21 U.S States Sue Biden Over Keystone Pipeline

There are two sides to every story.

Then there are the versions of those stories that are told.

When writing pieces like this one I write to inform, educate, advocate and remain factual.

At the end of this article like many informative opinion pieces of mind, I proved links to fact check information throughout as well as sources at the bottom.

I have been and will always be a long-time advocate for our environment, ecosystems, and planet. Not just because I enjoy food, clean water, and air for myself. It because I believe everyone is entitled to it for years to come.

Including but not limited too, everyone In my own country rather our ideals and morals aligns or not, other countries and the future generations to come. after all, they are the ones that will be left with this planet when you and I are gone.

I just read a breaking news article of 21 states led Attorney Generals in the states of Texas,& Ohio. Montana, Arizona , Arkansas,Georgia,Indiana,Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana , Mississippi,Missouri,Nebraska ,North Dakota,Ohio,Oklahoma,Sourth Carolina,South Dakota,Utah,West Virginia and Wyoming.

The lawsuit states that Biden does not have the unilateral authority to change the energy policy that U.S Congress has set.

Biden revoked the permit for the pipeline which would transport 800,000 barrels of carbon-intensive crude oil a day from Canada’s Alberta To Nebraska.

Biden revoked the permit in a group of needed executive orders aimed at curbing climate change.

Understanding What Your Fighting For.

Before going further I want to address the biggest thing. The pipeline and what it contains. I don’t think most people know this, but I’m surely not convinced our attorney generals and the people fronting this lawsuit know what it is either. In other words, I think they have very little clue what they are fighting for, except - money.

The keystone pipeline is 1,179 miles long running from Alberta, Canada To Steele City Nebraska where it joins a pre-existing pipeline, carrying 830,000 gallons of crude tar sand oil a day. Notice that interesting word that no one likes to mention?

Tar sand oil.

What is tar sand oil?

Put simply dirty oil, dirtier than what we normally refine.

Tar sand oil is the most destructive, carbon-intensive, and toxic fuel on the planet.

Producing it releases three times as much greenhouse gas as pollution as conventional crude oil does.

Tar sands Or tar sand oil is a mixture of sand, clay, and other materials water and bitumen. Bitumen is a form of crude oil that can be separated from the mixture.

Tar sand oils create enormous CHG emissions, produce relatively low net energy return, use large amounts of water, cause water pollution, and are own for widespread habitat destruction for both land and water.

So why are 21 states suing our president and his admin for halting this project? Like I said money.

I don’t think it’s a secret that politicians get money from lobbyists and a great amount of it comes from big oil companies.

In 2020 the biggest donors were Chevron Corp donating a whopping $8,930,00.00, Exxon Mobil giving a generous $8,690,000.00, Koch Industries swooping in with a cool $ 7,990,00, Royal Dutch Shell with a modest $7,240,000, and Occidental Petroleum with their contribution at $6,460,000.

While both parties have accepted this funding and donations, Republicans by far cash in much more often, and more generously. Their track records with voting on policies and lawsuits against clean energy show where their loyalties really are.

Our current president Joe Biden was also a recipient of these “donations“ however he actively and openly is against big oil legislation and does things such as revoking the permit for the keystone pipeline for the people not for big oil.

Proven over time it’s not news to know that big oil companies invest in a politicians who votes against the environment, putting oil and money over America and the people who give these individuals their jobs under the assumption they are looking out for everyone’s best interest, but they're not.

Hiding Under The Guise of Doing This For The People

Republican's favorite go too and undoubtedly will come up eventually during this case is that Biden is costing jobs.

Remember the two sides to every story then there’s how it's told.

So here is what is being told to people.

“Stopping the pipeline put 11,000 people out of work“

Here are the facts

1000 Employees were hired in December 2020. They were tasked with hiring an additional 10,000 temporary employees. Yes, you read that correctly temporary.

The Republicans and Democrats suing over this pipeline aren’t doing it for you, those people, or me.

They are doing it for the oil companies and themselves.

The Pipeline Was Wrongly Constructed and Built Illegally, to Begin With

The keystone pipeline was a nightmare from the moment I first heard about it, through the protests, I and many others celebrated when it was halted /delayed via the Obama administration and was Devastated when it was pushed through via presidential permit by the Trump admin, which was also illegal though nobody likes to talk about it.

How was it illegal well firstly it was built through protected native land, we ignored that and that is wrong. We don’t like to admit it but we wouldn’t have America the beautiful if it wasn’t for the Natives of this country and all too often, too quickly do we break our word and our treaties.

They may be old, they might not be convenient for politicians to make money but they should be honored.

