Across the United States on Sunday, 19 protests took place to urge President Obama to oppose a proposed pipeline connecting Canadian tar sands operations with American refineries and shipping ports.
A protest in Denver generated 300 people. San Francisco saw over 4,000 people protesting. a small crowd compared to the estimated 35,000 in D.C. Chicago had over 200 people turn out to oppose the pipeline.
The largest protest was in Washington D.C., where over 35,000 people joined together against the pipeline. The Sierra Club and 350.org coordinated the protests to stop the proposed pipeline from being built.
The Keystone XL Pipeline has received a lot of attention in the past week, thanks to protests and efforts by environmentalists in Washington D.C. A number of environmentalists were arrested last Thursday for handcuffing themselves to the White House fence.
The proposed pipeline would travel across some vital water sources across the heartland of the United States. Accidents in Michigan and Canada have proven tar sands are more difficult to clean up than conventional oil spills.
Pipes carrying tar sands must be heated for the sludge to move along the pipeline. This heated sludge corrodes the pipes, making the structure more prone to leaks and potential ecological disaster. The contamination of a major aquifer or water shed could hamper the regions agriculture and drinking water supplies.
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