Writing XL Public Comments: Focus on Obama's Test of Carbon Pollution & Climate Change Impacts

[ProSense]

Writing XL Public Comments: Focus on Obama's Test of Carbon Pollution & Climate Change Impacts

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

Writing public comments in opposition to the presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline is as easy as posting comments at Daily Kos. But submitting public comments is activists' opportunity to make our voices heard directly to the White House without the interference of media, lobbyists or the GOP. We have until March 7 to express our views on what should be the outcome of the president's "National Interest Determination (NID)," that is, on whether or not building the big tar sands pipeline is in the interest of the United States.

Public comments make a difference. The vast number of prior public comments on the earlier drafts of the environmental impact statement for Keystone raised issues that President Obama and the State Department cited when delaying a decision on whether to move ahead with the NID as well as extending the time for completion of the process. Public controversy, as demonstrated by the number of comments opposing the XL, can be a key factor in this process.

Previously, the State Department, citing issues raised in public comments, stated it needed more information before proceeding with the NID. President Obama supported the State Department's decision that additional information was needed before a decision could be made, citing "a number of concerns have been raised through a public process." Subsequently, after the GOP pushed an artificial deadline of 60 days for a decision on the XL, the State Department found that the XL was not in the national interest because there was not sufficient time to obtain and review the information needed to make this determination. One issue cited was that the proposed route included the environmentally sensitive area of the Sand Hills of Nebraska, one of the issues raised in the public comment process.

The number of public comments, civil disobedience in D.C., and nationwide protests over the years delayed the process, providing more opportunities for activism. As anti-XL activist Bill McKibben said:

"This was a real victory for people standing up," McKibben says. "If we hadn’t gone and done what we did out in the streets, if we hadn’t made record numbers of public comments on this, then the oil industry, as usual, would have gotten away with a really bad idea."

<...>

Our public comments should focus on making clear why the XL pipeline is not in our national interest. Whatever your reason for opposing the XL, just frame it in terms of what is best for our national interest, using any of the factors mentioned below, or from President Obama's climate change address (linked below) that focuses on the big picture factors of carbon pollution and climate change impacts.

The NID standard is vested with "significant discretion." Secretary of State Kerry, after considering the views of specified federal agencies and public comments, must find that a permit for the XL would, in fact, "serve the national interest."

Last June, President Obama stated the XL pipeline would have to pass the national interest criteria of carbon pollution and climate change impacts:

But I do want to be clear: Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so would be in our nation’s interest. And our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution. The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward. It’s relevant.

(emphasis added)

Climate change impacts are even more important now than when the XL pipeline project commenced in 2008 when TransCanada submitted its application. For decades, scientists had explained what impacts might happen from global warming in the future, and "predicted that many key aspects of the weather would become more extreme— more extreme heat waves, more intense droughts, and stronger deluges." In 2011, Joe Romm wrote about how there was a "growing body of scientific literature demonstrating that these predictions are coming true now." In 2012, studies by climate scientists, like James Hansen, "concluded climate change is happening right before our eyes." President Obama acknowledged last year that while "no single weather event is caused solely by climate change," it does contribute to the extreme weather events in the U.S. over the past few years.

While President Obama does not expressly use the phrase "climate change impacts" in his 2013 statement of national interest test, White House Staff have indicated that climate change impacts is a factor that will be considered in the NID. On February 2, (after the Final SEIS had been released on January 31), White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough explained that President Obama's NID standard, set forth in his climate change remarks last June, means that the XL pipeline "should not significantly exacerbate what is a significant climate change crisis we face in this country."

- more -

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/13/1277437/-Writing-XL-Public-Comments-Focus-on-Obama-s-Test-of-Carbon-Pollution-Climate-Change-Impacts

Note:

Kos Media, LLC Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified

[freshwest]

1. Wish I could find the video of Obama saying it had no true job benefits or money for Americans.

I don't think the supporters of the pipeline can honestly prove any different from that.

But people in communities where the tar sands is coming through by rail are worried about their own back yards as the pipeline would keep it away from them - NIMBYISM.

And some small businesses have already been hurt badly by tar sands shipping tying up their distribution. Some have already gone broke and that is the second rround of pressure on Obama.

Not to mention red states that see Obama as screwing them out of jobs. If it does not go through, more than ever, there will be propaganda that PBO is callously disregarding their needs and they will vote for GOP, Teas, etc.

This is a way to help frame the debate instead of crying foul at PBO for something that has not been decided yet. If he continues to say no as he has with the limited power he possesses over this issue, and defies the GOP HoR and their comrades in the Senate, look for all hell to break loose on the media.

The USA does not need this thing as a national priority, but some places are furious about it not being done, as it was promised since 2007.

Then Obama got into office and has stalled in every way he could, and even OFA staff have entered into protests, but not being totally upfront. Itg's been reported here at DU.

Let's all write the best that we know how, and there are a lot of DUers who know a lot and know the technical aspects.

Thanks for posting, ProSense.

[okaawhatever]

2. Thank you for posting this. I'll do my part. nt

[hatrack]

3. Good advice here, which I will use

nt

[ProSense]

4. Kick! n/t