President Obama, under the State Department's advisement, has rejected a bid from TransCanada to build a pipeline from Alberta's tar sands to refineries in Texas. Environmental groups have widely praised the president's decision, many--such as the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Friends of the Earth--have been protesting the Keystone XL pipeline since it was first proposed in 2009.
Opponents contend that the Keystone XL pipeline would be vulnerable to corrosion, and a break in the pipeline could contaminate drinking water in the Great Plains and in Texas and spoil wildlife habitats. There are also concerns that important so much of this "dirty" oil will put communities near refineries at greater risk of pulmonary diseases such as asthma and emphysema.
TransCanada has stated that it plans on reapplying for a permit, and the issue of the Keystone XL pipeline is likely to be hotly debated in this year's presidential election. There are also other ways to obtain and refine tar sands oil from Alberta, so the debate over whether and how Alberta's tar sands oil will come to the USA is far from over.
Pipelines Protesters will gather in a rally/march in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, January 24th, at noon. More details on our
news calendar.
Below is a collection of videos from nonprofit environmental groups protesting the KeystoneXL pipeline. If you know of any videos we've missed, please submit them in the comments below!
