Keystone XL Pipeline on Hold: Victory or Trap?

It's both. Victory because massive protests prevented the pipeline's automatic approval. Trap because it's only a delay - and will remain just a delay until we stop protesting, at which point it will quietly and unstoppably go forward.

So it's time again to celebrate - and double down.

Think Progress:

The Department of State is planning to put the brakes on the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, Reuters reports. After seeming to be a foregone conclusion, approval by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama of the $7 billion Canada-to-Texas pipeline hit a wall of popular opposition and scandal. Climate activists mobilized across the nation, risking arrests in acts of civil disobedience, to raise the alarm about the civilizational risks of mining the tar sands. Nebraskans of all political stripes united in opposition to the foreign oil company TransCanada’s abusive practices and plans to cut across the state’s most valued ecosystems. State’s decision to reconsider its draft impact statements to evaluate alternate routes means possible final approval, originally expected this year, will be delayed at the minimum by several months.

“When President Obama stands up to big oil, we stand with him,” Bold Nebraska leader Jane Kleeb responded.

At today’s press briefing, Jay Carney outlines President Obama’s criteria for determining whether the pipeline is in the national interest: “Public health, climate change, economic growth and jobs, all of these things have to be factored in.”

It's almost too good to be true, so let's turn to Firedoglake for some needed cynicism. Jon Walker:

The fact that the Obama administration is at least delaying the decision is a partial victory for environmentalists and grassroots activism. The delay proves massive protests and civil disobedience can have an impact on those in power. Getting a President to even delay plans to approve a huge project proposed by big oil is a monumental feat.

Given the concerns about potential health and safety risks to the Agallala aquifer over which the current route would pass, there are compelling, legitimate reasons to consider alternative routes. Unfortunately, this move may only punt a decision to approve the pipeline until after the election. It strongly feels like an act of pure political cynicism from President Obama, instead of a sincere response to the concerns of regular Americans.

Once Obama gets young environmentalists to vote for him in 2012, and he no longer needs to worry about facing the voters again, I suspect he plans to quickly approve the pipeline with a slightly different route, ignoring all other environmental concerns.

I do have to give credit to Bill McKibben for one thing. Just like GetEQUAL before him with DADT, McKibben has shown that the only thing that moves this White House even modestly to the left is progressives being willing to directly confront Obama and embarrass him.

So keep the pressure on. Work hard to re-elect President Obama, but never loosen your grip on his short hairs.