Bill McKibben: Why I Spent 2 Days in Jail Protesting the Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline

DemocracyNow.org - Fifty-two environmental activists were arrested Monday in front of the White House as part of an ongoing protest calling on the Obama administration to reject a permit for the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline project, which would deliver Canada tar sands oil to refineries in Texas, and rather focus on developing clean energy. An estimated 2,000 people have signed up to hold sit-ins and commit other acts of civil disobedience outside the White House everyday for the next two weeks — 162 have already been arrested since Saturday. Also joining the protest are indigenous First Nations communities in Canada and landowners along the Keystone XL pipeline's planned route. An editorial in Sunday's New York Times joined in calling on the State Department to reject the pipeline, noting that the extraction of petroleum from the tar sands creates far more greenhouse emissions than conventional production. Meanwhile, oil-industry backers of the project emphasize what they say are the economic benefits of the $7 billion proposal. As the Obama administration remains undecided whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, Democracy Now! speaks with Bill McKibben in Washington, D.C., where he was released Monday after spending two nights in jail. He is part of Tar Sands Action, a group of environmentalists, indigenous communities, labor unions and scientific experts, calling for action to stop the project. "This is the first real civil disobedience of this scale for the environmental movement in ages," McKibben says.

For the complete transcript, to download the podcast, or for more Democracy Now! reports on climate change issues, visit http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/23...

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[hardingtess]

Gov. Perry is an idiot. We should be ashamed as Americans that a moron like him is considered to be a serious presidential candidate. He is a charlatan who appeals to the stupidest among us -- and, yes, the stupid are the people who think that there is no climate change being caused by human beings and our kill the earth and the oceans policies.

[crazy4coke]

A lot of other ppl went to jail to get "his" face on Democracy Now! So why do you imply that its some kind of selfish action for personal gain. The whole idea is to bring attention to the topic. I dont understand where u get off.

[patioperson]

Bill shouldn't be spending time in jail. The mental institutions are where people of diminished mental capacities are designed for. They use those long sleeved shirts so nuts like Bill can't bite or otherwise harm themselves. He's very sickly so just to keep him from swallowing his own vomit will be a challenge. Well best of luck Bill, nature and DNA were just not very kind to you.

[patioperson]

Don't know about global warming but scientists say this is one of the coolest interglacial periods. And normal CO2 is around 5000 ppm, just a tiny one half of one percent. Less than your breath.

[patioperson]

Bill looks like death just a step away from the end. Could be his hate of mankind has turned on himself. I'd give this lad 5 more years or less to the coffin. He's paranoid and stressed out, his rage will overcome him.

[patioperson]

Why was McKibben put in jail? The proper place for nuts like Bill is the nuthouse. With the robes with the long sleeves that tie in the back so Bill doesn't bite himself. There is no oil problem. Oil produces upon combustion that wonderful CO2 that is so scarce in the atmosphere. 3000 ppm is the minimum required for efficient plant growth. If it holds back this global cooling a tad, that's all the better.

[christo930]

Why are these people being arrested? I thought you were allowed to protest and to petition the gov for redress of grievances? I thought we the right to peacefully assemble? These people are sitting on the ground, completely unarmed and doing nothing that even remotely resembles violence.

[christo930]

One of the things that people don't seem to "get" is that oil does not equal electricity. Putting up windmills and solar power plants does not solve the oil problem. Thankfully, most of the CO2 is coming from coal powered power plants and those are what we need to block. Battery technology simply isn't there for cars and even if it were, it would only mean more coal based power plants.

[christo930]

Pipelines are a source of energy? WOW! I never knew that. I'll have to hook up some light bulbs to the pipes in my house!

[BlacklitFloater]

Looks like he is dedicated after all if he's gone to jail to get that thing stopped.

[Payhole Everdouche]

Tree huggers reek of rancid cabbage and used tampons left out in the summer Florida sun for days.