How can those who understand the risks in continuing to release CO2 into the atmosphere get through to the unconcerned and the politicians. Once the right trigger is found, people will alter their attitudes quickly, but it has not been found yet. Will protests over tar sand mining be the trigger?
Today, famed climate scientist, James Hansen, was arrested outside the White House in a protest over the proposed Keystone Pipeline. Bill McKibben and 350.org are staging a peaceful protest in an attempt to convince President Obama to kill the pipeline proposal. The pipeline will transport crude derived from Alberta’s massive tar sands deposits to refineries in Texas. Blocking it might slow the pace at which the tar sands are being developed. Canadian governments and industry have shown no interest in keeping this very dirty fuel in the ground, so maybe their zeal can be thwarted by delaying its delivery to eager markets. A follow-up protest is now planned for Ottawa on September 26th. Maybe people are finally starting to notice what a mess Canada is making.