This Earth Day Urge Obama to Make a Long-term Investment in Protecting Our Planet

Monday, April 22, marks Earth Day, during which people across the world will honor the environment. Each year, Leagues from across the country gather in their local communities to give back and protect the environment. The LWVUS has long fought battles to protect our clean air and water, prevent climate change and inform the public of what they can do to get involved in this ongoing fight. This year, we need your help to tell President Obama that he must protect our climate and reject the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Last year, the League successfully helped persuade President Obama to delay issuing a permit for the proposed pipeline, a decision that “put the health and safety of Americans ahead of blind reliance on fossil fuels.” And in November, we launched a campaign asking President Obama to make climate change a priority in his second term in office. Now, we must tell the President that protecting our planet from the deadly effects of climate change and rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline go hand-in-hand. We must tell President Obama that protecting the planet from the effects of climate change means rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline.

Over the past week, we’ve asked you to provide comments on the State Department’s review of Keystone XL, which greatly diminishes the pipeline’s negative environmental impact, particularly its devastating effects on our water and wildlife. Comments are due by midnight EST on April 22, and we urge you to add your voice. We have reason to be hopeful: Last year we asked you to join us in celebrating Earth Day by submitting comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on its carbon pollution standards, and you more than rose the occasion.  Thanks to your help, we were part of a record-breaking effort that collected over 3 million comments on this important regulation. Now, it’s time use our voices once more and stand up for our environment.

We were thrilled when the President addressed climate change in his Inaugural Address, but he must follow through on his word. On this Earth Day 2013, let’s tell President Obama that protecting the earth is about more than just fancy speeches and empty promises. Protecting the earth is about making important decisions to ensure the long-term health of its citizens, wildlife and agriculture. The Keystone XL pipeline is too big of a risk to take when it comes to the future of our air, our water and our land.  

Now is the time for the U.S. to lead the world through the greatest environmental challenge of our generation. Join us as we celebrate Earth Day and urge President Obama to protect our country and our planet and reject the Keystone XL pipeline.