On April 22, 61-year-old Alec Johnson locked himself to a piece of heavy machinery set to begin construction of Keystone XL. He was successful in delaying construction of the pipeline in Tushka, Okla., yet more importantly for Johnson, he sent a message to the industry and the nation that Americans are dedicated to protecting their land.
Johnson was arrested for temporarily shutting down construction on the pipeline, contributing to four arrests that were made on Earth Day in protest of Keystone. Contributions for the activists’ bail funds are being requested.
Johnson has since been extracted and arrested for shutting down a Keystone XL construction site and four total arrests were made on Earth Day — contributions for the activists’ bail fund are being requested.
His actions marked the start of an intensified movement centered on civil disobedience, an effort by activist and community members to stand up against the proposed 1,700-mile oil pipeline through non-violent human blockades. Several Lakota National tribal councils have given their support to non-violent civil disobedience actions, along with 60,000 individuals.
Now, activists in that front have paired with CREDO Mobile to host technology that would provide networking opportunity for users and indicate where blockades are being held. CREDO also plans to include training tips through networking for activists interested in forming blockades in their own communities.
More than 1,000 demonstrations against the pipeline are scheduled for the first two weeks in May, which will follow the expiration for the State Department review period on the Keystone XL.
CREDO’s political director, Becky Bond, said she hopes more than 100,000 users will sign the pledge against Keystone, through the use of the networking app.
Taking it to the next level
It’s not the first time activists and environmental organizations are taking this route, but with the Keystone XL pipeline set to formally be approved by the president later this month, activists are preparing to go on the offense.
In January, the Sierra Club, considered one of the more moderate environmental organizations, indicated that it, too, promoted civil disobedience to fight the pipeline.
“For civil disobedience to be justified something must be so wrong that it compels the strongest defensible protest,” Michael Brune, Sierra Club executive editor said in a January statement. “Such a protest, if rendered thoughtfully and peacefully, is in fact a profound act of patriotism.”
Brune justified the organization’s stance based on the weight of the project — one that would transport 35 million of gallons each day through a pipeline stretching 1,700 miles long. The increased risk for wildlife habitats, communities and farming lands made vulnerable to oil spills is troubling for organizations like the Sierra Club.
“The stakes are enormous,” Brune said. “At this point, we can’t afford to lose a single major battle.”
The community of Mayflower, Ark., knows that scenario all too well. In late March, the community turned into a disaster zone when 157,000 gallons of oil flooded residential communities, leading to the evacuation of dozens and threatening the water supply for the entire area.
“KXL (Keystone XL) South is already being constructed with or without the North, and the destruction of waterways in its path is not a question of it, but when,” Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance Spokesperson Richard Ray Whitman said in a statement. “No toxic pipeline is worth the gamble and no communities in Texas or Oklahoma deserve the fate of Mayflower, Arkansas.”
Facing the giant
The force they face is huge, as TransCanada’s $7 billion pipeline caters to an industry that has proven it’s too big to fail.
With construction of the pipeline already underway in places like Arkansas, there’s little indication TransCanada will be backing out of the deal.
The Motiva oil refinery in Texas just received a $10 billion makeover expansion. Its specialty? Canadian tar sands. It stands to gain solely through the transportation of Alberta’s tar sands, which would be transported to Texas through Keystone XL.
And it’s not just American and Canadian companies that have their hands in the deal. Motiva refinery is co-owned by Saudi Aramco, a Saudi oil company, and Royal Dutch Shell. The two companies have been working on the expansion since 2006. Since that time, more than 78,000 tons of structural steel and 40,000 truckloads of concrete went into the new refinery. The companies’ stake in the industry is high — and they’re poised to begin business.
Future of Keystone leads down one-way street
President Barack Obama has twice delayed decisions on the pipeline since 2008, citing environmental concerns. The State Department released a study indicating the pipeline would have no significant impacts on climate change, using the argument that the Alberta tar sands will continue to be drilled with or without Keystone XL.
Recently, Obama appointed former Michigan Institute of Technology (MIT) scientist Ernest Moniz to head the U.S. Energy Department. Moniz is a vocal proponent of the fracking industry.
Obama is expected to make a formal decision this month on the pipeline, yet residents say that final nod doesn’t mean much — TransCanada is already constructing the pipeline in their communities. The project is underway, and they don’t have to wait for the president’s approval to know this.
While activists aren’t pleased to use civil disobedience as a last-resort answer, those involved in the movement are encouraged by the number of Americans who have come to their side to create a growing, unified voice against the pipeline.
“I am personally amazed at how resistance to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and education as to what tar sands exploitation looks like continues to grow every day,” Johnson said. “Because it would be irresponsible, we’re not stopping until the industry stops poisoning our future with lies, unnecessary risks and death for their profit. As long as the tar sands industry promises it will kill, we will blockade.”