24 Hours to Stop Tar Sands Pipeline Approval

UPDATE: The Senate could vote today on a
plan to greenlight construction of the Canada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. 

As of Feb 14, 770,000 signatures have been gathered, exceeding the groups' goal of 500,000. Please add yours to the petition - see link at bottom of this article.

Read Robert Redford's editorial in the Huffington Post.

Last month, President Obama stood up to oil industry lobbyists and threats from Republicans by rejecting the permit for this dangerous pipeline.

The pipeline still hasn't had an economic or environmental review, but it is coming up for a vote, which many believe has a good chance of passing.

Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), along with 44 co-sponsors, introduced a bill (S 2041) that grants Congress the authority to approve the Keystone pipeline, without the President's approval.

It's also been attached to the Senate Transportation bill, where the GOP is trying to pass a drill, baby, drill bill which would pass the pipeline, open the Arctic National Refuge and all coasts to drilling.

Dozens of organization are joining to gather 500,000 signatures over the next 24 hours and deliver them to the Senate.

If you are on Facebook, click here to post the petition to your Wall.

If you have a Twitter account, click here to automatically tweet:

BREAKING: Senate is moving to approve Keystone XL. We have 24 Hours to stop them. Sign on here: http://bit.ly/y0ZN0S @SenatorReid

Sign the petition at the link at the bottom of this article.

Read about the pipeline if you aren't up to speed on this destructive project. Although proponents say it would create 20,000 jobs, the facts are closer to 5000 temporary jobs. It would carry the crude through the US to refineries on the Gulf coast, which would then export it. Tar sands oil produces three times the greenhouse gases as conventional oil.

Tar Sands Coming to Maine?

If the Senate approves the pipeline, there are plans for plenty more. Exxon and Enbridge have plans for a pipeline that would  travel from Canada, through Vermont, New Hampshire and then Maine, to the port of Portland - so they can export from there.

The pipeline they have in mind for Maine travels right along georgeous Sebago Lake, the major source of drinking water for the region.

I've been summering in this area my entire life - and walk that pipeline every day. The area is filled with native plants and wildflowers, not to mention animals.

The pipeline, which has been carrying crude oil for 62 years, would instead carry tar sands oil.

Tar sands oil, mixed with added chemicals would flow through the 62- year old single wall pipes. The caustic materials, which easily could leak through such old pipes would cross dozens of rivers and thread along many lakes.