At the same when previous president trump granted these permits, he was still holding stock in the keystone pipeline, 3.8 billion dollars worth to be exact. A clear and illegal conflict of interest. Making it abundantly clear that not only did he grant those permits to help his friends in big oil who undoubtedly donated significant amounts to his campaign funds, but also himself.

Unfortunately, public records to see whom else owns stock within this or oil companies are a little more difficult to find out but I’m genuinely curious how many of these States leaders in this lawsuit also hold stock within the keystone pipeline or TransCanada, my guess is all of them and if not all a good majority of them. I see no other reason to advocate for a dangerous pipeline that has already caused the ecological disaster and provides us with a dirty oil that has consequences for everyone.

It's important to remember that these are the same officials who tell Us we can’t afford national healthcare, but if they get sick or are affected by the pipeline they have the best care money can buy at the push of a button.

This leaves me to wonder where were these Attorneys Generals who are so concerned about Americans jobs when previous president trump failed to remake Michigan’s economy as promised , and his trade war killed 300,000 jobs ,by the end of 2020 it was predicted that trumo s trade war would cost Americans 900,000 jobs . I suppose those jobs don’t matter though. After all they weren’t tempoary positions held with a big oil company so nothing to benefit them or their pockets later. In turn meaning it’s not worth their time to discuss or fight for.

Despite previous president trump’s attempt to circumvent the courts through his Keystone XL permit, the President and TransCanada must comply with treaties and tribal law. They have not done so. Maps released by TransCanada show the pipeline corridor and access roads crossing Rosebud territory, some of which is held in trust, as well as Rosebud’s Mni Wiconi Water system. The 1868 Treaty of Ft Laramie and other federal laws require Rosebud consent to cross Rosebud territory. Rosebud has land use, environmental, and utilities codes that apply, and TransCanada must comply with Rosebud law on Rosebud land.

TransCanada agreed to abide by tribal law. Fort Belknap has a Cultural Property Act that applies to the pipeline. TransCanada failed to comply with Rosebud and Fort Belknap law.

Native Concerns For Pipeline Construction Were Always Right

Natives Protested the pipeline, enduring pepper spray, rubber bullets, police brutality, and more. All to not only protect their people but the surrounding areas, the wetlands, the wildlife, the local delicate ecosystems that they knew could be easily disrupted and catastrophically tore apart in the event the pipeline fails or leaks.

Since it first went into operation in 2010, TC Energy's original Keystone Pipeline System has leaked more than a dozen times, one incident in North Dakota sent a 60 foot,21,000; gallon geyser of tar sand oil spewing into the air.

May 7th, 2011 - Keystone pipeline leaks 16,800 gallons (400 Barrels) at laden pump station into private land in North Dakota, it was discovered by a local rancher.

May 29th, 2011 - 14,000 gallons spilled after a valve failure

April 2, 2016 - 16,800 gallons in Hutchinson South Dakota

November 16, 2017 - 407,000 gallons on farmland near Amherst South Dakota

October 31, 2019 - 380,000 gallons of tar sand oils and toxic diluents that affected wetland northeastern of North Dakota.

& these are just the biggest spills there are several more.

Questioning Presidential Authority When It No Longer Fits Your Agenda

This lawsuit centers a focus around Biden and his administration not having the authority to overturn or revoke the permits to the pipeline, however, if that was the case then previous President Trump should not have had the authority to authorize the permits in the first place.

Especially when he ignored and attempted to falsify the ecological issues this pipeline could cause. It's no secret that previous president trump, his administration, and a majority of the Republican party don’t believe in science but honestly, I don’t think that is the whole story, I just don’t think science helps their agenda for what they want to be done to make more dirty money or keep those generous donations rolling in from big oil.

The Pipeline Isn't The Only Issue - Man Camps

The pipeline, its spills, and the ecological damage it's already caused and continues to cause are just one problem in a slew of issues.

Not in the media or written about nearly enough there’s another threat for local and nearby Natives, specifically native women.

