Religious voices heard loud and clear on Keystone XL

Voices from people of faith joined the cries against the construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline the Keystone XL at the protest at the White House earlier this month, starting with Bill McKibben, the face of the Tar Sands Action group and a Methodist Sunday school teacher.

On November 6, an estimated two dozen congregations from the D.C. area were among the protesters. And in August, more than 60 religious leaders—rabbis, Buddhist monks, Catholic priests, and members of green Muslim and Evangelical environmental groups—risked arrest at demonstrations against Keystone XL. Influential faith leaders such as the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have called on the president to say no to the pipeline and build a legacy of "energy that sustains the lives and livelihoods of future generations."

The protests also united progressive and conservative faith groups alike, and they highlight the ongoing "green religion" movement that has faith groups seeking real action from Congress and the president on climate and energy.