Sign Petition to Oppose Increase in Flow of Tar Sands Oil

From Interfaith Power and Light (http://interfaithpowerandlight.org):

Enbridge, the company behind the worst onshore oil spill in American history, is back. This time, they’re trying to double the amount of tar sands oil coming to the U.S. on the Alberta Clipper pipeline. Sign the petition to oppose this dangerous, climate-altering proposal at http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50836/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=21160.

The State Department, under former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, has claimed that this huge expansion won’t harm our environment or climate. But they don’t get to make that decision alone: the State Department is required to consider input from the public. There will be a public hearing Tuesday in Minnesota, and our MN IPL leaders will be there to deliver a strong message of opposition from people of faith. Sign your name to oppose this irresponsible proposal which threatens Creation.

The Alberta Clipper pipeline already pumps 450,000 barrels of tar sands crude from Canada over major rivers, pristine natural habitat, and tribal lands. Enbridge wants to double that capacity by pumping more oil through the same pipes, greatly increasing the risk of toxic leaks due to high pressure.

Tell the State Department: we should be working to reduce the flow of dangerous tar sands oil into this country, not opening the floodgates.

Tar sands oil is one of the most destructive sources of fuel in the world. Oil companies have dug up tens of thousands of acres of pristine boreal forests and wetlands to extract it, leaving behind a heartbreaking wasteland of strip mines and ponds of toxic waste.

We’ve seen the cost of giving Big Oil the benefit of the doubt when it comes to pipelines—Enbridge has been responsible for more that 800 spills since 1999, including a devastating rupture in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which dumped 843,000 gallons of crude into Michigan’s waterways and exposed residents to toxic chemicals. The cleanup cost over a billion dollars and took years. The Alberta Clipper has already been shut down because of a spill—imagine how much worse it would be with twice the oil!

Dirty tar sands are an unethical and dangerous source of energy. Instead of being a rubber-stamp for Big Oil, the State Department should be protecting Americans’ health and promoting clean air, clean water, and clean energy.

Please add your name to the petition stating your opposition to this terrible proposal. 

For our own health and to ensure a healthy future for our children, we must rein in oil and gas pollution and move rapidly to clean energy alternatives.