Interesting 24 hours. Exxon Subpoena’d. Now this.
In response to the news that the White House has made the decision to deny TransCanada’s application to build the Keystone XL pipeline, marking the first time in history a world leader has turned down a major infrastructure project because of its impact on the climate, 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben issued the following statement:
“President Obama is the first world leader to reject a project because of its effect on the climate. That gives him new stature as an environmental leader, and it eloquently confirms the five years and millions of hours of work that people of every kind put into this fight. We’re still awfully sad about Keystone south and are well aware that the next president could undo all this, but this is a day of celebration.”
350.org Executive Director May Boeve added:
“This is a big win. President Obama’s decision to reject Keystone XL because of its impact on the climate is nothing short of historic — and sets an important precedent that should send shockwaves through the fossil fuel industry.
“Just a few years ago, insiders and experts wrote us off and assured the world Keystone XL would be built by the end of 2011. Together, ranchers, tribal nations, and everyday people beat this project back, reminding the world that Big Oil isn’t invincible–and that organized people can win over organized money.
But the win against Keystone XL is just the beginning, because this fight has helped inspire resistance to a thousand other projects. Everywhere you look, people are shutting down fracking wells, stopping coal export facilities, and challenging new pipelines. If Big Oil thinks that after Keystone XL the protesters are going home, they’re going to be sorely surprised. Today in Canada, dozens of people are risking arrest at Prime Minister Trudeau’s residence as part of the ‘Climate Welcome’ action to urge him to put an immediate freeze to tar sand expansion.
“More than anything, though, today’s decision affirms the power of social movements to enact political change, and a clear sign that our movement is stronger than ever. We’re looking to build on this victory, and show that if it’s wrong to build Keystone XL because of its impact on our climate, it’s wrong to build any new fossil fuel infrastructure, period. With the same broad coalition that stood up against this pipeline and took to the streets during the People’s Climate March, we’re better positioned than ever before to make real climate policy a top priority for the U.S. government and achieve meaningful progress in this year’s climate talks. Our movement simply will not rest until our economy shifts away from the dirty fossil fuels of yesterday to the clean renewables of tomorrow.”
Largely symbolic
Little impact
“Overinflated role”
“Not express lane to climate disaster”
Symbolic step
Construction…would have little impact
New submission…could yield a different outcome
Decision. .pales in import
The above words, by the Exxon slaves at The New York Times and (in quotes) a little known denier lawyer called B. Obama.
OmnoMoron misses the point—-AGAIN!
it seems the “point” is only known by three or four people on the planet
Is claiming to be among the few who know the point an argument ad providentiam?
Ah, Charles brings up what is perhaps Omno’s greatest display of ignorance and mindless denial of AGW—-the infamous “argument ad providentiam” craziness that Omno applied to AGW a few years ago.
Omno’s “thoughts” there are really more in the nature of reductio ad absurdum, and Omno has the distinction of being the ONLY human being on the planet who understands his logic, although a few deniers do agree with him because they too are ignorant and mindless.
As usual, the only “point” in Omno’s maundering is the one on top of his head, and that IS a plus for him, because it keeps his dunce cap from blowing off in high winds.
No Charles. Everybody apart from McKibben and Dumbold knows there’s no real tangible point in Obama’s announcement.
In fact the “point” hasn’t been explained by McK or Dumboldguy either. Peter hopes it’s “just the beginning”. Waking up in the morning is just the beginning too, for Usain Bolt towards winning the 100m at the Olympics. For countless others, it’s just the beginning of something else.
The nyt repeated ad nauseam the fact that there’s little impact.
McK talks of “new stature” but it’s all fluff and empty air -Obama’s stature was immense in Copenhagen.
If Keystone is what makes you people happy, I’ll be happy too, because there’s nothing easier than an ineffectual opponent.
Big projects consist of many small tasks.
We’re opponents? What are you fighting for?