Dirty Fuel, Dirty Money: Congress Is Awash in Contributions from and Investments in the Fossil Fuel Industry
Capitol Hill is greased by oil money. In the House, Speaker Boehner leads the pack
Much to the relief of environmentalists and ranchers -- two factions often on opposite sides of the table -- President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline. In a statement, he said that "the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline's impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment."[1]
But the story about the controversial Canadian project that aims to transport toxic crude oil from tar sands in Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico -- going through some of America's most pristine wilderness, including over 700 rivers -- is far from over. The pipeline could receive approval at a later date, and Congressional Republicans are looking for a way to circumvent the president and the State Department, which has jurisdiction over the project because it crosses national boundaries.
DRIVEN BY GREED: PUSHING LEGISLATION FOR SELF-PROFIT
"Every option is on the table," House speaker John Boehner (R.-Ohio) told Chris Matthews on Fox News Sunday. "We're going to do everything we can to try to make sure that this Keystone pipeline is, in fact, approved."[2]
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Reynard is a Justmeans staff writer for Sustainable Finance and Corporate Social Responsibility. A former media executive with 15 years experience in the private and non-profit sectors, Reynard is the co-founder of MomenTech, a New York-based experimental production studio that explores transnational progressivism, neo-nomadism, post-humanism and futurism. He is also author of the blog 13.7 Billion Years, covering cosmology, biodiversity, animal welfare, conservation and ethical consumption. He is currently developing the Underground Desert Living Unit (UDLU), a sustainable single-family dwelling envisioned as a potential adaptation response to the future loss of human habitat due to the effects of anthropogenic climate change. Reynard is also a contributing author of "Biomes and Ecosystems," a comprehensive reference encyclopedia of the Earth's key biological and geographic classifications, to be published by Salem Press in 2013.
