“Draw the Line on Keystone XL” Demonstration to Close Yuba Cleanup Day

Community invited to take action to slow Climate Change at Bridgeport, South Yuba River State Park on Saturday, September 21^st at 1:20pm

On the same day that SYRCL expects more than 500 volunteers to participate in the 16^th Annual Yuba River Cleanup & Restoration Day, tens of thousands of people will be demonstrating at about 200 sites across the nation against the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline.

This year during SYRCL’s post-Cleanup festivities at Bridgeport (South Yuba River State Park), Nevada County residents have organized a local demonstration in coordination with the organization 350.org  about climate change.  (350.org was founded by Bill McKibben, who has spoken at the Miners Foundry, as well as all over the world. The number 350 represents the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in parts per million that will allow a stable climate by preventing further warming.)

Event organizers plan to stretch a wide blue ribbon almost the length of a football field from the water’s edge at the South Yuba State Park to under the covered bridge.  The theme is “Draw the Line on Keystone XL.” The action will start at 1:20pm on Saturday, September 21^st.

“History shows that whenever carbon dioxide increases, the atmosphere gets warmer, which results in more drought, stronger storms, more fires, floods, and infestations by bark beetles and disease vectors, as well as accelerated melting glaciers, rising oceans, and displaced populations.  All those events are already happening.  According to the National Forest Service that heat threatens our snowpack, our river, and our water supply.  This will increasingly jeopardize all of California’s agricultural, recreational, and drinking water needs,” explained demonstration co-organizers Carol Kuczora and Melanie Vesser.

According to 350.org, the Keystone XL pipeline is intended to transport bitumin tar from Canada across the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico for export.  Experts predict that the pipeline is likely to leak and damage land and aquifers.  When the derivatives of that tar are eventually burned, CO2 will increase and thereby raise the temperature of the earth.

Every country in the world, with the sole exception of North Korea, has participated in 350 actions to urge their governments and industries to curb carbon emissions.  Participating in this action will send an urgent message to President Obama to keep his pledge to do so.  Obama will be receiving pictures of Saturday’s demonstrations, which can be viewed on www.350.org.

“While we monitor and clean the Yuba River canyon, we don’t want to lose sight of the bigger picture. The Yuba is part of a greater watershed, which is in turn impacted by an even greater ecosystem.  Now the effects of a warming planet are threatening the watershed on which the Yuba depends,” said co-organizer Mark Hall.