Pipelines Reborn: They're Back Thanks to Trump

The day after Donald J Trump fired the first salvos in his war against the EPA and others, he delivered on his promise to double down on fossil fuels with the approval of two pipelines. On Tuesday, January 24th, Trump signed Executive Orders that overturn the Obama administration's decision on the Keystone XL (KXL) and the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). This authorizes TransCanada Pipelines to move forward with the 1,179-mile KXL and Energy Transfer Partners can also proceed with the 1,172-mile DAPL.

This is a blow for environmentalists and indigenous people who had fought hard to shut down the KXL and DAPL. Keystone was killed by President Barack Obama after years of protests and DAPL was stalled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the face of massive protests by indigenous people led by the Standing Rock Sioux.

Keystone XL is Rejected Energy East to Follow

TransCanada's tar sands pipelines are being thwarted at every turn. US President Barack Obama has officially rejected the Keystone XL and the new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to cancel the Energy East.

Ahead of Obama's Rejection TransCanada Fails to Suspend Ruling on KXL

Shortly after President Obama announced that he would decide the fate of the Keystone XL before the end of his term, TransCanada pipelines submitted a request to suspend their application.

With good reason TransCanada believes that Obama will not rule in their favor. Now that the Iran crisis is behind him Obama will likely use the remainder of his term to focus on climate change.

Bernie Sander's Keystone XL Amendment in the Senate

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has introduced an amendment to the Keystone XL bill that will force Republicans to put their climate ignorance on public display. Republicans are hell-bent on pushing through legislation in support of the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline even if President Obama has vowed to veto it.

Here is Sander's succinct amendment:

It is the sense of Congress that Congress is in agreement with the opinion of virtually the entire worldwide scientific community that—

(1) climate change is real;

(2) climate change is caused by human activities;

Why the Keystone XL Pipedream Must Die Once and For All

The Republican preoccupation with the passage of the Keystone XL pipeline is emboldened by the Nebraska Supreme Court even though four of seven judges ruled the approval process was unconstitutional. No matter what happens in Congress the President has vowed to veto the legislation. As explained by White House spokesman Josh Earnest, "If the bill passes this Congress, the President won't sign it." Today, Tuesday January 13, a number of environmental groups are taking it one step further by staging rallies across North America to demand that Obama reject the pipeline once and for all.

Video - Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the Keystone XL

In this video Elizabeth Warren destroys the arguments in support of Keystone XL pipeline. Sen. Warren specifically dresses down Republicans who want to push through the pipeline. She explains that its benefits are for lobbyists and big business not the American people.

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Republicans trying to Force KXL on the White House

The 114th Republican led Congress begins today and you can be sure that moving forward with the Keystone XL pipeline will be at the top of their agenda.

However, the GOP is starting the year off on the defensive after it was discovered that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise attended a meeting of a white supremacists group founded by David Duke in 2002, Rep. Michael Grimm pleaded guilty to tax evasion and conservatives are trying to depose House Speaker John Boehner.

On Sunday, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) confirmed that a KXL bill will be the first to reach Obama's desk in 2015.

It may not be as easy to advance the KXL as some had hoped. Republicans appear unlikely to secure enough Democrats to get the 60 Senate votes required to override Presidential veto.

Keystone XL Loses Another Battle but the War Rages On

On Tuesday November 18th, the US Senate narrowly rejected a bill (2280) to speed approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The motion needed 60 votes in favour to pass. The bill failed after 59 senators voted in favour and 41 were against. Predictably, all 45 Senate Republicans voted in favour of the legislation alongside 14 Democrats and Independents. The pipeline was approved last week for the ninth time by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.

Republicans Keep Pushing Keystone XL Pipeline

Never let it be said that Republicans are not tenacious when it comes to their support for fossil fuels and knee-jerk opposition to President Obama. Republicans in Congress are trying yet again to force the President's hand on the Keystone XL pipeline. A motion was already passed in the House and another is expected today (November 18th) in the Senate.

The House of Representatives passed a measure Friday (November 14) that would force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline with a vote of 252 to 161. Nearly all Republicans voted for the bill, along with 31 Democrats. This is the ninth time the House has tried to push the President on the Keystone XL.

Republican Congress to Push the Keystone XL

Congress is trying to fast track the controversial Keystone XL project. A debate on the pipeline is scheduled to take place today (Friday, November 14)  in both the US House and the Senate. Both houses of the Republican led Congress are expected to approve the bill.

While the President has indicated he will veto the bill, there are steps that could be taken by the GOP to override his decision.

