Over the past two weeks it has been hard to ignore the headlines, especially for those within the environmental community, regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline.  Thousands of people from around the nation traveled to the nation’s capital to participate in an act of civil disobedience to help stop the building of this pipeline. Each day protesters are gathering in front of the White House to sit in protest hoping to encourage President Obama not to sign the agreement that would allow for the pipeline to be built in the United States.

The extension of the Keystone XL pipeline into the United States is a highly contentious issue for environmentalists in the United States. The pipeline would pump oil from the Alberta tar sands in Canada to oil refineries along the Gulf Coast cutting a path right through the nation’s heartland. Those who oppose the building of the pipeline are concerned about the potentially devastating environmental disasters that the pipeline could cause if constructed. Many critics also cite the tremendous increase in greenhouse gas emission that would come with building this pipeline. 

The pipeline cannot be built unless the State Department issues a presidential permit. This permit would deem the building of the pipeline to be in the national interest. However, the green light for building this pipeline cannot move forward until President Obama agrees to allow the State Department to issue a permit.  Protestors have gathered in a sign of solidarity in front of the White House to send the President a message that there are many out there who are willing to risk arrest in order to stop this pipeline. According to tarsandsaction.org almost 850 people have been arrested including Bill McKibben and Daryl Hannah.

We know that many of our member organizations have been working hard to raise awareness about the building of the pipeline and we are interested to hear about the work that you have been doing! Please share with us and our readers about what activities and actions you or your organization have been participating in or leading and how readers can learn more about your work.