Creativity is a way of living life, no matter what our vocation, or how we earn our living.
-Madeleine L'Engle
THE President and the politicians who betrayed us by voting for the amendment approving the keystone xl pipeline better start thinking about how creative our response is going to be. From HuffPost......
UPDATE; HERE'S the list of the cowardly democrats who voted for the amendment courtesy of Credo...
UPDATE 2; FROM Bill McKibben, leader of 350.org
Friends,
After a very chaotic week on Capitol Hill, I wanted to write you with an update on what just happened in the Senate today.
First and foremost: the oil industry's Senators did not manage to pass legislation that would force President Obama to build Keystone XL.
Because you -- and people like you, all across the country -- jumped into action this week, they backtracked and instead held a vote on a nonbinding resolution that says it would be nice to build the pipeline, but doesn't actually do much about it. For that vote, they got the stomach-churning number of 62 Senators to vote with them. As usual, the ones who had taken the most money from the fossil fuel industry lined up to cast their votes—the cosponsors of the bill, on average, had taken $807,000 in dirty energy money.
Now, this amounts to symbolic chest thumping by the oil industry: showing just how many Senators they can get to jump when told to. It's not the worst thing that could have happened, but it reminds everyone why, in one recent poll, congress had approval ratings lower than head lice and colonoscopies -- even on the symbolic stuff, they can't get it together to stand up to the oil industry guys cutting them checks.
In a certain way though, this vote couldn't come at a better time. Congress is going on break, and for the next two weeks, these 62 Senators will be back in their home states, doing things like meeting with constituents -- people like you.
Home states are where some of the most heroic work took place the last week -- in Minneapolis, say, where 150 350MN.org activists showed up on very short notice at Sen. Klobuchar's office in a snowstorm to tell her to vote no on Keystone (and she did, it should be added).
Here's how the Senators in Virginia voted ('yes' in this case being a vote for the pipeline):
Tim Kaine - No
Mark Warner - Yes
If you're interested in following in the fine example of those leaders who held actions at their senators offices, you have a chance in the next two weeks.
We're looking for people who can step up to lead, and then we'll put the 350 network into action to get people to join you. If you want to lead an action, just click here to tell us when you'd like to do so:act.350.org/survey/kxl-senate-
Look, there are two ways to react to a democracy for sale. One is to walk away in disgust, which is what the Koch Brothers count on. The other is to stand up and say: no more. If you visit your Senator, take some pictures or some video so we can share them around. It’s time to build this broader fossil fuel resistance.
And remember, Capitol Hill is not the center of the world. Around the country this week our friends at Tar Sands Blockade have been actively targeting Keystone investors; faith groups have been hauled off to jail in front of the White House to protest the pipeline; and the divestment campaign has expanded off college campuses and into municipal and state governments.
The movement is doing amazing stuff -- we just need more of it. We can’t outspend the oil industry, but we can out-organize them. In fact, we have to.
Forward,
Bill McKibben
After a very chaotic week on Capitol Hill, I wanted to write you with an update on what just happened in the Senate today.
First and foremost: the oil industry's Senators did not manage to pass legislation that would force President Obama to build Keystone XL.
Because you -- and people like you, all across the country -- jumped into action this week, they backtracked and instead held a vote on a nonbinding resolution that says it would be nice to build the pipeline, but doesn't actually do much about it. For that vote, they got the stomach-churning number of 62 Senators to vote with them. As usual, the ones who had taken the most money from the fossil fuel industry lined up to cast their votes—the cosponsors of the bill, on average, had taken $807,000 in dirty energy money.
Now, this amounts to symbolic chest thumping by the oil industry: showing just how many Senators they can get to jump when told to. It's not the worst thing that could have happened, but it reminds everyone why, in one recent poll, congress had approval ratings lower than head lice and colonoscopies -- even on the symbolic stuff, they can't get it together to stand up to the oil industry guys cutting them checks.
In a certain way though, this vote couldn't come at a better time. Congress is going on break, and for the next two weeks, these 62 Senators will be back in their home states, doing things like meeting with constituents -- people like you.
Home states are where some of the most heroic work took place the last week -- in Minneapolis, say, where 150 350MN.org activists showed up on very short notice at Sen. Klobuchar's office in a snowstorm to tell her to vote no on Keystone (and she did, it should be added).
