Update (September): Anonymous government sources leaked to Bloomberg this week rumours that the federal government is getting ready to approve the Kinder Morgan TransMountain pipeline. This is most likely an attempt by government to reassure the oil patch it can get a pipeline built after the recent delays with the Energy East pipeline. This makes it even more crucial that we speak out to make it clear we will not forgive or forget a pipeline approval.

The Harper-appointed National Energy Board approved the Kinder Morgan TransMountain Pipeline in May despite widespread opposition from the communities it threatens.

We can still stop this pipeline. Prime Minister Trudeau added a step to the review process, promising to listen to communities and look at the climate impacts of this project. ¹

But an army of oil industry lobbyists, led by the Texas-based Kinder Morgan, are putting PM Trudeau and his government under intense pressure to build the pipeline.  ²

We have every reason to believe this pipeline will be built – unless PM Trudeau and his MPs hear a broad public outcry from people across Canada.

Here’s why so many people think we need to stop Kinder Morgan. If built, this pipeline will:

1. Threaten tens of thousands of jobs in the coastal economy with inevitable oil spills from pipelines and oil tankers ³
2. Pose a direct risk to some of the most fragile and diverse coastal ecosystems in the world  ⁴
3. Unleash global warming pollution at 56 times the rate of the entire City of Vancouver, putting all our communities at greater risk of climate disasters – just as the world is breaking heat records month after month  ⁵

Now we need to come together to counter oil lobby pressure and call on PM Trudeau to keep our communities, coast and climate safe.

If built, this pipeline will keep us dependent on boom and bust fossil fuels at a time when the world is moving to clean, renewable energy and we need to curb global warming pollution now to stop catastrophic climate change. If built, this pipeline will undermine any new climate action plan. 

The Harper Conservatives tried to ram these pipelines through local opposition and we worked to defeat them in riding after riding during the last election. We can defeat Harper’s pipelines – but we need to speak out now to stop the oil companies that were backing Harper in the first place.

The Liberals have promised to listen to the evidence, listen to people, and respect First Nation’s rights – and they need to hear from you now.

Please sign the petition calling on PM Trudeau, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and all MPs to stand with our communities and say no to the Kinder Morgan Transmountain pipeline and say yes to building a clean energy economy.

If at least 30,000 people sign, we’ll partner up with other groups opposing the Kinder Morgan pipeline and deliver this straight to PM Trudeau and Minister Carr.

Notes:

1. Ottawa adds additional steps to pipeline reviews http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberals-to-announce-new-transition-rules-for-assessing-pipelines/article28412555/ 
2. Enbridge and Kinder Morgan Lobby Hard As Feds Change Tune on Pipelines http://www.desmog.ca/2016/05/09/enbridge-and-kinder-morgan-lobby-hard-feds-change-tune-pipelines 
3. What are the economic risks of the project? What are the economic benefits? http://credbc.ca/assessing-the-risks/ 
4. Oil Spills in Our Back Yard: What British Columbians Need to Know http://georgiastrait.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oil-Spills-in-Your-Backyard-report-web.pdf 
5. Oil Spills in Our Back Yard: What British Columbians Need to Know http://georgiastrait.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oil-Spills-in-Your-Backyard-report-web.pdf