President Biden's executive order may put the final nail in the coffin of the controversial pipeline project, but it was unwavering local activists who kept the pressure on for a decade.
The Keystone XL pipeline, which, along with the Dakota Access Pipeline, became a buzzword and a political lightning rod during the Trump administration, may finally be dead thanks to an executive order signed by President Biden rescinding a prior permit. But, according to Yessenia Funes writing for Atmos, it is the frontline Indigenous organizers, working tirelessly for the last ten years to stop the project, that deserve the real credit.
Since 2011, Joye Braun has been a key part of the fight against the pipeline. In the beginning, residents like her primarily worried about protecting important waterways and sacred lands. Since then, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have become urgent global concerns. "Braun has seen former President Barack Obama (with Biden alongside him) kill the 1,179-mile pipeline only to see Trump resurrect it. That’s why she calls it a 'zombie pipeline.'"
Activists are cautiously optimistic that Biden's action will stop the pipeline for good. "Tribal nations in the U.S. are sovereign nations with treaty rights. All they ask is that the federal government and private companies treat them as such and leave their water and lands alone."
Read the full story: RIP Keystone XL
From Academia to Action: An Indigenous Reforestation Effort in Los Angeles
Ary Amaya, a UCLA graduate student, leads an Indigenous-led reforestation effort in Los Angeles, integrating cultural practices and ecological restoration across 27 acres to promote Indigenous sovereignty and sustainable land management.
Developer Drops Keystone XL Plans
It's the latest turn of the screw for a project that has depended on the occupant in the White House.
Standing Sioux Tribe Wins Court Case on Dakota Access Pipeline
A federal judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers failed to fully comply with NEPA in allowing the controversial pipeline to cross under the Missouri River. The judge did not order Energy Transfers Partners to cease operations of the pipeline.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
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Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority