FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 31 January 2014

Contacts:
Stephen Kretzmann, steve@priceofoil.org
Lorne Stockman, lorne@priceofoil.org
David Turnbull, david@priceofoil.org

State Department admits Keystone XL could equal 5.7 million cars
Response to State Department’s release of Keystone XL environmental impact statement

In response to the release, Stephen Kretzmann, Executive Director of Oil Change International, released the following statement:

“The State Department’s review, written by Big Oil’s cronies, presents a fatalistic view of a future devastated by extreme and catastrophic climate change. But we, and millions of Americans, know there is a different way.

This report assumes business as usual, which is not surprising for an industry-written report. Despite that, the report concedes that the emissions impact could be “1.3 to 27.4 MMTCO2e annually,”[1] equivalent to as many as 5.7 million new cars.

5.7 million new cars is clearly a significant increase in carbon emissions.

There’s a new scenario we’re seeing grow stronger every day, one of concerned citizens rising up and saying no to Big Oil wrecking our communities and our climate. As recently as two years ago no one in Washington thought this pipeline could be stopped. Importantly, this report also concedes that other pipelines, such as the Northern Gateway, are looking less likely because of strong opposition.

The President says he understands climate and is committed to acting in the interests of posterity and not big donors. That means rejecting Keystone XL, plain and simple. The President and Secretary of State Kerry have all the information they need to reject this pipeline.

As a new phase of public comments begins, we know the President will be hearing loud and clear that this report is an artifact of a corrupt process, and the pipeline is a disaster for our climate, our communities, and our future.”

[1] Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL Project Executive Summary, January 2014, page 15 http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/221135.pdf

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8 Comments

  • Don’t make this further investment in dirty fossil fuel, unless you don’t give a damn about our children and grandchildren’s lives on this planet!

  • A report written by oil industry insiders can’t be trusted. We need to move away from dirty tar sands and push for cleaner energy. Protect our environment while it’s still possible!

  • FIGHT BACK – CALL AND EMAIL THE STATE DEPARTMENT. CALL AND EMAIL THE WHITE HOUSE. SIGN THE KXL PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE.

    1.) The KXL Pledge of Resistance gives you many options – anywhere from calling and writing letters to engaging in civil disobedience. Please sign and mark your comfort level. The Pledge right now has 76,751 signatures – we need many more.

    2.) STATE DEPARTMENT – contacts – submit comments via link or call
    http://contact-us.state.gov/app/ask/session/L3RpbWUvMTM5MTIwMDk3My9zaWQvd3BuUWJOTGw%3D

    Main Switchboard:

    202-647-4000

    3.) White House
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
    PHONE NUMBERS
    Comments: 202-456-1111

    Switchboard: 202-456-1414

  • When they say 5.7 million new cars, they don’t mean Priuses, I’ll bet. So with that kind of environmental impact in the area of the pipeline, saying “NO!” should be a no brainer.

    Add to that that the oil in that pipeline is not even going to be sold here in the US and we are thus suffering for somebody else’s oil as well as somebody else’s profits (last I heard, the companies shipping and selling the oil were not US companies) and that should double the motivation to say “NO!”

  • There is NOTHING good about the Keystone XL and allowing Canadian tar sands to cross the border and flow across the US. The profit of the few is NOT worth destroying the earth and endangering US citizens.

  • Haven’t we learned anything after witnessing the Gulf oil spill, the Valdez spill, the spill in Alabama, etc., etc., etc. How many spills does BIG OIL corps. think are acceptable? How do they sleep at night (other than on a big pile of $).? How many times are they going to be allowed to rape Mother Earth just to increase their profits ? Do they care about nature at all? Who’s going to benefit from this after the oil and gas fields are empty ? “Only after the last river is polluted, the last tree cut down, the last fish killed, will they realize, they can’t eat money !” Sincerely, Michael Harrell

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