Concerned Citizens Walk Across State for Pipeline Awareness
City Times Staff
A group of concerned citizens is walking the length of a Canadian owned pipeline corridor that runs over 300 miles through Wisconsin on a diagonal from Walworth to Superior.
The purpose of the the 33 day walk is to raise awareness of proposed new construction of additional pipeline capacity that, if approved, would increase the amount of tar sands oil threefold rivaling the Keystone XL.
The walk began on Jun. 8 and will continue until Jul. 10 for it’s culmination at Superior WI.
The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will be hosting the group for several days near Hayward with a variety of awareness raising events including honoring Gaylord Nelson, and presenting the unique perspectives of first nation people regarding the right way to live on the land.
Wisconsin state legislators and candidates have been invited to speak at this event about how to build a socially and ecologically healthy Wisconsin. The Sacred Water Sacred Land walkers point out that the Canadian owned Enbridge pipeline company has had 800 spills in the last decade.
The Enbridge pipe rupture in Kalamazoo, Michigan destroyed the Kalamazoo River and sickened many people. There have been spills in Wisconsin also with Grand Marsh being subjected to 60,000 gallons of tars sands oil in 2012.
“Currently, solar energy systems are the fastest growing industry in the nation and all remaining available oil reserves should be used only as feed stock to transition to renewable systems,” said Juliee de la Terre, organizer and professor at Viterbo University. ”Tar sands extraction in Canada is causing atmospheric pollution that covers North America and transporting it puts everyone at risk because it contains cancer causing solvents.The oil can’t be cleaned from water bodies because it sinks to the bottom. Most of the tar sands oil is for export.”
You can find the schedule and more at 33daysontwin66.com.
For activities up north contact Paul DeMain at 715-558-2991 or 715-634-5226 or contact Sandy Lyon at 715-766-2725.
