David Strathairn Joins Keystone XL Pipeline Opposition (VIDEO)

Actor David Strathairn, nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of journalist Edward R. Murrow in "Good Night, and Good Luck," released a video this week urging his fellow Americans to join the November 6 Tar Sands Action protest in front of the White House.

In the video, Strathairn urges President Obama to stick to his campaign messages. He says, "Obama ran for office speaking of the dangers of our fossil fuel addiction, promising to fight climate change and fully embrace a clean energy future. The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is a dangerous step away from that commitment."

In November, activists plan to surround the White House as part of the latest Tar Sands Action protest. In August, over 1,200 people were arrested during a two-week sit-in in front of the White House, according to a press release.

Strathairn is joined in his opposition by fellow actors Robert Redford, Daryl Hannah, Mark Ruffalo and Kyra Sedgwick. A number of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, and prominent environmentalists have also expressed their opposition to the proposed pipeline.

The pipeline, which would travel from Canadian oil sands sources in Alberta to refineries in Texas, is waiting on approval from the Obama administration. Obama announced this week that his government had not yet made a decision, but one is expected by the end of 2011.

WATCH:

Check out the slideshow below of prominent individuals who have spoken out against the pipeline:

Comments

[Siren Song]

12:00 AM on 11/12/2011

I have adored David Strathairn since "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd." Glad to see he's out doing the right thing.

[plumex]

04:52 PM on 11/05/2011

2 Questions? Who the hell is david Strathairn and who cares what he say about anything?Oh you say he's a 3rd rate Holly wood actor. Now I understand.

[Siren Song]

12:00 AM on 11/12/2011

To some of us, 1st rate.

[raffie]

03:33 PM on 10/30/2011

One of my favorite actors (going back to, 'Eight Men Out')___they need to tap him to portray Madoff; the resemblance doesn't hurt either.

[aforbes808]

06:55 PM on 10/29/2011

Tar Sands 101. Oil or tar sand is heavy/sour crude that is high in sulphur. We don't burn sour crude in this country. We export it to China and India where there are lax enviromental rules. The sulphur in sour crude comes back to the earth as acid rain, killing forests, streams, lakes, and rivers. (i.e. people) Also, the keystone pipeline will only employ 50 full time engineers. Cost/benefit ratio doesn't jive.

[jsgaetano]

02:41 PM on 10/30/2011

As always, conservatives take the money, and stick the "little people" with the bill. Acid rain is the only "trickle down".

[artleads]

05:32 PM on 10/29/2011

It's good to see another celeb throw hat into ring. But where are all the rest????? Articles in HP would be good.

[WESmith]

09:20 AM on 10/29/2011

New Mexico has tar sands.
They didn't extract the asphaltenes.
They mined the entire "tar sand" and built roads with it.
That was back in the 70s.
We were researching ways to use microbes in fermentation vats to break down the asphaltenes into pumpable oil. coal, oil, asphaltenes and natural gas is dead plants and animals.

[artleads]

05:34 PM on 10/29/2011

"We were researchin­g ways to use microbes in fermentati­on vats to break down the asphaltene­s into pumpable oil. coal, oil, asphaltene­s and natural gas is dead plants and animals. "

What happened to the research?

[Andrew Harvey]

08:41 AM on 10/29/2011

Perhaps living out in California, he doesn't feel the need for heat in the winter time, maybe he rides a bicycle to work, and types on a computer keyboard carved out of ivory.

The rest of use use that commodity, and if we want to compete in this global economy, we'd better make the right decision on this one.

[kay628]

08:14 AM on 10/30/2011

I live in Maine and have found multiple ways to reduce oil consumption to the absolute bare minimum. This project is not only insane environmentally, it is also a temporary fix. There are abundant ways to be warm, have a computer, drive a car, etc. without destroying the planet any more than we already have. The only reasons they haven't been employed is will and laziness and ignorance and...........shall I go on?