MMIW - Missing, Murdered, Indigenous Women

In 2017 5,646 native women reported missing in the United States nationwide, the murder rate for native women is 10 times that of an average American and Montana native citizens are 6.7% of the population yet between 2016 and 2018 they made up 26% of the states missing person reports. The main campus also described as worse camp modular housing or temporary housing community set up for the well-paid typically Millie laborers who are Taos with constructing pipeline sneaking their way above across and below are nations waterways and lands most often than not, these routes, and as a result, they in cams find them so I was cutting through or just outside of rule travel nation lands and other marginalized communities number of studies reports and congressional hearings now collect men camps which can be used in mind and other extractive X efforts as well with the increased rates of sexual violence and sex trafficking the most well-documented cases thus far have occurred in the tar sands region of Alberta Canada as well as western North Dakota and eastern Montana an area known otherwise as to the back and oil fields such activity is in no way exclusive to the region. Because pipelines are typically out of the real communities local law-enforcement, oftentimes already stretched on her left trying to place a sudden month-long influx of hundreds of outsiders this was among the points underscored in June when Canada‘s federal government released its MMITWG report for a years-long study undertaken by the federal government to clear the missing and murdered indigenous women epidemic at a state induced genocide. Among the findings presented in the 1200 page document, the Canadian government pinpointed extractive industries and main campus as hot birds of violence. The fact that Canada invests the resources in producing the MMIWG final report said 6 miles ahead of the US government Canada continues to invest in extract efforts its crude oil exports surpassed by only three other countries the US currently sits at number eight. The Keystone extra-large pipeline has been completed with transport oil sands from Canada down the gulf coast to be funneled into the new region's refineries. The problem as always an Indian country is getting American politicians to care about human beings more than their campaign contributions as I’ve stated before most of these US politicians who are advocating for this pipeline or doing it for the money which is why they also don’t care if indigenous women are going missing and murdered after all that makes a way easier to take their land. as we see in 2016 US officials rather than heating the side effects of the nation's addiction to oil and natural gas or instead focused on the protesters and pushing the pipeline through regardless of the repercussions for The American people including nearby natives and the land surrounding the pipeline including waterways wetlands and other sources their wildlife and humans need to survive.

I feel as though it has been so long and they have continued getting so much dirty money for such a long time that they have forgotten you cannot eat oil and you cannot breathe in either nor can you do the same with your money.

Because these women are not white and they are not someone related to these senators, attorney generals, congressmen, or anybody who can make decisions in the US about this pipeline, simply put, they just do not care.

Which ironically is the exact opposite of what these individuals should be like.

Raising the question that maybe that is truly why our government is so terrified of generation Z and millennials being able to coexist and collaborate with one another, creating the change that we desperately need Because after all, collectively we are the largest of generations capable of making the change that is needed to keep our planet healthy or ecosystems in balance and leaving a planet that the future generations to come to enjoy, instead of having to clean up our messes from our consequences to the actions and choices we made such as continuing the keystone pipeline.

Benefiting The Few, Leaving Consequences For Many

Overall the keystone pipeline only benefits a few individuals it might be a few hundred or a few thousand but it is still only a few. However, the Keystone pipeline is detrimental to the environment its surrounding ecosystems the wildlife the natives who are entitled to the land that it was built through, and the American people. The negative effects of the pipeline will likely not reach the individuals who are so hardly advocating for this disastrous pipeline.

As mentioned previously we know that the pipeline has leaked over a dozen times and in those leaks what’s not mentioned is the fact that tar sand oil as we know is a dirty oil however it’s also about 20 times harder to clean up than a regular oil spill and most of the time it doesn’t get cleaned up at all because it’s nearly impossible we do not have the resources or the technology for it and that is detrimental to the wildlife, the surrounding water sources, the natives and the American people who use this land.

The most exhausting thing about the keystone pipeline and America’s/the USAs overall obsession with gas and oil or being a leader in it. Is that we do have alternatives, and if we invested in half as much money as we invest in big oil we could make some amazing changes for the better the benefit not just a few but the many.

• Some but not all of these alternatives include but are not limited to :
• Biofuel - Algae from Ponds, the power algea-based biofuels are seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional diesel fuel‘s which produce high levels of green home gases greenhouse gases when they burn and the department of energy he said the algae holds the potential to produce billions of gallons per year of renewable diesel gasoline in jet fuels.
• Solar energy -Humans have been harnessing solar energy for thousands of years to grow crops, stay warm, and dry foods. According to the national renewable energy laboratory, more energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. Today we use the sun's rays are many ways to heat homes and businesses warm water or power devices.
• Wind energy - We’ve come along way from rotation windmills today turbines as tall as skyscrapers with turbines nearly as wide in diameter stand at attention around the world wind energy terms of turbine plans which feed them electric generator and produces electricity. The wind which accounts for a little bit more than 6% of US generation has become the cheapest energy source of many parts of the country. Top wind power states include California, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Ohio through turbines can be placed anywhere with Highwinds speed such as hilltops and open planes or even offshore in open water. I am hesitant to say that placing a windmill in open water would be a good idea however if there are no other options it might be worth looking into as overall it provides an energy wall producing less harm to local ecosystems and harming the environment overall.
• Hydroelectric power - hydropower is the largest renewable energy source of electricity in the United States the wind energy is soon expected to take the lead. Hydropower relies on water typically fast-moving water in a white river or rapidly descending water from High Point and converts the force of that water into electricity by spinning in generators turbine blades.

