U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech to UN climate talks in Lima, Peru had activists speculating that he will recommend against approval of the $8-billion Keystone XL pipeline.
“Coal and oil may be cheap ways to power an economy today,” Kerry told Lima delegates yesterday. “But I urge nations around the world: Look further down the road.”
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“Secretary Kerry sure sounded like someone who was gearing up for rejection,” said Jamie Henn of 350.org. The 30-minute speech left him “no logical option except to recommend President Obama say no to Keystone XL.”
Ambassador Marlene Moses, chief negotiator for the Pacific island nation Nauru, said a green light for Keystone would undo the positive climate steps the U.S. has taken in recent weeks. “Now is not the time to call the superpower’s commitment to tackling this crisis into question by letting this dirty, myopic, and irresponsible project go forward,” she said.