[anniewheelr]

11:47 PM on 10/28/2011

Another actor that has plenty of money that doesn't understand that more energy from North America means less Saudi controlled oil needed. It means that there will be another player in the world oil market and that means less control the Saudi's and others have over the price.
And it means jobs for Americans and if we'd get off our butts and develop the hundred years of resources we have we could drive energy prices down to where a poor family wouldn't have to rely on the government or a kerosene heater to keep warm. Less government money spent means less borrowed...but this actor only sees the one side of the story and he won't be sleeping in a cold house because he can't afford the price of heating oil this winter.

[edejan]

10:48 PM on 10/29/2011

Do you know that all oil, no matter where it is found goes into a communal "vat" and is sold back to us by OPEC? So where is the economic advantage to destroying our environment when the actual American citizen will not gain anything financially...only the oil barons will get richer and give nothing back.

[banana republican]

07:25 PM on 10/28/2011

Hollywood actors are as far removed the realities of life in this country as Kurdish rebels are. Why anyone would give any credence to what they think is hard to understand except that I guess the Left champions any one who says what they want to hea said.

[girldog]

08:25 PM on 10/28/2011

Way to miss the point. How about reading up on the Keystone XL pipeline? After you know something about the subject, you might have something to contribute to the discussion.

[banana republican]

08:27 PM on 10/28/2011

I didn't miss the point - I offered a new one.

[vtmilitia]

09:37 PM on 10/28/2011

They can afford high energy prices,most working folks struggle with it.

[WeMustDoBetter09]

04:58 PM on 10/28/2011

OT
ENGULFED: “High concentrations” of radiation hit US and Canada — Plume was rich in Cesium-137 and “close to the surface” from Vancouver southward — See also Hawaii, Florida (MAPS)
“Already on 15 March, a first isolated 133Xe cloud reached western North America, followed by the arrival of high concentrations of both 133Xe and 137Cs on 19 March.”
“The main part of the radioactive plume entered western North America on 17–18 March. On 18 March at 12:00UTC, the head of the plume had already arrived over the North Atlantic, but the main part was located over the eastern Pacific Ocean and western North America, where it could be detected at monitoring sites. This part of the plume was also rich in 137Cs, as it was still close to the surface south of 50 [Most of US/Canada border is 49°]. At the same time, the plume penetrated the subtropics and arrived at Hawaii on 19 March.”
“A map of the simulated surface concentrations of 133Xe for 22 March shows that all of western North America was engulfed by the FD-NPP plume, as well as parts of eastern North America and eastern Asia.”
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/11/28319/2011/acpd-11-28319-2011.html
MAP
http://enenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/cs137_NA.jpg

[WeMustDoBetter09]

05:02 PM on 10/28/2011

”Nuclear Power: A Meaningless Waste of a Wonderful Planet”

[John Denton]

04:26 PM on 10/28/2011

A sincere leader would decide now instead of reading the polls in December. He proclaimed an oil free future, after all, and got elected on it.

[anniewheelr]

11:50 PM on 10/28/2011

And so he has the wife leave on another plane to go on vacation rather than wait for him and share his ride....yep...he's the environmental President we all look up to....

[rtheryoung]

04:01 PM on 10/28/2011

Another actor whose opinion should mean nothing. I guess they all think their fame makes them
more relevent than the rest of us.

[aforbes808]

04:54 PM on 10/28/2011

Uh, no. Their fame gets the attention of the media. They are using their power to shine a light.

[girldog]

08:22 PM on 10/28/2011

Thank you

[anniewheelr]

11:50 PM on 10/28/2011

Too bad they don't understand economics but then again the price of heating oil really isn't a big issue in Southern California.

[Dave Harpe]

03:15 PM on 10/28/2011

I predict that the biggest shock to Obama's progressive base yet will be when he approves this pipeline. They don't expect it, I do.

[edejan]

10:51 PM on 10/29/2011

I predict you full of it. Obama's "progressive base" knows what to expect and what weight to give it. Sorry!

