The fossil fuel industry is slowly waking up to the new reality: the day for new, hugely expensive projects that exploit the tar sands are over. If allowed to proceed, these projects will lock in climate change and greatly increase the impact of global warming.
President Obama recognizes this obvious fact. In the near future he will reject The Keystone XL Pipeline Project . He will do it not just because it is the right decision, but also because the great majority of American people want fossil fuels emissions reduced globally. The American people will express their views at a public rally planned by US environmental organizations for February 17th next in Washington D.C.
In the words of the organizers: “The first step to putting our country on the path to addressing the climate crisis is for President Obama to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. His legacy as president will rest squarely on his response, resolve, and leadership in solving the climate crisis.”
We support the courage of the organizers, and trust that they will succeed.
Canadians must wake up to the consequences of this rejection. The fossil fuel industry will try to find a way to market tar sands bitumen without regard to the future devastation to the planet.
As if on cue, the industry, the Canadian Government, their public relations advisors and their media supporters are floating proposals to transport the tar sands oil clear across Canada to the East Coast, where it will be refined for export.
The Canadian motto is “Ad Mare usque Mare”, which translates “from sea to sea”. The fossil fuel industry appears ready to appropriate that motto for the benefit of tar sands exports.
