May 24, 2013

Posts

Ground swell of support for Keystone reroute

December 6, 2012 By Carol Greenberg

You’d think common sense would’ve won the argument for the Keystone XL pipeline a long time ago, but President Obama needed support from environmentalists to win an election. Now that he got his 2nd term, he is feeling pressure to make good on job creation promises, and the necessary re-route through Nebraska has been outlined, everyone from elected officials to business owners to labor unions are saying that its time to get this show on the road. Obama’s refusal to approve the pipeline has halted job creation before it could even start and opened the doors for reliable energy to go to China. From Bryan Preston of the PJ Tatler:

But TransCanada has proposed a new route for the pipeline that avoids the Nebraska Sandhills, and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality is seeking comment before it drafts its report on the new route. Port-To-Plains Alliance, which is made up of more than 100 local elected officials and community leaders, has today offered its “strong support” for the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Energy sector experts are lauding the reroute as a safe and practical solution. From Michael Whatley of the Consumer Energy Alliance: 

This report clearly demonstrates that the Keystone XL pipeline will be one of the safest pipelines ever constructed. We commend the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality for its dedication to a thorough, scientific-based evaluation and for its consistent engagement with landowners and the public throughout this process. Naysayers will be hard-pressed to find any legitimate flaws in either this process or in this report.

Referencing the report, Mr. Whatley also noted:

CEA is pleased to see that the re-route process has clearly and effectively resolved concerns about impacts to the environmentally sensitive Sand Hills region. Not only does the report reaffirm that the project with have no significant environmental impact, the report also concludes Keystone XL will be a boon to the Nebraska economy. Workers and taxpayers across the state will benefit from the jobs-and-revenue combo that will help stimulate growth for years.

The pipeline enjoys broad-based support in Nebraska as can be seen by this petition. Everyone else is ready to move ‘forward,’ but where’s President Obama? On the sidelines, saying nothing. Doesn’t he know the election is over?

Obama put off final decision on the pipeline until after the 2012 elections. He has not reopened discussion of the pipeline since he was narrowly re-elected…President Obama campaigned promising an “all of the above” approach to energy, but has yet to state whether he will instruct the US State Department to approve or deny TransCanada’s permits to construct the pipeline. The State Department has to approve the construction because the pipeline crosses an international boundary.

For those who may not be aware, protesters of the pipeline for weeks have been dressing up as owls and chaining themselves to out-of-use-equipment. Some have even shown up at the White House. Unfortunately, right now, this is the only thing “blocking” Keystone:

Crossposted at Unified Patriots and Grumpy Elder

Share
Filed Under environmentalism, Keystone Pipeline Project Tagged With environmentalists, Keystone Pipeline Project, Nebraska, Obama, oil, TransCanada

Hot Air Alert: Anti-energy groups endorse Obama

April 18, 2012 By Carol Greenberg

Received via email from Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA).

Dems Hot Air Alert

Anti-Energy Groups Line-up to Support President Obama—Know His Rhetoric on ‘All-of-the-Above’ Energy is Just Talk

From Chairman Hastings, below:

As President Obama campaigns around the country claiming support for an all-of-the-above energy plan, his Administration is simultaneously working in Washington D.C. to block and restrict access to American oil, natural gas and coal energy production. While President Obama may be working to fool the American public into believing he supports expanded oil and natural gas production, his most loyal anti-energy environmental supporters know his rhetoric is all just an election year ruse.

It’s no wonder then that four of the most ardent anti-energy and political environmental groups—the Sierra Club; the League of Conservation Voters; Environment America; and Clean Water Action—today announced their support for President Obama’s reelection. Here’s a sampling of how those groups view American-made energy:

Clean Water Action

“Clean Water Action has consistently opposed offshore oil drilling over its entire 35-year history…” – Clean Water Action.

“Certainly we must secure our energy future, but oil shale should not be part of this process. This is not the fuel of the future. It’s time we recognize oil shale for what it is, a rock.” – Clean Water Action

Sierra Club

“It’s time to stop thinking of natural gas as a ‘kinder, gentler’ energy source…Ultimately, the only safe, smart, and responsible way to address our nation’s energy needs is to look beyond coal, oil, and gas, and focus on clean, efficient energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal.” – Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club

“We are calling on President Obama to issue a presidential moratorium on offshore drilling.” – Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club

Environment America

“As BOEMRE discusses what should go into the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the next Five Year Drilling Plan, we thank President Obama for his decision to keep most of our coasts free from drilling until at least 2017.” – Mike Gravitz, Oceans Advocate of Environment America.

“But for economic and environmental reasons, we believe that offshore drilling should not be expanded beyond the Central and Western Gulf to areas like the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific coast, or Alaskan waters.” – Environment America

League of Conservation Voters

“We commend President Obama for continuing the moratorium on new deepwater oil drilling permits pending the recommendations of the independent presidential commission, which includes delaying leases sales off the coast of Alaska. The ongoing tragedy in the Gulf Coast clearly demonstrates that our dependence on oil – be it from hostile nations or friendly coasts – hurts our economy, threatens our security and harms our environment.” – Gene Karpinski, President, LCV

“Moreover, lifting the moratorium on off-shore drilling will do very little to reduce our dependence on oil or cut gas prices. It is by far the slowest, dirtiest, most expensive way to meet our energy needs…” – Gene Karpinski, President, LCV

The question must be asked: If President Obama truly supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy, why would these groups support him?

