Concern Over Petroleum Development Brings Citizens Together
 

About 200 activists march around the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago to protest the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline. (Michael Tercha, Chicago Tribune / February 17, 2013)

On February 13, 2013, well-known politician Robert Kennedy Jr., 350.org founder Bill McKibbin and actress Darrell Hannah were among 40 plus people arrested for civil disobedience for speaking out about developing a pipeline that would transport tar sands oil from Canada through the USA. This public display and protest preempted a Climate Rally in Washington, DC on February 17th where 35,000 activists gathered to ask President Obama to take immediate action on climate change, and to block the construction of the oil pipeline known as the Keystone XL. Additionally, as many as 30 states held their own Climate Rallies to support the one in DC.

What are the environmental impacts of tar sands? The development of deposits of bitumen, AKA oil sands or tar sands, is one of the most important petroleum resource development projects in Canada and possibly the world. The problem with bitumen, however, is that it must be mined either with enormous open pit excavations much like coal mining, or forced out of the ground under pressure by injecting steam or liquid into the bitumen. Either one of these methods has significant impact on the environment.

In the Fall 2012 issue of Green Teacher, a research project is provided to help middle and high school students determine the severity of the impacts of oil and gas development and what should be done about them.

Visit greenteacher.com or contact Mary Allen, SWANCC's Recycling and Education Director, at mary@swancc.org to request a copy of the curriculum. A more advanced version for grades 11 and 12 is available on the Website of the Centre for Education, Law and Society at cels.sfu.ca.

The Chicago Youth Climate Coalition is a student-based group that offers meetings and activities. For more information, visit chiyouthclimatecoalition.wordpress.com.

Chicago Youth Climate Coalition Film Screening This Saturday

March 9, 2013 | 1:00 pm | Logan Square Library (3030 W. Fullerton Ave Chicago)

Learn how you can prevent dirty tar sands pipelines in the Midwest and protect Lake Michigan at the screening of Blockadia Rising: Voices from the Tar Sands Blockade & Discussion of Enbridge in the Midwest.