At the bidding of the deep-pocketed oil and gas industry, congressional Republicans attached a rider to must-pass tax and benefits legislation in late 2011 that forces President Obama to make a decision on the destructive Keystone XL pipeline by Feb. 21.

The Keystone XL pipeline would span 1,700 miles and transport one of the world's dirtiest fossil fuels: tar sands oil.Just the method of extracting oil from tar sands is devastating Canada's boreal forest and wetlands that serve as breeding grounds for migratory birds.

A spill along the route, which crosses the Missouri, Yellowstone, Platte and many other rivers, would devastate water supplies, wildlife and public health. The world's leading climate scientists warn we cannot burn enormously greenhouse-gas-intensive tar sands oil and maintain a safe climate.

President Obama vowed to end our addiction to oil -- tell Obama to keep his promise and reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

SUBJECT: Please reject the Keystone XL pipeline

Dear President Obama,

I strongly oppose the Keystone XL pipeline and urge you to reject TransCanada’s application for a permit to build it.

Canada’s tar-sands development is one of the most destructive and dangerous activities on Earth. Extracting oil from Canada’s tar sands destroys boreal forest and wetlands where migratory birds breed; burning that oil will create massive global warming pollution, taking us further along the road to devastating climate damage.

The proposed pipeline would cross U.S. waters -- rivers, wetlands, agricultural and drinking-water sources and wildlife habitat. An earlier Keystone pipeline has already spilled 14 times since 2010; the Keystone XL pipeline is certain to spill as well. The risks of approving the Keystone XL pipeline are simply too great.

Please reject the Keystone XL permit and begin a transition to the real clean-energy future.