Naomi Klein was on DN! to put some of the facts straight about Keystone–it is NOT a job creator.  The oil is NOT coming to America, but being piped through this horrible pipeline that crosses farmland and aquifers.  The process to get the oil out of the sand requires huge amounts of precious water.

Note in the piece President Obama is stating that he’s really going to take this environmental thing seriously.  Really…he is. Not so fast.

First Nations, et al, protesting in Canada.  Here is the Global News report.  Note how they couch this report:  Anti-Oil.  A negative.  But they are not portrayed as pro-environment, pro-kids of coming generations, pro-health activists. Makes a difference, doesn’t it, on how one views them. I wonder how much $$ Big Oil is paying them to be their mouthpiece.

Lest we forget.

This from the Royal Canadian Chemistry society on toxicity.  And the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on Bitumen.  Note how the folks in Michigan were complaining of the same symptoms listed on this data sheet for bitumen exposure after the Kalamazoo River spill.

EYES

: Hot bitumen and bitumen fumes may cause severe irritation and burns. Cold bitumen may cause slight irritation. Bitumen dust may cause irritation characterized by burning, redness, swelling and watering

~~~~~~~~

SKIN

: Hot bitumen and bitumen fumes may cause moderate to severe irritation and burns. Cold

bitumen may cause moderate irritation. Bitumen

dust may cause irritation characterized by redness

and occasional drying and peeling.

INGESTION

: Irritation of gastrointestinal tract, vomiting and a danger of aspiration. Aspiration can

develop into potentially fatal chemical pneumonitis.

INHALATION

: Bitumen fumes may cause moderate to severe irritation of the nose, throat and

respiratory tract. May cause headache, nausea, sore throat, nasal congestion, dizziness and nervousness. Confined spaces may accumulate hydrogen sulfide gas. Hydrogen sulfide may cause respiratory tract irritation, nausea, headache, dizziness, pulmonary edema, loss of consciousness, brain damage and death.

~~~~~~~~~

Also note how this sheet appears to be put out by petroleum corporation….yeah, I’m not putting a lot of confidence that they are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Because I’m pretty sure that brain damage and death are serious reactions to the toxic substance. /snark

Here’s a short video on the fight against Keystone in Canada:

Again, I ask the question:  If most of the American public is against Keystone (which they are)…then why are our wishes not being honored?

Lastly, I leave you with Neil Young’s stirring song, Mother Earth:

Watching the video, it just kills me to see the beautiful greenery of Canada…and then what looks like an open wound where they have stripped the Earth.  I mean, it looks like someone went in for plastic surgery and was horribly disfigured.