Environmentalists object to Governor Scott Walker’s letter of support for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Walker weighed on the issue this week, and on Thursday a group of activists from Milwaukee and Madison traveled to snowy Grand Island, Nebraska for the sole scheduled State Department hearing for public input on the project prior to a final decision. “You’ve got the governor of Wisconsin issuing a statement to Secretary of State Kerry, saying he should approve the project because of jobs. And the idea that a pipeline that is meant to carry fuel is about jobs is just nonsense,” said Dick Smith, spokesman for the group 350 Madison.
“What are we doing burning 400 gigatons of Canadian tar sands goo, which is some of the filthiest carbon on the planet?” Smith thinks halting the pipeline between Canada and refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast could also slow development of those dirty Canadian tar sands. “President Obama is the one who gets to make the decision,” said Smith. “He said he’s concerned about global warming and climate change, and this is his chance to do the right thing.”