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SD350 Very Disappointed in Obama’s State of the Union

Activists Say He Has Failed Our Country at its Most Critical Hour

SAN DIEGO – A local environmental group was “very disappointed” in President Obama’s State of the Union speech, saying he has failed the country at its most critical hour in the battle over climate change.  They say his vacillating policy on energy may even lead to local civil disobedience actions in the next few months, due to the uncertainty of his leadership on climate change issues.

“How can he tell the nation we have a climate change threat and in his next breath, extol his efforts to achieve a historic boom in oil and natural gas drilling,” asked one of the founders of SanDiego350.org, Masada Disenhouse.  “If this president really is worried about our children’s children as he says, then he has to stop waffling on what to do about climate change.”

At a national level, 18 environmental groups sent Obama a letter just days before his speech, pointing out the contradiction in his energy policy of increasing oil and gas production while attempting to reduce pollution from fossil fuels.  After his speech, most were furious about his failure to explain his confusing national energy policy. SanDiego350.org expressed serious doubts about that energy policy, especially concerning fracking, which threatens central and southern California.

“In southern California we face an enormous conflict with fossil fuel corporations over their intent to frack oil and gas, creating a multitude of threats to our communities and our dwindling water supply.  There was not one word from Obama on fracking, beyond his boasting of a surge of oil and gas production during his administration,” said Peg Mitchell, who has led the local community in its resistance to fracking.  “We are pleased with some of progress he has made, but this opportunity to address climate change on a national stage was a complete failure.”

Obama’s speech has made the San Diego environmental community especially concerned about his upcoming decision on  granting a permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would be a gateway from Canada to the Texas coastal refineries for tar sands oil slurry.    The Keystone proposal is to mine 140,200 square kilometers of boreal forest in Alberta, Canada and build pipelines to deliver the bitumen slurry to the Texas coast to create refined petroleum products, like gasoline, primarily for export.  These products simply can’t be used, according to numerous international climate organizations, because research shows two thirds of existing fossil fuel reserves have to stay in the ground if we are to keep global warming below 2°C.

Along with other environmental groups across the nation, San Diego activists have decided to draw a line with Keystone, making a stand to stop the endless mining of fossil fuels and force the development of alternative energy sources.  SanDiego350.org released a statement in response to Obama’s speech that they have developed civil disobedience plans to protest the approval of this pipeline, should it appear that Obama will approve the Keystone permit.

To participate in action against the Keystone Pipeline, join us on Monday:

https://actionnetwork.org/events/keystone-pipeline-vigil-san-diego.

The above was written by Jeffrey Meyer, volunteer for San Diego 350.org

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