

Now we have learned his Administration has an agreement with automakers to move to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. While not as aggressive as what the European Union is doing, this is a major step forward.

In fact, moving to 54.5 miles per gallon will save consumers up to $7,000 in fuel costs over the life of a new vehicle, and will reduce our nation’s oil consumption by 2.5 million barrels per day in 2030 according to a report by Securing America’s Energy Future.

To put that in context, in that same year, 2030, we are projected to import 2.35 million barrels per day from the new Keystone XL pipeline, the Persian Gulf, and the Middle East, combined. In other words, these stronger fuel economy standards alone will eliminate the need for the Keystone XL pipeline, and completely eliminate our dependence on Middle East and Persian Gulf oil.

The United Auto Workers estimate we can create tens of thousands of new jobs building these more efficient cars. Better fuel economy standards are a win for consumers, workers, the environment, and energy security.

The rest... http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/17/1007894/-Tar-Sands-Action

[Octafish]

12. Imagine if Jimmy Carter had continued his alternative energy leadership.

We'd have all that today.

But, no. Big Oil had to have its way.

Again.

[SpiralHawk]

13. Yup. We already knew in the 1970s what is in our faces today. But Republicons blocked

every possible advance toward sustainable non-polluting energy, and doled out billions upon billions of our tax dollars to buck up their stanky oil cronies and help them keep their ugly MONOPOLIES on energy.

There you have it. Republicon greed & FAIL caused the massive energy bufflef*ck of today, and is now leading to the freaking nightmare of fracking and the massive Earth Rape of the Tar Sands -- not to mention the endangerment of America's most essential and valuable aquifer.

[SpiralHawk]

14. Stop the cancers. Stop the Tar Sands.

[H2O Man]

15. Recommended.

I have friends going.

[sabrina 1]

16. Thank you, I had not heard of this.

:kick:

[SpiralHawk]

17. Perhaps the corporate media (R) will give it a few moments this weekend

...but then again, it serves their interests to FAIL to report to the American people about this massive corporate clusterf*ck of Canada, the USA, and the environment...

[sabrina 1]

24. I would be surprised if they did. I don't watch them much anyhow

preferring to get news online, and I do watch Current now that I realized we get it. And RT for a different perspective and because they have Thom Hartmann and Max Keiser on their lineup, two people our MSM would never give a voice to.

[slipslidingaway]

18. kicking this for later - thanks n/t

[dana_b]

21. thanks for bringing this

to our attention. I sometimes wish that I lived closer to the east coast.

[laundry_queen]

23. I'm going to K&R

Unfortunately, I don't think much will come out of this. I live in Alberta. The oil boom has supplied many WELL paying jobs in this province and people here are defensive about it. In this economy, government is not going to do a damn thing about the tar sands. Corporations have some control here in Canada too unfortunately. Nice to see some famous names on there. Good luck to everyone!

[dana_b]

25. this is happening right now in front of the White House

arrests are happening and action protestors are being bused in. Twitter @TarSandsAction

[amborin]

26. let's see how Obama votes on this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1772862

[Pooka Fey]

27. K&R