Keystone XL

Closer than ever to stopping Keystone XL; Hold Republicans accountable for forcing approval of Keystone XL


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Today the Environmental Protection Agency brought us one step closer to a rejection of Keystone XL.

They just weighed in on the State Department's analysis of the Keystone XL pipeline, and said that it would have a significant impact on the earth's climate -- which means, according to President Obama, that it's not in our national interest, and therefore must be rejected.

This is a big moment: now that the EPA has commented, President Obama is legally allowed to issue his final decision about Keystone XL. If he's listening to his own scientists, he should reject it outright.

In other words: the President could reject Keystone XL any day now.

This is exciting news that shows our strength. Can you share the word on Facebook so that folks you know start getting ready for the final decision? Click here to share on Facebook.


No matter what the President does, we need to be ready. Stopping Keystone XL would set a historic precedent, and perhaps signal the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel industry's grip on politics. We'll need to celebrate, but also renew our push to take on other fossil fuel projects with new energy and strength, and freeze new developments in their tracks.

But when dealing with Big Oil, there's always a chance they can sneak something through with one dirty trick or another. And so we need to be ready to step into the streets at a moment's notice, and think through plans to get to the pipeline route itself if construction is allowed to move forward.

Big agencies like the EPA are very risk averse. We wouldn't be at this point now if not for the persistence and strength of a grassroots movement insisting they take the climate impacts of the pipeline seriously. This is one more victory for us, the climate movement, along the path to stopping Keystone XL for good.

Thanks for pushing us this far. We're closer than ever.

Yesterday our friends in Canada did something important too: they delivered 100,000 comments to the National Energy Board demanding a full climate review of the proposed TransCanada Energy East tar sands pipeline. Touted as an alternative to Keystone XL, Energy East has sparked unyielding opposition from First Nations and communities along its route, and is now facing a difficult road to approval. There's no way Big Oil's tar is getting out -- through Keystone XL or any other pipeline.

See a photo from the delivery below:

Tell Republicans to drop their Keystone XL obsession

Petition to Republicans in Congress: "Republicans' obsession with Keystone XL is blatant political payback to oil billionaires. If you really want to create jobs, you should stop blocking proposed bills to fund transportation and promote energy efficiency and solar, which will create over a million more jobs than Keystone XL." Add your name:

Dear Don, Republicans in the House have announced they'll vote next week to pass the Republican Senate's first bill – forcing approval of the Keystone XL pipeline – even though the president has already declared he will veto it. But this could be just the beginning of the fight with Congress. The fact is, Republicans are obsessed with Keystone XL. Beyond reason. Beyond facts. They may be willing to hold funding for the entire government hostage to force approval of Keystone XL1 – even if President Obama and the State Department have already rejected it – and this damn-the-torpedoes effort on KXL could actually be successful. The only way to get them to back off is by building public pressure calling-out this strategy for what it is. Tell Republicans: Drop your reckless Keystone XL obsession. Click here to sign the petition. The facts speak for themselves: The Koch brothers likely spent more than anyone else to elect the Republican Senate,2 and the Koch brothers are also the largest non-Canadian leaseholder of Canadian tar sands, standing to reap billions off approval of Keystone XL.3 This Keystone XL bill was a blatant, direct payback.4 The Republican strategy relies on Americans not putting this together. Their talk of jobs and economic gain rings stunningly hollow when you realize they have been blocking bills on transportation funding, energy efficiency, and solar, which would create literally a million more jobs than Keystone XL. We know that Keystone XL fails the president’s climate test – the EPA just said so.5 Given the need for creating jobs and aggressive action to fight climate change, the Republicans’ support for Keystone XL isn’t just disingenuous, it’s dangerous and irresponsible. Tell Republicans: Support the American people, not oil billionaires. Drop your Keystone XL obsession. Click here to sign the petition. As brazen and callous as the Republican party is, they do occasionally crumble under public pressure. That was what put a stop to the Republican government shutdown in 2013. The majority of Americans oppose Congress going around the president and forcing a decision on Keystone XL. And the majority of Americans support action to fight climate change. So Republicans are vulnerable here. A final National Interest Determination from President Obama and the State Department could be coming soon – even in the next few weeks. The president said the pipeline would be approved only if it "does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution" – which the EPA clearly just said it did in its comment to the State Department. The decision is and always will be the President's, but if Congress keeps forcing the issue, the fight may not end there. If we can build enough public pressure, we can make the Republicans’ Keystone XL obsession too politically costly to continue. We plan to escalate our pressure in the months and weeks ahead if necessary. We can start building pressure by holding Republicans accountable for their Keystone XL bill, which literally put oil billionaires first. Click here to sign the petition. Thanks for fighting Keystone XL Elijah Zarlin, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: Andrew Restuccia, "Keystone on the brink: Congress scrambles to overcome Obama veto threat." Politico, January 7, 2015 Philip Bump, "The Koch brothers may spend $290 million on this election. That’s how much 5,270 American households make in a year." The Washington Post, June 17, 2014 Steven Mufson and Juliet Eilperin, "The biggest foreign lease holder in Canada’s oil sands isn’t Exxon Mobil or Chevron. It’s the Koch brothers." The Washington Post, March 20, 2014 Rebecca Leber, "The Kochs Are Already Getting What They Paid for in Congress" The New Republic, March 20, 2014 Ryan Koronowski, "The EPA Just Gave President Obama Cover To Reject The Keystone XL Pipeline" Think Progress, February 4, 2015

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