Your voice is needed. For though the resistance at Standing Rock has been forcibly paused and oil now flows through the Dakota Access pipeline, the struggle to protect the health and safety of the tribe and people downstream isn’t over. Quickly and quietly, Energy Transfer Partners is planning to more than double the amount of oil DAPL carries, to more than a million barrels a day. And they’re doing this — once more — without the consent of the people.
It’s time to stand again with Standing Rock. We interviewed leaders from Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, Pine Ridge, and Rosebud — and together we’re demanding transparency and input through a public hearing. Will you take a moment now to join us? You can use our form to send an email telling North Dakota’s Public Service Commission that the people must be heard!
Big Oil assures us that increasing oil flow through pipelines isn’t dangerous, but U.S. regulators say their information doesn’t back that claim. And tar sands crude — the type of oil DAPL carries — is a special threat: corrosive to infrastructure, it caused a million-gallon spill into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan not long ago. The United States suffers hundreds of liquid pipeline incidents every year. Why should we trust Big Oil’s word?
Between now and the deadline for input on Aug. 9, we will do everything we can to ensure a public hearing — the first step in stopping DAPL from becoming twice as dangerous. The Black Snake’s presence must not be allowed to fester and grow without pushback from every corner of Turtle Island. Will you stand with us once again to ensure the safety of our people and our sacred land and water?
Wopila Tanka — Thank you for making a difference! Mni Wiconi.
Chase Iron Eyes
Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project
https://aptnnews.ca/2019/07/13/reconciliation-pipeline-how-to-shackle-native-people/
National News | July 13, 2019 by Attributed to: | 0 Comments
Winona LaDuke
Special to APTN News
“You can’t make this stuff up.
At the end of the fossil fuel era, the plan is to transfer the liability to Native people.
And it’s not going to work.
Dressed up as “equity positions”, or “reconciliation”, across the continent, corporations and governments are trying to pawn off bad projects on Native people.
The most recent case was the attempt to stick the Navajo Nation with a 50 year old coal generating plant – Navajo Generating Station.
That’s after BHP Billiton, the largest mining corporation in the world dumped a 50 year old coal strip mine, with all sorts of environmental and health liabilities, on the tribe.
Always good to get rid of liabilities on some poor people you’ve taken advantage of for fifty years or so.
It didn’t work, the Navajo Nation rejected the offer.
Now here’s a new one – a really good one in Canada.
It turns out that no one really wants a tar sands pipeline.
Well, except some pipeline companies, the Koch brothers, Syncrude and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Here’s the skinny: The Trans Mountain would “twin” another pipeline making this a 1,150 km pipeline with a 800,000 barrel a day capacity.
That existing pipeline is currently Canada’s only way to get oil to Chinese markets.
That pipeline was originally purchased for $4.5 billion in August of 2018 from Kinder Morgan, who faced stiff opposition in the courts and in the streets.
Trudeau purchased that pipeline, for the people of Canada, and the next day the Court of British Columbia ruled that all permits were null and void on the pipeline, as Indigenous people had not been consulted and had to give consent.
Risky Business
Fast forward to January of 2019, when the value of the pipeline, now dubbed ‘TMX’ (I call it Trudeau West) has dropped about $700 million in value.
A pipeline without approvals, is a risky thing, getting riskier by the day.
Interest payments on a pipeline project are also pretty hefty. Robyn Allan, an independent economist critical of an expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, says financial statements show the existing pipeline suffered a C$58 million loss in the first four months that the government owned it.
Economists disagree on the interest payments on just pipeline debt- it’s somewhere between $149 and $249 million annually, and that’s a chunk of change.
That’s a lot of money. No time better to send that debt over to the First Nations.
After all, most of the Canadian First Nations have poverty rates four times the national average, a lack of potable water, and inadequate infrastructure.
It makes perfect sense that a First Nation, or coalition of First nations should assume Canada’s debt and liability on a mega project which will wreak environmental and economic havoc.