[Dave Harpe]

02:49 AM on 10/31/2011

Are you saying they will swallow it and stick with him if he approves the pipeline, or that he won't do that?

[JordanPerry]

03:07 PM on 10/28/2011

I stand with David and the over 1200 people who stood in protest at the White House in August protesting the Keystone XL and tar sand mining. Tar sands are end-to-end destruction. The Keystone XL pipeline threatens American farmers with a pipeline they don't want. Over 50 American farmers and ranchers are being attacked with eminent domain claims that will take their land from their without consent. This isn't right! All to allow TransCanada and other Canadian oil barons to exploit the international market for tar sand oil....it won't serve American jobs (less than 50 permanent jobs per Cornell University sutdy), it won't serve American oil independence (more than 75% of oil thru the KXL will be exported), and it won't help us start to heal the warming planet. James Hansen, leading climatologist and NASA scientist, says burning the tar sands would be essentially "game over" for our climate.

This pipeline is the worst idea ever!

[WeMustDoBetter09]

03:46 PM on 10/28/2011

I agree! Let's stand up against all these Big Industries.
NO MORE NUKES
NO MORE OIL
Cleaner, Greener and Save the Planet!

[rtheryoung]

04:05 PM on 10/28/2011

Yes lets let the greastest country in the world go bankrupt. No jobs , no energy, no
industry just wide open spaces where we can all live in tents and search for food.
Sounds like a bright future doesn't it?

[anniewheelr]

11:57 PM on 10/28/2011

A smart President would support a pipeline but to the Great Lakes (shorter trip) and develop our own tar sands and build our own pipeline to our refineries on the Gulf Coast. And you don't think that the tar sands elsewhere are going to be used? Do you believe that China isn't going to do whatever they have to do to continue to grow? We can do it and do it right...we can mediate the risks and develop new ways to clean up tar sand oil production.
50 farmers with eminent domain over how many thousands of miles? That doesn't seem a lot and some of them I've seen interviewed are second or third generation owners whose parents allowed other pipelines through their property with little or no problems. But they've been scared by the green machine rather than realizing that their parents and grandparents had it right that more oil and more money in their pockets is the way to go.

[JordanPerry]

01:09 PM on 10/29/2011

Annie, please provide reference for your suggestion that tar sand mining risks can be mitigated. Also, eminent domain is the forcible taking of one's land by the government. Your suggestion that these 50 are methmatically insignificant is an ugly statement. I'm sure you'd say that 50 cancer deaths in a city with thousands (like is happening in small towns around the tar sands mine) is also insignificant?

Lastly, this pipeline is unlike any pipeline in history. Yes, you are right that thousands of miles of pipelines criss cross these states already. All of them have leaked. All of them have scarred the land. But none of them before pumped 900k barrels a day of heavy, dirty, tar like "oil" that's been heated and pressurized in order to be forced along the route. How thick is the material? There are pumping stations an acre in size every 50 miles (wow, that's not your Mother's pipeline!). These stations have 10k horsepower engines that repressurize the tar for another 50 miles. Experts agree that a single fault could dump 8 million barrels of dirty tar sand oil into the Ogallala Aquifer. This aquifer provided 30% of the US groundwater for irrigation and fresh drinking water for 82% of the people who live in the enormous boundary of the aquifer.

In the old days, Annie, your comments might have held up. But it's time to leave the soundbites and simple rationalizations behind. This is a crime against humanity and must be stopped.

[WeMustDoBetter09]

02:17 PM on 10/28/2011

Good for you David!
SAY NO TO KEYSTONE PIPELINE!

[Texas13]

03:00 PM on 10/28/2011

Amen!! Fanned for wanting to do do WAY better!!! China is laughing all the way to the bank as we push back on a energy policy. These prehistoric fuels have to go. It's the 21st Century for goodness sake. :)

[daultman463]

03:10 PM on 10/28/2011

They will go in about 50 years Texas. you do realize we have about 200 million vehicles in the US alone that run on this prehistoric stuff to start with. I`m all for new fuels but show me what we are going to do now.