While the US is very prideful in the fact that we like to do things ourselves it wouldn’t hurt some of our governmental leaders to look to other countries for some ideas and help.

In Norway, the lack of waste is becoming a major headache for their waste management Since the 2009 ban on landfills the country has invested in modern waste to energy incineration plants with a capacity for burning waste in creating heat energy which is fed to private houses and businesses. This has led to actually importing trash to burn to power their private homes and businesses, quite a admirable and ingenious way to power homes and mange waste in a better way than most countries have managed their own.

The total municipal of solid waste in 2018 was 292,400,000 tons (US short tons ) or 4.9 pounds per person per day. The MSW generated approximately 69,000,000 tons were recycled and 25,000,000 tons were composted however if we followed Norway, as an example, we could not only have clean and renewable power but we could avoid filling landfills, help the environment even more and leave an overall cleaner planet for the future generations to come. in total, the US has 3091 land fields and over 10,000 old municipal landfills according to the environmental protection agency.

Recognize The Pattern

Abuse victims rather than domestic, physical, or mental abuse are told to learn to recognize the pattern. In other words, saying that a person can have. A pattern of behavior and that is what you Should pay attention to not necessarily the guilt apology after the abuse. Of course, our attorney generals like Dave Yost, Ken Paxton, and others leading this lawsuit aren't abusing us, but there is certainly a pattern in their behavior and they are taking money and power over the well-being of the American people.

The exact opposite of their jobs.

Ken Paxton has a track record of voting against the people numerous times. The biggest and most notable in 2015 when he sued the EPA over their clean power plan. In the same, he also vowed in January of this year to sue Biden, and now is over the climate change orders and now the pipeline.

In the same Dave Yost, Attorney general of Ohio. Isn’t a friend to the environment but not the peoples rights either. He is the opposite, both Yost and Paxton had ungrounded doubts about the 2020 election, in November 2020, Yost signed off on a trump lawsuit that stated Pennsylvania should invalidate some votes. Paxton also sued battleground states as well as contested election results in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. A slap in the face for the voters who stood in lines for hours to vote. Experts later confirmed they were absolutely no evidence of election fraud in this historically close election.

What Can You Do?

As Greta Thunberg said at the Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate event , "World leaders are behaving like children so it falls on us(the children and people who care) to be the adults in the room."

Educate yourself. Research the pipeline, the ecological disaster-related to it, the what-ifs that could happen if we continue to use it, and contact your representatives and state leaders.

Share your knowledge and educate your friends family and coworkers.

visit the NRDC website and learn more about the fight to prevent this pipeline.

Educate and support on the MMIW subject, they need our help, support, and advocacy.

350.org is also another organization that has a website that is helping to stop the pipeline they are worth looking into and it is a great website to visit to learn more information about the pipeline.

Write to your representatives you can contact them they going to house.gov/representatives and find your representative through the directory then write or call them and tell them your thoughts & opinions on the pipeline and how disastrous it would be for our planet and the future generations to come.

Mail or call the attorney generals heading this lawsuit

You can contact Ken Paxton at the mailing address at

Office of the Attorney General

PO Box 12548,

Austin, TX 78711

their main switchboard phone number is 512–463–2100

or constituent affairs is 800–252–8011 personally even though it’s not what they prefer I would call the main switchboard.

Dave Yost is not as easy to get in contact with however you can contact his health center toll-free at 800–282-0515 Monday through Friday 8 AM to 7 PM

The address listed on their website for the Ohio Attorney General.gov is

30 E. Broad Street. 14th floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Continue watching the news and paying attention to the developments in the lawsuit, as it’s important. It‘s essential for the environment, the People of this, and other countries, and The future generations that we see this revocation of permits remains revoked.

It’s disappointing to see leaders blatantly take money over the American people's need for clean water, land, and air. This raises the question as to why these individuals are in charge of the things they are.

Our congressmen & women, AGs, and leadership should be pushing and advocating for clean and renewable energy, not a pipeline that has a slew of environmental issues as well as putting lives of indigenous people in danger, the pipeline has already caused damage and will continue to cause damage if it continues, benefiting the few and harming the many.

SOURCES :

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/energy/dirty_energy_development/oil_shale_and_tar_sands/#:~:text=Oil%20shale%20is%20a%20form,which%20is%20a%20heavy%20hydrocarbon.