Enter Reconciliation Pipeline
Clever, for sure in the political spin. “Let’s make it the Reconciliation pipeline. Through majority Indigenous ownership, it can improve Indigenous lives throughout the West. How? By returning profits made from shipping resources to market to the traditional owners of the land from which those resources came,” their website explains.
“Project Reconciliation wants Indigenous peoples to use capital markets to take a majority ownership stake in Trans Mountain. It also wants to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund to create intergenerational wealth to improve Indigenous lives across the West by investing in infrastructure and renewable energy projects.”
That’s one bid for the risky pipeline.
Two more “competing” First nations coalitions allegedly seek to buy the pipeline.
The ‘Iron Coalition’ from Alberta has invited 47 First Nations and about 60 Métis organizations in the province to sign up for the effort, which was endorsed by the Alberta-based Assembly of Treaty Chiefs last fall.
And then there’s a third- the Western Indigenous Pipeline Group, comprised of First Nations already along the infrastructure’s route, impacted by the present 300,000 barrel a day tarsands pipeline, to be “ twinned” should a miracle occur in financing.
That’s three coalitions all preparing a bidding war for a pipeline project which faces massive opposition.
The whole initiative, Rueben George, of the Tsleil-wauluth First Nation, and leader in the opposition to the pipeline calls this new development “ a new smallpox blanket.”
Economically, he’s probably right.
Big Money on the Line ”
Click the link to read more….wow, these people really think everyone is stupid.
“Conservative lawmakers have put forward laws criminalizing protests in at least 18 states since 2017 that civil liberties advocates say are unconstitutional”
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/2019/07/08/csis-surveillance-data-pipeline-protesters-canada/
“The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) Monday released thousands of pages of heavily-redacted documents suggesting the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) spy agency illegally spied on Indigenous and environmentalist groups opposed to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline project.”
http://www.therepublic.com/2019/07/10/us-pipeline-protest/
“FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A Virginia woman who mounted a horseback protest against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is nearing the end of her journey through three states.
The Fayetteville Observer reports Sarah Murphy arrived this week in Cumberland County, North Carolina, after riding along the pipeline’s route and expects to finish in the next week or so near Pembroke.”
“AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lawmakers in Texas are considering a bill that would stiffen penalties for damaging or trespassing around oil and gas operations despite opposition from environmental groups who say it would quell peaceful protests and overly criminalize offenses.”
Mission accomplished! After more than 1,200 of you sent emails in a single day, the White House declared a public assistance disaster for the Oglala Sioux Tribe — a major victory for Pine Ridge.
This incredible news means that the Oglala will receive more than $10 million in support to rebuild public infrastructure like roads, water systems, and public housing. While it’s an extremely satisfying conclusion to months of hard work, we must not rest on our laurels.
At Pine Ridge, where 97 percent of people live below the poverty line, my role as public relations director for OST President Julian Bear Runner has given LPLP a new and powerful way to serve Lakota Country. As an officially-designated “Promise Zone,” Pine Ridge can apply for significant federal grant funding, but the tribe lacks the resources to do so. In addition to ensuring the FEMA process ends well, our Lakota Law team will help OST to optimize its Promise Zone opportunities.
Your ongoing friendship can also empower my colleagues, Phyllis Young and Madonna Thunder Hawk, at their home nations. Phyllis’ efforts to #GreenTheRez at Standing Rock are in full swing, and Madonna is organizing resistance to KXL at Cheyenne River.
Today, as we celebrate a great, shared victory, I ask that you stay with us and continue to pledge your support to our team so we can accomplish every critical goal we have for 2019 and the years to come.
Wopila Tanka — I can’t thank you enough for standing with Pine Ridge and LPLP!
Chase Iron Eyes
Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project
Stand with Pine Ridge: Federal Flood Relief Needed Now!
Months after the Pine Ridge Reservation was flooded by devastating winter storms, it’s still awaiting its own federal disaster declaration. Tell President Trump to do the right thing—declare an official public infrastructure disaster for the reservation and provide for the Oglala Lakota Nation.
From: https://www.lakotalaw.org/
We are now several months into our team effort to remind FEMA of its obligations to Indian Country. With the support of friends like you, we have made real progress: FEMA has now pledged to assist individual homeowners on the Pine Ridge Reservation with repairs—a major victory which will generate millions of dollars in aid.