Obama Standing Up to the GOP by Promising to Veto Keystone XL Legislation

President Obama said that he will veto the GOPs efforts to push through the Keystone XL. He sees that the GOP is gunning for him and his climate agenda. Rather than backing down he is standing up to Big Oil and their Republican minions.

By standing up to Republican threats Obama is showing that he is a man of integrity and a true champion of the environment. The move is consistent with the President's promise that he will only allow the pipeline to be built if it, "doesn’t increase climate change."

Tar Sands Pipeline in Great Lakes Region Challenged by NWF

Enbridge has quietly secured approval from the US State Department to significantly increase its transport of Canadian tar sands into the Great Lakes region.

Enbridge will almost double the flow of tar sands oil transported in its Clipper Pipeline (aka Line 67).Enbridge's Clipper pipeline serves as the corridor between Alberta's tar sands and Line 6A.

The amount of heavy oil that will flow through the pipeline by 2015 is equivalent to the Keystone XL.

Reasons Why the Keystone XL is a Pipedream

The reasons why the Keystone XL pipeline will be rejected are increasingly convincing. Although there have been a lot of arguments proposed on both sides of the issue, certain factors have recently come to light that suggest the pipeline may never see the light of day.
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After a seemingly endless succession of arguments for and against the pipeline, some compelling reasons have emerged that suggest the Keystone XL (KXL) may not be completed after all. If it is completed, the KXL would ferry 825,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico.

The combination of protest, legal wrangling, an expired permit, President Obama’s climate initiatives, further regulations, harmful impacts, and market forces are making the road forward for the KXL much more difficult.

Keystone XL will Emit 4 Times More Pollution than Orginally Thought

According to a new study, the Keystone XL will produce four times the amount of carbon emissions predicted in the State Department's controversial report.

The data was published in a study from scientists at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). It was published on Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change. The new research suggests that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would increase greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 121 million tons of carbon per year. That is more that four times more that the figure of 30 million tons contained in the State Department report.

Video - Cowboys and Indians Come Together to Oppose the Keystone XL

On April 22nd, 2014, the Cowboy Indian Alliance rode into Washington, DC, set up eight tipis on the National Mall, blessed the encampment, and settled in for a week of resistance and protest against the Keystone XL pipeline.

The Cowboy Indian Alliance is an alliance of midwestern ranchers and tribal communities from along the pipeline's route that has come together to tell President Obama to reject KXL and protect their families, homes, and sacred lands.

Today, Saturday, April 26th, thousands of people will join them to stand together for a final message that the Keystone XL pipeline and the tar sands must be rejected — to protect this, and future generations.

For more information click here.

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The Politics of the Obama Administration's Keystone Delay

President Obama may be trying to avoid the political fallout associated with the Keystone XL by delaying a final decision until after the November 4 midterm elections.

On Friday April 18th, the State Department extended the review period for the pipeline.

If the President rejects the pipeline, this could help the Republicans to gain ground in the forthcoming congressional elections, if he he moves forward with the pipeline this could undermine the chances of some Democrats.

Obama's Top Aids and Democratic Donors Oppose the Keystone XL

President Obama's advisers and Democratic donors are part of the growing resistance to the Keystone XL pipeline. Those who oppose the pipeline now include business leaders, scientists, economists and people around the world. The chorus calling for the President to reject the Keystone XL is getting harder to ignore.

Video - Two Million Comments Rejecting the Keystone XL Pipeline

More than 2 million comments were delivered to President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry calling for rejection of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Although the decision to stop or proceed with the pipeline may be politically contentious, from an ecological point of view there really is no choice. The KXL will increase greenhouse house gases and expedite our already perilous trajectory. As those who delivered the comments on March 7th said, the KXL is not in the national interest and must be rejected.

Business Leaders, Scientists, Economists and Ordinary People Reject the Keystone XL

On March 7th 200 business leaders joined over 2 million people to tell President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Exactly one month later (April 7th) more than 100 scientists and economists sent a letter saying that the Keystone is not in the national interest and they further demanded that it must be stopped.

Not only will rejecting the pipeline send a powerful symbolic message, it will achieve the all important objective of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If it is allowed to go through, the keystone would ship 830,000 barrels per day of carbon intensive tar sands from Alberta to refineries on the US Gulf Coast. According to some scientific assessments if the tar sands are exploited to their full capacity this will mean "game over" for efforts to address climate change.

Video - A New Approach to Protest Against the KXL

In an effort to bring attention to the Keystone XL pipeline, in March protestors illuminated the night including Secretary of State John Kerry's office with a few of the 2 million messages opposing the KXL.