As part of President Obama’s fundraising trip to Southern California, a crowd of over 300 activists greeted him in Santa Monica, calling for action on climate change, foremost by rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
Tar Sands
Tar sands, oil sands or, more technically, bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Tar sands are found mainly in Canada, but also in parts of Utah, Russia, and Venezuela. Mining, processing, transporting, refining and burning of tar sands has massive impacts to ecosystems, air and water quality, indigenous and marginalized communities, the global climate, and requires significant energy to break it down and ship it to the world. The movement of multinational oil companies toward this thick, heavy unconventional and hard to refine crude signals desperation, and with its significant impact on global greenhouse gas levels, presents a major threat to the stability of the world climate. WilderUtopia has partnered with Tar Sands Action Southern California to stop this deadly product from reaching global oil markets and heating the climate beyond tipping points.
Rep. Waxman To Deliver Forward on Climate LA Message to the President!
Recently, representatives from Forward on Climate Los Angeles visited Representative Henry Waxman (D – Los Angeles) to present a letter to President Obama calling for immediate action on climate change and the Keystone XL pipeline. Rep. Waxman, a warrior for the environment, promised to deliver the letter and fight for legislation to solve the climate crisis.
Media Resources: Forward on Climate Los Angeles
The Forward on Climate LA Solidarity March and Rally took place on February 17th, 2013, where more than 1,200 people supported by 101 Southern California organizations and businesses told Mr. Obama: “Solve the Climate Crisis, Take a stand, Mr. President!” Following is a media resource list from the event, including press, photography and videos. Let’s keep it moving forward to heal the climate and our planet!
A Word With My Congressman on Keystone – By Peter Jefferson Nichols
Dear Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, I received your letter in response to my earlier note imploring you to do all you can to prevent the completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Your words express your intent to do exactly the opposite of what I had asked. And to be frank, your words piss me off.
Keystone XL Pipeline: 40 SoCal Groups Call for Environmental Rethink
The State Department has issued a flawed environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that ignores its far-reaching impacts on climate and our environment. Tar Sands Action Southern California has prepared a commentary on behalf of 40 groups to be submitted to the State Department demanding a comprehensive reassessment of the significant and irreversible impacts on the environment not taken into account in the draft report released on March 1st. Make your comment by April 22nd!
Fees on Carbon in the Era of Trans-Pacific Partnership – By Peter Jefferson Nichols
The revenue generated from a Carbon Tax, which should really be called a fee, would be returned to the citizenry, either through reductions in taxes or monthly dividends. That money would offset any increase in the cost of gas at the pump and would off-set already exorbitant financial stress caused by carbon release (i.e. medical bills and (un)natural disaster relief).
Peter Jefferson Nichols: A NY Times Columnist’s Misguided Crusade
Joe Nocera in the New York Times believes Dr. James Hansen, because he is head of NASA’s Goddard Institute, should just shut up instead of participating in the anti-Keystone XL movement. Peter Jefferson Nichols argues this should be the role of any government scientist who recognizes the danger of passing climate tipping points, producing irreversible climate impacts.