That said, the federal process isn’t over, and we must push Washington D.C. one more time to get us across the finish line. Repairs to our public infrastructure — roads, water systems, bridges, culverts, and more — are still unfunded. We estimate that at least $10 million in damage exists, and that’s why politicians in D.C. need to know you’re paying attention.
Please watch our new video, then send an email to the White House telling President Trump to grant the public assistance disaster declaration that Pine Ridge needs for infrastructure support.
When poor communities suffer disasters, they become even poorer — unless FEMA steps in to level the playing field. In the past, FEMA’s record has been terrible here at Pine Ridge. Last year, when a hail storm did millions of dollars of damage to homes, FEMA deemed the fallout “cosmetic” and did nothing. This time around, we’re committed to getting a better result for the people of one of the poorest communities in the nation.
So far, moral support from friends like you has helped us work with Oglala Sioux Tribe President Julian Bear Runner and the emergency management office here to bring more than a dozen skilled workers to the reservation. Together, we’ve raised money directly for the tribe, helped fill a warehouse with in-kind donations, and provided expert media and public outreach to keep the community and the wider world informed.
Now, the tribe’s request for infrastructure assistance is on Trump’s desk, and we’re awaiting his response. Watch our new video, sign our letter to the White House, and share this action with your networks. Please make your voice heard on behalf of Pine Ridge one more time.
Wopila — Your solidarity can keep the momentum going!
Chase Iron Eyes
Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project
Special thanks to the United Methodist Committee on Relief for offering essential financial support to our team during this period of crisis. Together with UMCOR and allies like you, we’ve been able to make a huge difference. Now it’s time for one last push to bring FEMA into the fold!
“On Thursday, Trump claimed to an audience in Ohio that he never heard any gratitude from TransCanada Corp., the company behind the controversial project, after he signed an executive order approving it.”
https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/1198132291908/?jwsource=cl
“BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — An executive for the company proposing the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada’s oil sands into the U.S. says it has missed the 2019 construction season due to court delays.”
https://apnews.com/68d25c64d1ea4ae39d142ad25788bda5
“In 2018, Indigenous-led opposition to each of the three major proposed tar sands oil pipelines in North America continued to spotlight the outcomes of failing to secure free, prior and informed consent, alongside the pipelines’ threats to the climate and broader environment. The Trans Mountain pipeline saw the most spectacular setbacks, with Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal quashing the project’s approvals and permits, ruling that both the federal government’s consultation with First Nations communities and its environmental assessments were inadequate.1As former sponsor Kinder Morgan exited the project, Ottawa finalized its extraordinary purchase of the pipeline for C$4.5 billion.”
https://lastrealindians.com/news/2019/5/27/may-27-2019-fighting-tar-sands-expansion
“Tokyo, Japan (May 28th, 2019) – While meeting with business leaders in Japan President Trump gave false information regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline. TC Energy (formerly TransCanada) announced on May 6th that the KXL pipeline was delayed due to “ongoing legal challenges” many of which involving Indigenous communities, including the Indigenous Environmental Network.”
http://www.keystone-xl.com/kxl-101/maps/
But we are wasting it…I have been working on a thread on the Internations site:
https://www.internations.org/forum/thread/4460461
Here is what we write about there, and water is a topic we have discussed:
For years we have been in a war on misinformation. The misinformation about our radically changing climate is now being exposed. If you do not believe it, it just has not effected you personally yet. The problems are here now, people are dying now, crops are beginning to fail now. What can we do, what are you doing, what is the plan in your community?
Dandelion Salad with Chris Hedges RT America on Feb 23, 2019 The glaciers in Alaska alone are losing an estimated 75 billion tons of ice every year. The oceans, which absorb over 90 percent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouses gases in the atmosphere, are warming and acidifying, melting the polar ice caps and […]
The inability or laziness of people to not take the time and research their sources is killing our ability to act proactively. We are constantly mired in misinformation, diversions, faulty logic, and lies.
