About a dozen protesters turned out in Des Moines on Saturday for a demonstration against a proposed pipeline that would carry oil from Canada through the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. The “Draw the Line” rally outside the federal building downtown was one of six events in Iowa and part of a nationwide “day of action” against the Keystone XL Pipeline. “The Keystone XL pipeline is a disaster from one end to the other,” said Jon McAlister, of Des Moines. “The biggest concern is for climate change. We are sending a message to the world if we approve this pipeline that we don’t care.” Protesters carried signs carried signs with slogans like “There is no Planet B” and “CO2 is a chemical weapon” and shouted out slogans to passing cars and pedestrians leaving the Downtown Farmers’ Market. They also circulated a petition opposing the pipeline. The pipeline proposal has been the subject of a years-long, pitched battle between environmentalists and supporters of oil-and-gas production, with the Obama administration stuck in the middle. Environmental advocacy organizations have couched the administration’s decision on the pipeline as a key test of its commitment to addressing climate change, arguing that the United States should not abet the energy-intensive production of a pollutant that contributes to global warming. They also warn of environmental degradation around the pipeline. “We’re trying to send a message to the world,” McAlister said. “Are we committed to the fossil fuel industry or are we committed to changing course? Let’s be on the right side of history.”
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 23:40:18 +0000
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