Nine UWL students traveled to Washington D.C. on March 2 to
participate in the largest act of youth civil disobedience that the White House
in a generation, according to participants. An additional protest will occur on April 27th,
before President Obama has to make his final about the Keystone XL tar sands
pipeline.
UWL student, Natalie Newcomer, was one of the 398 arrests of
civil disobedience for “chaining” herself to the fence of the White House to
represent commitment to the cause.
1,200 youth gathered in Georgetown and began a march towards
the nation’s capitol. Posters in hand, they chanted, “Hey Obama, we don’t want
no pipeline drama,” in hopes to persuade President Obama against approving the creation of the
pipeline.
The company TransCanada wants to bring tar sands oil all the
way down to the Gulf of Mexico. The company states that it will be the safest
oil pipeline in America, despite history of frequent oil spills.
In 2011, TransCanada was responsible for 12 oil spills. One
of its pipelines, Exxon, spilled 1,200 barrels into the Yellowstone River in
July of 2011. A separate pipeline was responsible for 21,000 barrels of oil
spilled into North Dakota.
The pipeline would carry over 800,000 barrels of
semi-viscous, carbon intensive, and toxic tar sands oil. It increases cancer
and asthma, destroys ecosystems, and infringes the treaty rights of Canadian
First Nations. The Environmental
Protection Agency notes that the tar sands carbon emissions are 82% greater
than the average crude refined oil in the United States.
The youth fight for climate protection against the carbon
emissions that would be released by the deadly oil. Newcomer protests to make a
change. “Today’s youth want to send a strong message to Obama that they are not
okay with the pipeline. We need to find long term energy sources that are
renewable and sustainable,” says Newcomer.
The pipeline would exist well after 2020. Newcomer believes
that “Our small steps are for our future and our children’s future.”
“It was a neat experience to make a difference and it was a
cool chance to bring UWL students together. No change will happen if no body
does anything,” states Newcomer.
