Fresh Energy applauds both President Obama and the U.S. Department of State for their decision to take another look at the routing and environmental impacts of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project. For the last few months, people from across the United States have blogged, tweeted, and protested against the project. In Nebraska, where people strongly opposed the proposed pipeline extension that would run directly through the state, the legitimate concerns of regular Nebraskans—along with their grassroots and elected leaders—have successfully pushed the issue to a special session at the Legislature. Last Sunday, 12,000 people gathered at the White House to send the message that this pipeline is a step in the wrong direction for our nation. As we get the chance to take another hard look at whether this pipeline is in America’s national interest, issues about the fairness of the State Department’s review process can now be fully addressed.

The pipeline delay is great victory and we should celebrate it. But our momentum must continue. Stopping Keystone XL doesn’t solve America’s oil addiction. Going forward, we need the energy and enthusiasm of the people who helped delay this pipeline—from students to grandparents—and we need them to blog, tweet, and protest again. But this time, in favor of transit- and bicycle-friendly neighborhoods, rail systems that carry us between neighborhoods and cities, biorefineries that produce new fuels, new infrastructure for the transmission of clean electricity, and wind farms that work in local communities.

While delaying the Keystone XL decision might result in the pipeline’s ultimate demise, stopping one pipeline doesn’t solve America’s energy woes. We need to stop our addiction to oil.

Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

Fresh Energy applauds both President Obama and the U.S. Department of State for their decision to take another look at the routing and environmental impacts of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project.