An estimated 35 to 50-thousand protestors gathered in Washington DC over the weekend for the "Forward on Climate" rally, making it the largest gathering on climate change thus far. Protestors urged President Obama to say 'No' to the Keystone XL pipeline, too. Ed's here with the truth on why action is so important. Watch.
Read an article, I believe in the NYT, about how Obama was going to "sell" the people on the Keystone Pipeline. It talked about the jobs it will create and the oil independance we will gain.
As far as jobs, the company building it has is own "traveling" crew, so there may be about 100 to 200 short term low paying, "grunt" jobs and the refinery will require highly "experianced" workers. And probably not that many. 80% of the Oil, if he cares to read the contract, is already scheduled to go to China.
The massive amounts of waster required for refining can't be returned to the ocean, but must be "buried in concrete bunckers it's so toxic. Nobody knows for how long. They have no idea how to clean up a spill. Tar sand oil is highly cprrosive and abrasive therefor requiring continued monitoring and maintanance of the pipeline. We did so well in Alaska didn't we?
There is a reason Canada will not allow the pipeline or reinery there.
Pat, Grand Lake Co
2/19/2013 8:57:41 PM
hundreds demonstrated in Denver. We must end this stupid race to the very depths of natural gas and oil and invest in clean wind and solar.
When I moved to Denver in 1984, the brown cloud was a scourge on the city. The EPA regulated auto emmissions and industry emmissions. Now, nearly 25 years later, Denver air is clean, most of the time. There is the occasional inversion, but nothing like it used to be.
Call me liberal, but I've seen more of my share of the heavy hand of government working for all the people and not just the 1 %.
linda, virginia
2/19/2013 5:52:32 PM
I just hear...David Axelrod will be a political analyst on both MSNBC and NBC.....A voice of reason just what we need more of.
linda, virginia
2/19/2013 5:39:27 PM
Off topic.....Do Mormons excommunicate? If they don't they should..they need to cut off Glen Beck.
linda, virginia
2/19/2013 3:25:36 PM
Ron.. I agree...they need to use their own land. There is not one thing in this plan that is good for us. We need more like Sheldon Whitehouse.
Linda S Houston
2/19/2013 1:44:38 PM
You only have to look at a few pics from China to see that total lack of environmental regulations on industry and automobiles has proven to be life threatening. Did you see the yellow air?? Had we not had the Rachel Carsons and the Che Guevaras we'd be sitting in a cesspool just like that on our freeways trying to get to work and home every day.
Yet the government saw them as the "enemy" even dangerous. The evidence lay right before them as early as the late 1940s and early 1950s. The toxic chemicals, the auto emissions, all of it. Species of wildlife was already becoming extinct. It took only a few decades for that to happen.
We can learn from our mistakes or we can go by the way of China.
Rob, Oregon
2/19/2013 10:34:53 AM
There is no doubt in my mind that the earth is talking, and man isn't listening. Beijing is so polluted, they are building pollution domes for schools and other structures to hide from the reality of the poisoned air outside. Of course, the wealthy are lining up to put one over THEIR house. Of all the things that can kill us off, mans arrogance for the planet we poison daily is moving more quickly up the list.
ron mariposa
2/19/2013 9:51:36 AM
typo it is first people get over it climate change happens...... maybe more but it is early here so sorry if you see more. I havent had a second cup of coffee yet..
ron mariposa
2/19/2013 9:48:53 AM
First people over it climate changes happens and has happened for millions of years, but with that said we have seen this natural event go crazy due to man's industrial revolution. More co in the air warms the planet, then melt the poles, the the atlantic and gulf stream is damaged and believe it or not we wont warm up but we will get colder. In the time of Dickens stories we were in what they call a mini ice age or the big chill becasue they speeded up the change with their emissions. We humans have be dumping more bad stuff in our air, our oceans, and on our lands than the people that came before us. So we can now expect worst weather conditions of all types from stroms to drought and then please toss in FIRE as we have been told if we in California we may have a bad fire season if we dont get more rain as we have fallen behind after what looked like a good wet winter season. We were told by the people who work in the forest that the trees and brush is so dry it would take up to five normal or above normal winters to get to normal for them. In January we had a 5 acre veg.fire and we had just had a small amount of snow and rain and everything was wet and the bush,trees, and grass was burning. The gop/tea baggers I feel believe in it but if they admit it they will be out as big oil and other industrial giants will cut off their donations and they will support other who will follow the kochs line.
As for the keystone pipeline look at the cornell labor study of it. 80% of the refinded tar sands will be exported, it will cross the largest water source in the mid-west, it will raise the price of fuel in the mid-west, and the present line leaks, and it will not use american materals and workers. No jobs here but in canada job growth and profits to a canadian company.So no to the keystone and if the canadian company wants a pipeline do it across their country and not ours.