The Answer: They wouldn’t.

Share
Filed Under Environmental groups endorse Obama Tagged With anti-energy, Clean Water Action, energy, Environment America, environmentalists, House Natural Resources Committee, League of Conservation Voters, Obama, Rep. Doc Hastings, Sierra Club

AFP Colorado bestows their first “Monkey Wrencher of the Month” award

January 31, 2012 By Carol Greenberg

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – WildEarth Guardians today earned the dubious honor of “winning” the first ever Monkeywrencher of the Month Award, given out by Americans for Prosperity-Colorado in conjunction with the launch of a new series of reports, and new website, MonkeywrenchingAmerica.com, aimed at highlighting the economic, fiscal, judicial and human harm being done by professional green extremists. monkey wrench award

“This group’s growing reliance on taxpayer support, which frequently comes from some of the same federal agencies it’s so fond of suing, isn’t just ironic, it’s outrageous,” said Jeff Crank, AFP-Colorado State Director. “Americans unknowingly are bankrolling this one group’s effort to clog the courts, monkey-wrench the economy, and promote the growth of government regulation. We hope this report and website will help raise awareness of how expensive, destructive and counterproductive this agenda is.”

AFP-Colorado chose WildEarth Guardians for the honor based on the findings of a just-published report, “Monkeywrenching the Courts,” documenting the group’s exploitation of taxpayers, courts and poorly-written laws to pursue a radical litigation-driven agenda, aimed at crippling the Western economy and way of life. Not only is the group a “lawsuit generating machine,” according to the report, but it also relies heavily on taxpayer dollars, in the form of grants or legal cost reimbursements, for its survival – something that may not sit well with Westerners who see the group as a threat to their jobs, property rights, economic opportunities and access to public lands.

As if to reinforce the report’s findings, the group has been generating more litigation-related headlines in just the past week, including:

In order to keep a continuing spotlight on these issues, this and other reports will be housed on a new website, www.monkeywrenchingAmerica.com, that will include news aggregators, blogs and original content aimed at documenting the costs and consequences of the green assault on America’s economy and freedoms.

Share
Filed Under environmentalism Tagged With Americans for Prosperity, environmentalists, Monkey Wrencher of the Month, WildEarth Guardians

Environmentalists fight bill which would give border patrol agents more access to parks

November 4, 2011 By Carol Greenberg

Big Bend park

Who can forget the murder of Brian Terry and the ongoing #DOJ fail with Fast & Furious? Who can forget DOJ filing suit against Arizona for the passing of immigration reform? And now the RECALL of the AZ state senator who wrote that bill, Senator Russell Pearce.

I would hazard a guess that most Conservatives agree that our borders both on the north and south should be more secured however the Obama administration, and now environmental groups, are fighting that tooth and nail.

The National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, H.R. 1505, sponsored by Utah Republican Rob Bishop would prevent the USDA and the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar from enacting environmental regulations which would hinder the operation of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. A statement from Bishop:

The House Natural Resources Committee recently passed the National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act [H.R. 1505]. This legislation addresses current limitations placed on the U.S. Border Patrol’s access to federal lands located throughout the border region. Areas where the U.S. Border Patrol currently has limited access are among the most heavily trafficked along the border. H.R. 1505 is a necessary step toward gaining full operational control of the border.

Sounds reasonable, right? Of course nothing is *reasonable*, at least since January 20, 2009. It’s not enough that these environmentalists back the job-killing policies of the EPA, DOI, DOE and the Obama administration as a whole, but now they are after the security and protection of our Border Patrol Agents, murdered Brian Terry being one.

Those against the bill are *conservation groups* such as the Wilderness Society and the Rio Grande International Study Center. Paul Spitler of the Wilderness Society had this to say:

“It’s part of a pattern of scapegoating environmental laws for any problem by extreme members of Congress,” he said. “Their solutions always seem to be to overturn the environmental laws. Well, the environmental laws aren’t the problem here.”

Oh, paleeeseee…Mr. Spitler. You’re more worried about your precious salamanders, lizards and fish than you are about protecting U.S. citizens and those who protect those citizens.

Over two dozen groups including the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Border Patrol Council and the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers are in favor of this legislation.

“For years, the federal government has used environmental regulations to block access for our Border Patrol agents to the over 20 million acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexican Border,” the NBPC said in a statement. “This lack of access has resulted in an increase in criminal activities such as drug smuggling and human trafficking.” [emphasis mine].

This bill was voted out of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) Chair, last month, 26-17 in favor.

Interior and USDA have made no comment. According to Crystal Feldman of House Natural Resources Committee no word yet on when the bill would be put in front of the entire House.

My friends, it’s way past time to put people and safety above the *rights* of bugs, reptiles, fish and weeds.

Crossposted at Unified Patriots

Share
Filed Under Uncategorized Tagged With Brian Terry, Dept. of Interior, environmentalists, H.R. 1505, House Natural Resources Committee, immigration, Ken Salazar, Paul Spitler, Rep. Doc Hastings, Rep. Rob Bishop, Russell Pearce, U.S. Border Patrol, USDA, Wilderness Society