TransCanada is playing poker with our lives!

Only a few days after President Obama’s announcement of delaying the decision of the Pipeline for 15 months, TransCanada announced that it would reroute the pipeline. One has to question the timing of this announcement. President Obama stated that one of the reasons that the decision was delayed was to take a hard look at the environmental impact the pipeline would have on the Ogallala aquifer, and stated that “ water contamination trumped a few thousand jobs.” Now with the rerouting of the pipeline, away from Nebraska, away from the aquifer, TransCanada is claiming victory. Both Nebraska democrats and republicans are supporting the rerouting of the line.

Many are calling it a victory for the company claiming that the environmental activists no longer have claims to protest the pipeline. This quick call to victory, underestimates the power of the environmental movement. TransCanada is assuming activists will move on to another dirty fossil fuel protest. They couldn’t be more wrong. Tar Sands removal is still environmentally destructive, it doesn’t create large numbers of jobs, and the threat to our climate and health, will not be just turned away because of a rerouting plan.

Rerouting the pipeline will still have the same destructive effects on the climate, no matter where it is placed. The pipeline will also have the same impact on people’s health in a spill area. The same pipeline will still destroy the Boreal forest.

TransCanada thinks they are holding the best hand in poker. Unfortunately they underestimated the environmental activists hand. We will return to D.C., we will demand an open and honest environmental impact statement. We are going to go all in, and we will win.

This is what democracy looks like!

“If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.” Chief Joseph

On November 6, 2011, people from all across the country, from all different backgrounds, came together to protest the Keystone Pipeline XL. There were over 12,000 people surrounding the White House, locking arms, standing together, to protect mother earth. It was a learning and emotional experience. 

It was a learning experience, I knew a great deal about the science of the tar sands project and its impact. But the biggest lesson I learned was that of civil disobedience and protesting. As a 19 year old, I read a great deal about protests and movements, but to actually take part in one, was incredible. Just a few months ago very few Americans new about the Tar Sands Pipeline. The actions of Bill McKibben and friends in August protesting and getting arrested in front of the White House, started the momentum. I remember when Bill was arrested, he said not to feel sympathy for him, but rather he was lonely sitting in the jail. In a short time more than 1200 people were arrested. The call was made, more people were needed, more action needed to be taken, and as a result a 12,000 people reminded President Obama, that we would end the tyranny of oil.

There were a multitude of speakers, from Naomi Klein, and Bill McKibben,  to NASA scientist James Hansen, and actor Mark Ruffalo to civil rights activist Dick Gregory. (Plus there were a few more) Each speaker brought a unique perspective to the protest, and motivated the crowd even more.

Originally, the creators of the event didn’t know if enough people would show up to encircle the White House. We did have enough, at some sections people were 3-4 lines deep. There were chants, songs and a sense of a true movement being born and coming to life.

It was an emotional experience for a couple of reasons. First, to see so many people of different colors, different gender, different religions all coming together for one reason was moving. Second, the aftermath of the protest brought great joy. The main street media covered the protest, and Chris Hayes from MSNBC dedicated a half hour of his show to the protest. I had just taken part in something that had changed our country’s direction. The President heard our message, he delayed the decision on the Keystone Pipeline for 15 months until after the election. In fifteen months, if another decision is to be made we will return to Washington to protest the pipeline again. We will make it bigger, and we will fight just as hard, because this is truly what democracy looks like.

It's around midnight on the bus, who needs sleep

It’s around midnight on the bus to Washington D.C. for the XL Pipeline Circle the White House action and I am so excited about protesting tomorrow—so ready. I have the fire in the belly burning and I still have 8 hours to go on this bus ride. I’m not the only one still awake; there’s a lot of talk going on in the back of the bus.

One discussion I had was with Ian, a fellow Unity Student. Some of the other students are asking me about the Tar Sands action because I’m working on a Tar Sands project for my New Media class this semester. We had an interesting discussion about our expectations for tomorrow—about how moving this nonviolent protest will be and about its effects. Some of the students, like Summer, are excited to protest—especially after going to protest occupy Augusta. Olivia said that she is very excited to see all the passion people are going to have to protect the environment. All the Unity Students are very excited to be joining thousands, who are passionate about the same cause, but one person stuck out to me who is not from Unity. His name was Julian.

Julian is a student who attends COA and is interested in environmental policy and effective nonviolent protesting in the United States. So we started to discuss about our passion why we are on this bus and why we are going to circle the White House tomorrow. This will be Julian’s first protest in the United States–he was telling me about protesting in Mexico and how he thinks it will be similar here. Julian feels that we the people are a piece of this puzzle.

It’s really cool to see how two different people from two different countries can come together and have a common passion and goal and be able to work for it. We are both very excited about the symbolism of circling The White House.

We all agree that it is hard to be heard alone but, being with 6000 people surrounding the White House we are optimistic and very excited about this great opportunity to have our voices be heard on such an issue at such a critical and strategic moment in history.