Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline by attending Public Meetings
Posted in Uncategorized on September 15th, 2011 by Robin Nelson – 1 Comment
I would like to invite you to join us in an effort to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The Keystone XL Pipeline will be built from the Tar Sands in Canada, across the US, down to Texas refineries. First Nations communities in Canada and Native American tribes along the pipeline route in the U.S. have demanded the destruction of their sacred lands cease. People impacted by the construction and the “state of the art technology” predicted to leak every seven years don’t want to see it built. People of color and the poor are at a significantly greater risk of health impacts from dirty fossil fuels, and are amongst the first to suffer from the impacts of climate change. Concerns about the Tar Sands Pipeline include the risky extraction methods, the dangers of the pipeline itself, and the long-term climate change consequences.
At the end of August, during a rolling 2 week protest at the White House, 1,253 people were arrested. UU World reported that 15 UUs were arrested on the designated interfaith day and we know that many more were arrested on other dates.
The decision to issue a permit for the Keystone XL is in President Obama’s court, and will probably be decided by the end of November. He alone must make the decision, although he will be advised by the State Department. Fortunately, congress doesn’t have anything to say about it.
We need your help. The State Department will be hosting a “Public Meeting following the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Keystone XL Pipeline.”
“All members of the public are welcome to attend the meetings and state their comments for the administrative record.” I am writing today to ask you, a UU, someone who understands the interconnected web of life, to go to one of these meetings and sign-in to speak for 3 minutes on why you, as a person of faith, oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The Public Meeting are in Port Arthur, TX; Topeka, KS; Glendive, MT; Lincoln, NE; Austin Texas; Pierre, SD; Atkinson, NE; and Midwest City, OK
Information from the State Department about the Public Meetings can be found at http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nsf?Open.
You can read about UU involvement in stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline at the Green Sanctuary blog at http://greensanctuary.blogs.uua.org/ and on the Inspired Faith, Effective Action blog at http://socialjustice.blogs.uua.org/ .
If you are willing to attend one of these meetings please contact Robin Nelson, UUA Environmental Stewardship Manager at Rnelson@uua.org. If would like additional information or help in preparing your comments or connecting with others to attend the meetings, please feel free to contact the UUA.
