Letter to the Editor prior to my departure to join the XL Pipeline protest at the White House

Americans are sitting-in at the White House right now to draw attention to the damage our climate will suffer if the US approves the 1,700 mile long Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to US Gulf Coast oil refineries.  The tar sands oil extraction is taking place on Native lands.  A huge swath of lush boreal forest the size the British Isles is being removed in order to mine the oil.  Extracting the oil takes massive amounts of fresh water and natural gas to separate it from the sand and clay in which it is embedded.  The oil itself is so polluting that transport via pipeline is a threat to any environment through which it flows.  However, burning this oil will be, in the words of James Hansen, NASA’s leading climate scientist, “Game over for the climate.”   We must persuade the President to exert his leadership.  The US can be the world leader in converting to sustainable energy or others will have to take this role.  The organization 350.org is leading the action at the White House.  The number, 350, is vital because it describes the highest level of carbon dioxide in parts per million that our atmosphere can contain and still maintain life and civilization as we know it.   When people began burning coal and oil, the measure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 275.  Today the measure is 391.  I will be joining the sit-in at the White House this week.