America does not want the Keystone Pipeline!
- by: Americans for a Clean Environment and Clean Politics
- recipient: Speaker of the House John Boehner and Members of Congress
President Obama, after listening to experts and receiving tens of thousands of signatures on petitions against the proposed Keystone pipeline. prudently declined to allow the pipeline until more critical studies have been completed. The Keystone XL pipeline would carry tar sands oil straight across the Canadian border from Alberta and across the width of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico.
If built, this pipeline would pollute our air and water, contribute to climate change, and lock us into decades of further dependence on oil.
Now, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said on Sunday that he may block an extension of the payroll tax holiday if President Barack Obama does not approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Tell Speaker Boehner that you oppose this pipeline and he should not hold any critical tax measures hostage as a way to sidestep the voice of the people, and the voice of the White House. We urge you to include your own stories about why fighting climate change is important to you, your family and your community. We also urge you to voice your concern about the hostage-taking of other legislation as a political gameplay. Rep. Boehner and Congress must do the honorable thing at all times.
I am writing to express my deep concern about the proposed TransCanada Keystone Pipeline. If built, this pipeline would pollute our air and water, contribute to climate change, and lock us in to decades of further dependence on oil.
Further, I also protest the method of holding key legislation hostage in an effort to sneak around President Obama's researched opinion and the opinion of tens of thousand of people who have already signed petitions to protest this pipeline. This is sneaky politics, and beneath the dignity of your office.
This pipeline will transport oil extracted from tar sands, one of the dirtiest sources of energy in the world, across America's heartland. This pipeline will carry dirty fuels that contribute to climate change even more than conventional oil. According to the most recent analysis used in your Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, the greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands will be 17% higher than lighter crude over the life cycle of the fuels. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that a warming climate will mean devastating consequences for the global economy and human welfare.
We do have a choice. Instead of building a pipeline across America that will harm our environment and endanger our future, we can invest in clean energy solutions that are available today. New vehicles with better gas mileage are already using less oil and saving consumers money at the gas pump. I know your administration is committed to addressing the climate crisis and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. With the next generation of vehicles and other clean energy technologies, we can reduce pollution, create millions of new jobs, and end our reliance on oil. No matter what, the impacts this pipeline would have on our climate are too clear and too strong to ignore.
Because of the devastating impacts of the pipeline that are detailed in your Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to attach this Pipeline proposal to any key legislation irrelevant to the pipeline itself. I ask that you also re-consider ever making such a critical decision as a political weapon.
Sincerely,
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