When Virginia Senator Mark Warner decided to flip his stance on the tar sands pipeline, Virginians were ready to march to his door and let him know that if he claims to be a leader on climate change, he cannot support the Keystone pipeline!
Yesterday, over 20 climate activists, including students and constituents from across the state, stormed Warner’s Richmond office to voice their outrage over his recent support for the KXL.
After marching through downtown Richmond, we rallied outside Warner’s building and flooded his office with our bodies and our voices. Activists from CCAN and 350.org spoke with one of his top legislative aids for almost half an hour about the catastrophic consequences we will face if Warner continues to support the pipeline. We handed over a letter expressing our need for a leader who will fight with us for a clean energy future and demanded that the aid deliver our message immediately to the Senator. Our request? Vote no on any legislative efforts to support the Keystone XL pipeline, and respond to our concerns within one week.
Succes! In today’s copy of the Richmond Times Dispatch, we were assured that the public outcry got his attention- an article covering yesterday’s action stated that Warner’s office will be responding to the effort.
With a Senate vote on a bill attempting to fast-track approval of the Keystone pipeline coming up as soon as today, we need to show our Senators that if they choose the fossil fuel lobby over their constituents, there will be consequences. Today is a national Call-In day to our VA Senators’ offices. Join us in demanding that they vote NO to any legislative efforts approving Keystone XL. Call Warner’s office (202-224-2023) and Kaine (202-224-4024) to tell them to stand with us, and not Big Oil!
We’ll be waiting for his response, and if Warner stands with the fossil fuel industry, we will be back. People power is what it will take to stop the Keystone XL pipeline from being built, and that’s what we’ll give them. Virginians are ready to stand together, and we won’t back down.
Here’s a copy of our letter to Mark Warner:
Dear Senator Mark Warner,
We, the undersigned constituents of Virginia, call on you to stand up for the people—not big oil—and vote no on any bill forcing approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Virginia is already suffering from climate change, and we cannot wait any longer for real climate action.
More than 1.1 million people live in the 13 Virginia counties where average summertime temperatures set records in 2010. Rising seas and storm surge jeopardize coastal cities’ infrastructure. Our coastal cities on the Chesapeake Bay region are ranked the 3rd most vulnerable to sea level rise, behind Louisiana and Southern Florida.
We need you to be a leader who is willing to fight with us for a clean energy future, and to protect our land, water, and air for future generations to come.
You have the power to take specific steps right now that will have a significant and immediate impact on carbon pollution. We need you to be a leader and choose the path for Virginia and America which will stop dirty fossil fuels and fire up our clean energy economy.
If you claim to represent us, the people of Virginia, you must vote against any legislative efforts to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. We expect a response from you concerning our requests within one week.
Cross-posted from www.wearepowershift.org
