Environmentalists Block Keystone XL Pipeline!

After months of following the debate over the Keystone XL pipeline, we are happy to write of a huge win for Americans and for the preservation of our environment. The Obama administration has announced that it will postpone any decision on the pipeline until after the 2012 election,. Many believe that this delay will essentially block the project from ever going forward. You can read more at the following link to the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/us/politics/administration-to-delay-pipeline-decision-past-12-election.html?_r=1&hp.

This victory reminds us at Overbrook of the importance of philanthropic giving when Foundation's are faced with time-critical projects at tipping points for domestic environmental progress. However, the real credit for this win goes to environmentalists. We particularly applaud the tireless work of Overbrook grantee 350.org and its Tar Sands Action project. Tar Sands Action's Bill McKibben explains that six months ago almost nobody had heard of TransCanada or the Keystone XL pipeline. In the past months, activists have successfully brought this subject to the attention of many Americans by incorporating their research on the environmental ramifications and their concerns over the government's response into the public debate. To achieve this change, the Tar Sands Action and its partners have created a powerful movement through collecting online pledges against the pipeline, helping to organize last weekend's march at the White House, mobilizing legislators at the state and national levels and bringing together unlikely partners to join in the fight. We can't wait to see what this energized group tackles next!