Why Terminating Keystone XL is Only the Beginning

Martha Molfetas reminds us there is more beyond Keystone XL, on a global-level that could bring catastrophe to COP-21 and a climate sensitive future.

After finally winning one of the largest battles against dirty energy, the fight for our climate is not yet over. President Obama’s announcement this month to finally drive the last nail in the Keystone coffin was a moment of rejoice for the climate community. It’s been an arduous road to get to this point, but finally, a project that would add up to 93 million tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to our already pressured planet is now caput. Terminating Keystone sends a huge message to other world leaders that one of the globes largest polluting nations is serious about combating climate change. Just in time for December’s Conference of the Parties in Paris (COP-21), where leaders are poised to pass a substantial climate agreement that could set us on a carbon neutral path.

What makes this environmentalist apprehensive is knowing too much about the host of other carbon-intensive projects in the works, both globally and stateside These projects are environmental disasters waiting to happen, and are largely propelled by government policies and incentives, in spite of the now well-known causes and effects of climate change.

This January the Obama Administration announced plans to open offshore drilling in previously off the table areas, like the Arctic and Atlantic coastlines. These areas alone could add up to fourteen new oil and gas sites by 2022. Putting coastal communities who rely on fishing and tourism under threat, from Virginia all the way down to Florida. This was just shortly after another announcement to protect 12 million plus acres of ANWAR (Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). Talk about mixed signals.

In May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that governments around the world are spending up to $5.3 trillion every year to support fossil fuels, accounting for more than what is spent on global health. Meanwhile the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) report on fossil fuel subsidies showed that the 34 OECD and six BRIICS countries combined are buttressing fossils through 800+ government programs, costing taxpayers an estimated $160-200 billion in fossil-welfare each year.

In the background, other state-backed projects are pushing us off a climate cliff. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is pushing to open up one of the most diverse parks and UNESCO world heritage sites to oil drilling. With Soco International actively exploring Verunga for oil, in spite of the impact drilling will have on water supplies for Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC.

Besides oil, many arenas are impacting our climate and could pull the breaks on a successful Paris agreement. Long standing policies and incentives ranging from slash and burn agriculture for palm farms in Indonesia, to uranium mining waste impacting Mali’s water supplies. Policies and incentives for polluters are everywhere.

The road ahead is long. Many world leaders from Africa and Pacific Island nations are now calling for 1.5°C instead of the past stand-by for 2°C, realizing that our current climate impacts are already affecting lives. Frequent rendezvous between China and the US, and EU commitments show the potential for action in Paris. But talk is cheap in comparison to the billions backing fossil fuel industries. Burying Keystone is a windfall, but our work is only beginning.