Here's how the Senators in Virginia voted ('yes' in this case being a vote for the pipeline):
Tim Kaine - No
Mark Warner - Yes
If you're interested in following in the fine example of those leaders who held actions at their senators offices, you have a chance in the next two weeks.
We're looking for people who can step up to lead, and then we'll put the 350 network into action to get people to join you. If you want to lead an action, just click here to tell us when you'd like to do so:act.350.org/survey/kxl-senate-
Look, there are two ways to react to a democracy for sale. One is to walk away in disgust, which is what the Koch Brothers count on. The other is to stand up and say: no more. If you visit your Senator, take some pictures or some video so we can share them around. It’s time to build this broader fossil fuel resistance.
And remember, Capitol Hill is not the center of the world. Around the country this week our friends at Tar Sands Blockade have been actively targeting Keystone investors; faith groups have been hauled off to jail in front of the White House to protest the pipeline; and the divestment campaign has expanded off college campuses and into municipal and state governments.
The movement is doing amazing stuff -- we just need more of it. We can’t outspend the oil industry, but we can out-organize them. In fact, we have to.
Forward,
Bill McKibben
350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for email alerts. You can help power our work by getting involved locally, sharing your story, and donating here.
FROM CREDO......
Here's the full list of Democrats who voted in favor of the Hoeven Amendment supporting Keystone XL: Baucus (D-MT), Begich (D-AK), Bennet (D-CO), Carper (D-DE), Casey (D-PA), Coons (D-DE), Donnelly (D-IN), Hagan (D-NC), Heitkamp (D-ND), Johnson (D-SD), Landrieu (D-LA), Manchin (D-WV), McCaskill (D-MO), Nelson (D-FL), Pryor (D-AR), Tester (D-MT), Warner (D-VA)
1. Roll Call Vote on the Hoeven Amendment, March 22, 2013
2. Senators Supporting KXL Took Nearly $31 Million From Fossil Fuel Industry Before Vote," Oil Change International, March 22, 2013
2. Senators Supporting KXL Took Nearly $31 Million From Fossil Fuel Industry Before Vote," Oil Change International, March 22, 2013
The HuffPost article.....
In a big symbolic victory for proponents of the Keystone XL pipeline, the Senate on Friday approved a measure introduced by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) to approve its construction. Though non-binding, the vote marks the most recent attempt by Republicans to pressure President Barack Obama to move forward with the controversial project.
Hoeven's Amendment 494 to the 2013 budget resolution passed Friday evening by a vote of 62 to 37. The amendment puts the Senate on record for the first time in support of the Keystone XL, the 1,700 mile pipeline that would carry tar sands from Canada to oil refineries in Texas.
"The Department of State has done four environmental impact assessments over the past five years," said Hoeven as he rose to introduce his measure. "It's time that the Senate step up with the American people ... time for us to join every single state on the route to say we support this pipeline."
The vote was part of the Senate's "votearama" -- a legislative quirk in which lawmakers take strictly symbolic votes as a way of opening up dialogue. The process, while tedious, offers a glimpse of senators' feelings and priorities on the issues at hand.
The amendment's co-sponsors include Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska).
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, spoke out against the measure on the Senate floor. "This amendment has already made the decision for us that everything is hunky-dory with this pipeline," she said. "We don't know if our national security people think this is going to create climate disruption ... there'll be another day to fight, but I want to say ... I hope we will vote no and allow the process to continue."
Boxer introduced her own counter-amendment -- Amendment 622 -- which would create a fund to protect U.S. interests in the Keystone XL decision. Hoeven called it merely "an excuse to kill the project." Boxer's measure was voted down 33 to 66.
Bill Mckibben, founder of climate advocacy group 350.org, denounced the Senate's vote.
"The fossil fuel industry asked the Senate to approve Keystone XL, but ordinary people around the country pushed back -- our 'leaders' ended up taking a meaningless vote instead, and giving us more months to convince the president not to sign off on this boondoggle," he said. "Everything that happens in D.C. happens ugly, and this is no exception -- but it's been beautiful to watch people rallying around the continent."
Over the coming two weeks, 350.org will be targeting the senators who voted to approve the pipeline, according to a press release.
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