Winning the Fight Against Big Oil

A new report has found that the ability to export Alberta’s dirty tar sands is reaching it’s limits with pipelines 89% full, and that the oil and gas industry will run out of pipeline capacity as soon as 2017. This lack of capacity is credited to the power of the movement against building the Keystone XL and other pipelines, a movement where Sierra Club members and our broad coalition across the country have been critical. We are winning the fight against building the Keystone XL pipeline, against Enbridge’s illegal attempts to expand their network of pipelines, and against major tar sands pipelines such as Energy East and Northern Gateway.

The ongoing fight against Keystone XL galvanized activists and communities across the country to fight back against Big Oil and its plans. Now, every proposed pipeline out of Alberta must contend with legal challenges and opposition from local authorities and regulators, in addition to the millions of people taking to the streets to raise concerns about public health and safety, the environment and about the urgent need for action on climate change.

Additionally, this report highlights the exorbitant cost -- not to mention the reckless danger -- to transport the oil by rail rather than pipelines.

President Obama’s declaration that Keystone XL would be subject to a climate test prior to approval was an historic step towards keeping dirty fuels in the ground. Now, nearly every major tar sands pipeline project has been significantly delayed, with many on hold indefinitely. It is estimated that the emissions saved from no new pipeline growth are at 34.6 gigatons of CO2, or the combined annual emissions of 227 coal plants over a 40-year period.

It is increasingly clear that pipelines and bomb trains that intrude into our communities and threaten our climate will no longer receive a rubber stamp of approval. While Big Oil may have millions of dollars, we have millions of people - and we will continue to stand up and say no to these dirty and dangerous projects.

This fight continues to grow, with Canadians yet again standing up to Big Oil. Just last week, Canada voted in overwhelming fashion to replace Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a politician who had staked the country’s economy on a massive expansion of 19th century energy resources. And at the same time, public officials are jumping on the bandwagon to support climate and action, like Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH) coming out in support of the Clean Power Plan, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying that FERC should apply the same climate test that President Obama applied to KXL when reviewing gas pipelines. The tides are shifting, and they’re shifting towards a future that protects our communities and runs on clean energy.

As we near the Paris climate talks, we must work with other countries to move away from fossil fuels and keep dirty fuels where they belong -- in the ground. In doing so, we can invest in clean and renewable forms of energy, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, and building a stronger, cleaner economy for the future.