Keystone XL Pipeline Opposition: From the Front Lines

It was a festive atmosphere outside the Ronald Reagan building in downtown Washington on October 7th 2011, as protesters, many from National Wildlife Federation, flooded the plaza with chants, songs, and demands that President Obama reject the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline.

Nearly 1,000 people joined the noontime event that coincided with a final U.S. State Department hearing on the pipeline inside the Reagan Building. President Obama will soon decide whether to approve the $7 billion pipeline, which would increase carbon emissions equal to adding six million cars to America's roads.

Inside the hearing room, dozens waited to testify against the proposed project. Among them were NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger. Schweiger delivered powerful testimony calling for clean energy policies from the President and the administration.

The diverse coalition of landowners, ranchers, Canadian and American indigenous peoples, national security experts, conservationists, students and religious leaders urged the Obama administration to reject TransCanada's permit application to send 800,000 barrels of crude tar sands oil through a 1,700-mile pipeline every day through Midwestern five states. Hundreds packed the Reagan Building hearing room.