Harper Govt Makes Moves to Silence Canada's Leading Environmental Groups. Home Page Title: Harper Govt.
Moves to Silence Environmental Groups Environmental organizations that oppose tar sands expansion have become the subject of rigorous audits that could force some to shut their doors. Environmental activists reeling as Keystone pipeline gains momentum - The Hill's E2-Wire. Green groups are reeling after the release of a draft State Department report that seemed to put the Keystone XL oil pipeline on track for approval.
Opponents of Keystone are furious at State’s environmental assessment of the project, which brushed aside of one of their central arguments against it: namely, that it would exacerbate clime change by expanding the use of oil sands. “The State Department’s conclusions are so off-base that they’re borderline absurd,” Daniel Kessler, a spokesman with climate group 350.org, told The Hill.Environmental groups vowed they would continue to pressure President Obama to kill the pipeline, but acknowledged the blow that Friday’s report delivered to their cause. The State Department’s report found that the Canada-to-Texas pipeline would have little effect on accelerating oil sands production and climate change.
The assessment is not final, but could indicate the arguments in favor of the pipeline are winning the day within the administration. Arrests in Washington Signal Increasing Urgency on Keystone Pipeline by Chris Francis. Forty-eight leaders of environmentalist groups such as the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and 350.org were arrested today while participating in civil disobedience.
They were demanding that President Barack Obama stop construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. posted Feb 13, 2013 Leaders of environmentalist organizations engage in civil disobedience in front of the White House. Photo by Christine Irvine.