From posts on another forum:
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For years we have been in a war on misinformation. The misinformation about our radically changing climate is now being exposed. If you do not believe it, it just has not effected you personally yet. The problems are here now, people are dying now, crops are beginning to fail now. What can we do, what are you doing, what is the plan in your community?
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How much colder would North America, Russia and Europe be without a warmer planet?..
But seriously, nothing can change the fact the IPCC is on record as saying global warming will produce milder, warmer winters. 🤔
The opposite seems true…
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Nan, please provide the evidence of your statement. https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/ What page?
“B” Post:
In Michigan, Hell has literally frozen over!
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-31/polar-vortex-leaves-11-states-colder-north-pole-hell-literally-freezes-over
Some of the comments on that link are quite funny. This one: “Al Gore is not accepting any calls at this time..” And this one: “I’ve finally got it figured out. If it’s colder than normal, it’s weather; and if it’s hotter than normal, it’s climate. What do I win?”
And this one that’s a bit more serious: “Not that I want to push weather doom and gloom, but our current solar minumin has not bottomed out yet – it will bottom out in 2023 which means more (and colder) polar vortacies till 2023 and then it will cycle slowly back up.”
This thread is not about my opinion, it is about facts from scientists, scientific journals, peer reviewed research papers, scientific organizations, climate experts, and educators. In addition, I have provided information from reputable news sources and organizations. The point is – the climate is changing – it is not an opinion to be argued about, it is real and it is killing people and causing billions of dollars in damage to our infrastructure. The point to discuss is – what are we going to do about it, how are we going to adapt, how are we going to survive, what changes can we make, how are we going to cope?
Renee, this thread does indeed seem to be about your opinion ( more than half the posts are yours), and whenever anyone disagrees with you or provides evidence to the contrary, you seem to get upset…
For people like me who like visuals, here is a good video to explain how the jet stream works : https://youtu.be/AV_FVs8RYxw
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https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/SR15_SPM_High_Res.pdf Referenced, data driven, scientific- the original documentation to read yourself.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/10/ipcc-report-climate-change-impacts-forests-emissions/ A summary of IPCC report.
…don’t shoot the messenger, they’re just reporting the documented facts- none of what was reported was fictional…
And as for the “far right organisations,” (sounds very conspirational itself!), if it’s OK for yourself to continually quote left wing sources, l reserve my right to quote your so- called far right “organisations .”
Good luck to your president…
P.S: if you in fact taught science for as long as you say, you would not deny the sun is the major driving factor in climate…
Again, this thread IS about your opinions, and anyone who differs from them is belittled, much like the left do in general…
More information on the jet stream: https://youtu.be/yObanrslYME
https://youtu.be/uJYWvnuA9w8 Paul Beckwith teaches in Ottawa and gives short informative videos that explain climate and weather. Here is one about the jet stream. He always provides links to the data so you can study it yourself.
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https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ian_Plimer
So my post today will be all that I will say on the matter. I hope this information will help everyone in looking for factual unbiased data. The three people who are acting like trolls are welcome to join this discussion if they contribute to the discussion. Otherwise, I have them on ignore.
For a reminder – The premise of this discussion is: For years we have been in a war on misinformation. The misinformation about our radically changing climate is now being exposed. If you do not believe it, it just has not effected you personally yet. The problems are here now, people are dying now, crops are beginning to fail now. What can we do, what are you doing, what is the plan in your community?
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This is only a small sample of what the social media discussion is on climate change. Notice the person never answered where the IPCC comment is in the report. I do not think they even read the report – they get all of their information from a right-wing news rag. And this is the problem. Instead of taking the time to read the report for themselves, people are led around by opinion articles in corporate owned news outlets.Those corporations do not want anyone to change. So, we have a stagnation on critical action and people trying to argue that there is no such thing as climate change while Australia burns and the poles melt and the eastern part of the U.S. gets hit with polar temperatures. The indigenous people of the world know about climate change, they have experienced it and have struggled to adapt. If there is any hope in salvaging anything on this planet, indigenous people know because they have an intimate knowledge of earth’s systems.
