MARTIN SHEEN
CRITICIZES PIPELINE
Hollywood star tells Brad Wall not to press U.S. President Barack Obama on Keystone XL pipeline.
He didn’t bring it up, but when a reporter at We Day asked actor Martin Sheen if he had a message for Saskatchewan’s premier about the Keystone XL pipeline, the veteran actor and prominent activist had plenty of advice.
“Don’t do this,” Sheen replied. “It’s not going to be something you’re going to be proud of in the future. That, I can promise you.”
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is set to travel to Washington next week to urge United States lawmakers to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, a $7-billion, 1,800-kilometre pipeline that would ship oilsands crude from Alberta down through Saskatchewan and six U.S. states to Texas refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.
Sheen told reporters Wednesday that Wall should “leave Mr. Obama alone. He’s got enough problems.”
In an interview Thursday, Wall said there’s another side to the pipeline story he and his counterparts need to do a better job of spreading.
“We would say to the Americans, Mr. Sheen and others, ‘Are you applying that same rigorous (ethical) analysis to the energy that comes in from other countries?’ ” Wall told reporters. “Are you saying to the Saudi Arabians, who have a light sweet crude and therefore, by definition, a low (carbon dioxide) level, are you asking them about human rights, about why women can’t drive in that country?’ I think it’s a fair comment.”
The pipeline is unnecessary for oil supply, and is driven by profits and a desire to control the world’s energy resources, Sheen said Wednesday.
He implored politicians to listen to the farmers and indigenous people raising concerns about the project.
“We’ve had enough damn spills on that thing already, and some in the States, as well,” he said. “This is so huge. And there’s such a potential for disaster. You know it’s going to happen.”
Protecting the environment should be the priority, Sheen said.
Although Wall acknowledged pipeline oil transport isn’t foolproof, he said other methods of moving oil pose even more risk.
“I think those in industry and those who’ve looked at all the different options understand that the safest way, though it’s imperfect, the safest way to transport energy, oil in this case, is a pipeline,” Wall said. “Oil will get to the place where people will buy it. Do we want it moving by rail cars? Do we want it moving by truck? Or do we want to choose an imperfect but arguably one of the safest ways to do it, the pipeline?”
Wall acknowledged Saskatchewan does need to do more about dealing with its carbon emissions and pointed to the $1.4-billion cleancoal project in southeastern Saskatchewan as a “game changer.”
In Washington, Wall plans to meet with the chair of the House of Representatives’ energy committee, along with some senators, in advance of the U.S. government’s decision on the international pipeline.
Although the Keystone pipeline will not transport Saskatchewan oil, Wall said the opening of Keystone could mean $300 million more annually for the province’s treasury from oil revenue and a $2.5-billion boost to the industry.
The more people Wall is able to meet with in Washington, the better chance he has of his message making it to the president, said Gary Doer, Canada’s ambassador to the United States.
“Premier Wall is a very effective spokesperson for energy and for trade and for agriculture,” Doer said in an interview Thursday. Although the pipeline does have opponents, Doer said public opinion polling indicates Americans support Keystone’s construction. Some critics are using outdated facts that don’t accurately reflect Canada’s current environmental record, he argues.
“We have a lot of opponents of the oilsands kayaking from Hollywood to Washington in February,” Doer said.