Here is the speech I yelled into a megaphone in front of Senator Mark Udall's office building this afternoon as a part of a rally organized by Colorado's 350.org.
"Thanks for being here today to help
bring the Keystone XL pipeline vote to the attention of our fellow Coloradans
and to let our senators know that we are strongly opposed to the pipeline.
I’m Keah Schuenemann, a climate and
meteorology professor right here in Denver, sporting a proud PhD in atmospheric
science from the University of Colorado.
Since moving to here 10 years ago for
graduate school, I’ve gotten a true taste of Colorado living: endless Sunny days and mild winters sprinkled
with more powder days than a Wisconsin girl could dream of, but I’ve also had a
wildfire threaten my home as I sweated out the heat wave of 2012 in a non-air
conditioned condo; I’ve bailed buckets and shop vacs full of water from my
flooded neighbors’ condos as they stood paralyzed while water poured from the
sky and into their homes; I’ve learned that spring precipitation is welcome
here not only to help our farmers, but to keep the state from burning to the
ground during the dry days of summer.
Of course as a weather and climate professor,
I thrive on understanding Colorado’s delicate climate and moody weather, but I
wonder if these events are just a flavor of things to come.
Beyond the very direct negative effects
the Keystone XL pipeline’s leaks and spills could have on our environment in
the United States, committing to tapping unconventional, carbon intensive fuel like
tar sands from this pipeline would be a long
term commitment to irreversible
climate change.
The carbon footprint of the pipeline
would send us down a path towards further global warming of levels the
international community has agreed will have catastrophic effects. In
fact, the US National Climate Assessment was released today and claimed for our
region,
1.
“Heat, drought, and
competition for water supplies will increase with continued climate change.”
2.
“Projected regional
temperature increases, combined with the way cities amplify heat, will pose
increasing threats and costs to public health in cities.”
3.
“Increased warming,
drought, and insect outbreaks, all caused by, or linked to climate change, have
increased wildfires and impacts to people and ecosystems. Fire models project more wildfire and
increased risks to communities across extensive areas.”
4.
“Snowpack and streamflow
amounts are projected to decline in parts of the region, decreasing surface
water supply reliability for cities, agriculture, and ecosystems.”
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| Tar sands pipeline! Clever! |
Imagine our future with this commitment
to warming. As sea levels rise,
populations would be displaced worldwide, but also here in the United States
along our very own vulnerable coastlines. Imagine how far storm surges
from future hurricanes would penetrate starting from a 2 foot higher sea!
Perhaps some of those people might find themselves a little more comfortable
here in the Mile-High City where a downward trend in snow cover will limit our
ability to sustain population growth due to dwindling water supplies.
I tell my students all the time, “Fighting
global warming isn’t about being a tree hugger/environmentalist!” It’s about keeping the planet at a stable
temperature for human society, to
avoid climate catastrophes, to simply be able to grow food, something that
might be a bit of a challenge in California this year after their historic
drought.
The
Keystone XL pipeline isn’t good for the Front Range, for Colorado, for the United
States, or for the global community. Sometimes in our busy day-to-day lives we
forget that our fuel decisions here in America can have enduring global
consequences that last for centuries.
We
have all the tools we need to solve
this problem, we can DO this, but tapping the Canadian tar sands CANNOT be a
part of the energy portfolio that moves us safely forward, it would be a Giant Leap in the wrong direction.
Please join me in telling Colorado Senators Udall and Bennet that we are not willing to commit to long term climate change and we must say "No!" to the Keystone XL pipeline.
Thank you."
Click here to let your senators know directly that you oppose the pipeline: http://act.350.org/call/kxl-senate-2014-calls-1/
or
Tweet Mark Udall @MarkUdall and @SenBennetCO telling them to vote against Keystone XL!
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| June 2012: I'm watching the airplanes fly over as they try to put out the wildfire just two miles from the place I call home while we wait on pre-evacuation notice. |