Protesting the Keystone XL pipeline at the White House: A recall on Obama’s energy record?
Going into Sunday’s action outside the White House to protest the Keystone XL pipeline, two things were unclear: how many people will it take to encircle the White House and will enough people turn out to answer that question? The answers are, fewer than 10,000 and yes.
The number of people at the demonstration far exceeded everyone’s expectations. One explanation could be that the event represented more than just a pressure point on the Keystone XL pipeline; it may have also offered an opportunity – exactly one year before the 2012 election – to vent the collective disappointment with President Obama’s environmental record.
Clearly the proposed pipeline, which would traverse the country from Montana all the way down to the Gulf Coast of Texas, has hit a nerve within the environmental and climate community. But beyond the environmental and climate stakes involved in this project, there are other forces at work that have elevated the Keystone XL pipeline to priority issue number one for so many activists and environmental leaders.
Less hope, more audacity
In many ways, the environmental agenda of candidate Obama has been stifled by partisan politics and the administration’s calculation to court constituencies that have been consistently hostile to climate legislation and environmental regulations. As a result, his environmental record has been less than stellar. In the case of the Keystone XL pipeline, Obama has the sole authority to decide whether the projected is approved. In other words, this is the president’s opportunity to make good on his campaign promise to protect the environment and hold big polluters accountable – a commitment that rallied large numbers of environmentally minded youth to register their peers to vote, knock on doors and flood their social media networks for candidate Obama.
We voted for change, not climate change
While the message at the rally that preceded the encircle action was emphatically clear – Obama, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline, the disappointment at his lack of leadership on a host of environmental issues circulated through the crowd on pamphlets and homemade signs. One glossy postcard that was handed to me focused a campaign to get solar panels back on the White House – a commitment the Obama administration made in October 2010 and still hasn’t fulfilled. A woman next to me at the rally from New York State held a cardboard sign that read, “No Fracking.”
In many ways, it appears that the throngs of people that came to Washington, D.C., from all over the country see the proposed pipeline as the final exam for the Obama administration, which has failed so many environmental tests. A passing grade on the final exam could redeem some of the environmental cred that Obama has lost and restore a large part of his base in time for the 2012 election. But the bigger question is what approving the pipeline will do to his prospects for a second term. Maybe the fallout won’t hurt him.
But at the end of the day, our elected officials need to remember the decisions that are made about the energy we use today have implications far beyond the short timeline of a presidency. The climate doesn’t care about approval ratings.
Tide Turning on Keystone XL Proposal « Energy Vox
November 8, 2011 @ 5:51 pm
[…] the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline was a forgone conclusion. But less than 24 hours after a mass demonstration at the White House to protest the 1,700 pipeline, which would transport the dirtiest fuel on earth through […]
Tide Turning on Keystone XL Proposal « Energy Vox
November 8, 2011 @ 5:51 pm
[…] the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline was a forgone conclusion. But less than 24 hours after a mass demonstration at the White House to protest the 1,700 pipeline, which would transport the dirtiest fuel on earth through […]
November 8, 2011 @ 7:17 pm
What’s that fence? Did they put it up just for the encircling? and thank you for the great demo!
November 8, 2011 @ 9:32 pm
Thank you Allison for your account of Sunday and encircling the White House. I had been wondering what happened, if enough people showed up, and if Obama spoke to the people. And thank you for representing those of us who could not attend. Hopefully Obama will say NO to the Keystone XL TarSands Pipeline.
November 8, 2011 @ 11:37 pm
It is heartwarming to see thousands of Americans protesting around the White House on this issue. I have emailed the President consistently, along with my reps. I am thrilled with OWS and how that is playing out. We will take our country back.
November 9, 2011 @ 2:24 am
When confronted with overwhelming financial imbalance where all three branches of our government are DUI of greed and extreme concentration of wealth – we must take to the streets. The dominoes of Arab Spring (triggered by self immolation), Wisconsin, Spain’s indignados, OWS (started by tiny magazine ad in Vancouver and flamed and inspired by Bill McKibben’s White House civil disobedience) is a sea change. We the people must right the ship of state before the gold chains around the necks of the uber-rich drag us all down to the depths of hell.
November 9, 2011 @ 2:46 am
Every day, We the People give our money to The Alpha Dog on Wall Street and Washington D.C.,
U.S. Allied Military Industrial & Fossil Fuel/Nuke Complex Inc.
Simply by voting Democrat or Republican, paying taxes and using electricity, gasoline, natural gas, etc. and buying anything not locally produced or with plastic involved. It’s almost unavoidable.
Wall Street is driven by supply and demand. We as individuals can greatly reduce our consumption of fossil fuel products and nuclear energy. We must fully support the alternatives.
We the People must write and sign petitions, register voters and Vote -Out the Well Paid Puppets that are put in office by generous contributions and guided by strong lobbying from
U.S. Allied Military Industrial & Fossil Fuel/Nuke Complex Inc.
Most of all We the people must stop financing the
Global Terrorism for Industrial Resources.
November 9, 2011 @ 8:41 am
Obama said he could not do anything without support. Well, look out your window and support us first and then maybe we will support you.
November 11, 2011 @ 5:55 pm
We’re making him do it. We’re making Congress do it. We cannot stop. It is Good vs. Evil. Imagine how big this movement would be by now if ANY corporate media had covered this story! Matters not. We WILL win.
November 9, 2011 @ 8:52 am
Obama’s lack of action on the environment is the only thing standing in the way for me to fully support him in a second term campaign. That being said, I’m certain a GOP candidate won’t off much in the environment arena either.
November 9, 2011 @ 9:41 pm
While I was unable to come to DC for this rally (despite seriously considering it) our own local Occupy LI event the same day in Mineola to Move Our Money was pretty successful; credit unions benefited from this nationwide bank divestment to the tune of $4.5 billion.
While we sent the big banks a much-needed wake-up call, you folks made a huge impact for all of us in DC. Thank you for your determination and dedication to our national environment.
November 9, 2011 @ 9:52 pm
No one has made a rallying cry across the country through the media and even the alternative sites seem to remain silent on the circle around the White House. So glad to have at least one good article to read. Want more! Thanks to those who were there. Keep up the pressure.
November 11, 2011 @ 7:38 pm
This is good news! I guess Obama got my e-mail! lol, anyway good job everyone, I was with y’all in spirit!