After Paris, more to do environmentally

Several environmental organizations joined forces Dec. 12 and had demonstrations in DeKalb and Elgin to celebrate the end of the two week Paris climate change talks and also let everyone know there is a lot more to do.

Only grass roots action will work. Our two headed oil pipeline snake represented tar sands pipelines that are "twinned" to avoid environmental regs and double their pumping of dirty, tar sands, which is about 10 percent oil and 90 percent clay.

Quickly and quietly Enbridge and tar sands companies are getting pipelines in the ground in Illinois to pump tar sands oil across Illinois and the midwest, do light refining and export to other countries. As has been said we get the risks and Enbridge, a Canadian company, gets the profit.

By using their status as a "utility" they can use eminent domain and even quick take in some Illinois counties. So they can put their pipelines on your property and pump the dirtiest, most energy intensive oil product on earth without asking landowners. "Sweet crude" and other forms are far less dirty and dangerous to our health, our waters, our land and the environment.

It is all connected. We must say no to this. We plan to do more demonstrations until people know what is going on. This includes Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice, Elgin Green Groups350.org, 350Kishwaukee.org, Northern Illinois Justice League and others.

Sandy Kaptain

Elgin