With over 700 people arrested so far in the Keystone XL tar sands action taking place at the Obama White House, and widespread distrust and criticism of the State Department's final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), this is a critical moment in the fight against a disastrous proposal to build a tar sands pipeline between Alberta and oil refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Given the scientific certainty that tar sands oil is a recklessly dirty form of energy - as well as fresh evidence from Oil Change International debunking the claims that increasing our dependence on Canadian oil would be helpful for U.S. national security - it should be a no brainer for the Obama administration to say no to TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline.
But powerful oil industry lobbying, as well as pressure from the Canadian government, seem to have deflated and cast aside this administration's stated commitments to science-based decisionmaking. Rather than working to transition the nation to a clean energy future now, an Obama administration approval of Keystone XL would further solidify our dirty fossil fuel addiction.
To highlight the influence of oil industry lobbyists over Hillary Clinton's State Department and its unscientific review of TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline proposal, DeSmogBlog presents a video animation created by artist Mark Fiore, depicting the not-so-far-fetched "State Department Oil Services" led by Hillary Clinton:
Visit DeSmogBlog's Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Action Page for more information.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
TransCanada, the multinational corporation hoping to build the controversial northern half of the Keystone XL pipeline, spent over $280,000 on lobbying the U.S. government in the first quarter (Q1) of 2013, according to lobbying disclosure records.
In addition to the ...
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Good video. Yes, it's a sad
Good video.
Yes, it's a sad state of affairs. The Democrats have become a center-right party & the Republicans have moved from center-right to far right.
The same phenomenon is being experienced here in Australia.
Governments are going to be
Governments are going to be under pressure to deliver economic good news.
If there seems to be a drift to the right, its all about improving economic conditions. At some point governments are going to have say borrowing is over - we have to balance budgets.
That will seem right wing but in the end borrowing on top of borrowing is always a precursor to slavery of some sort
Economics trump political leanings.
"Governments are going to be
"Governments are going to be under pressure to deliver economic good news."
Of course. When has there been a time when people have expected or wished for bad economic news?
"If there seems to be a drift to the right, its all about improving economic conditions."
IMO it has more to do with the MSM & the perception they feed the public.
"At some point governments are going to have say borrowing is over - we have to balance budgets."
Like when Democrats are in, but not when Republicans are in right? Like when GWB borrowed the first $700B? Where was the belt tightening & political will to stop borrowing & just stop spending on stupid things like 1 Trillion a year on the military,who is 6 times larger than it's nearest competitor back then?
Where was the fury of the TEA party back then when a Republican was in charge & taxes & spending was exactly the same?
"Economics trump political leanings."
I agree. Take Germany for an example, where the Conservative Government led by Angela Merkel has now got Germany to the stage where it is using 20% of it's energy from renewable s & plan for 35% in 9 years.
http://www.grist.org/renewable-energy/2011-08-31-germany-sets-renewables-record
Germany is the power house of the EU, it is the member bailing out the other democratic capitalist countries & it has a carbon tax & a clean tech vision. What ever happened to economic doom under clean tech eh?
While I understand the
While I understand the Desmogblog focus on the XL pipeline because it is that 'one big issue' to rally around, I think it's a forgone conclusion at this point, no? Better to go after the fracking issue at this point, imo.
Hillary
Hillary is A corporate Democrat- just like Bill, just like Barack
If progressives in the future want another FDR, Truman, JFK, LBJ look far afield then anyone like the aforementioned.
"Hillary is A corporate
"Hillary is A corporate Democrat- just like Bill, just like Barack"
Yes, it appears that way. They have lost their way. But at the same time, they are up against the most powerful corporations in the world, who can spend their own private money lobbying & at the same time white anting. The military industrial complex is also an issue.
People like Ron Paul are getting some real traction & appealing to the general public. Many Democrats, Republicans & Libertarian voters like him.
Ron frequently talks about the elephant in the room, the military industrial complex & how it should be wound back to defend it's own soil & that it shouldn't be stretched so far or concerned with Iran.
On the surface of things, this is very appealing talk & popular. But underneath that, the Republicans & Democrats know it is a massive employer. The aircraft makers, ship makers, tank makers, steel makers, bomb makers, gun makers, the boots, badges, uniforms, laundry, cleaning etc etc All employs millions of people.
It would be political suicide during times of high unemployment to go to a bomb factory that employs 2000 people & say "great news! War is bad, we are going to bring back the troops & errr, you no longer have jobs!! Now get excited!!"
You can guarantee that it would be the last term for the senator in that seat. It would be good federally & save the USA a fortune , plus help to pay back the debt. But on a local level, it would be a brave politician to advocate this indeed.
Likewise, the Democrats were never going to win over Republican safe seats with pro mining/fossil fuel policies anyway. Sure they will get some job creation & revenue, but it's short term gain for long term pain.