Their demands come as gas prices are spiking around the country, rising nearly 40 percent since Biden took office.
In a letter to Biden that was published by NBC News, more than 200 celebrities, Democratic donors, and activists demanded Biden “stop construction of Line 3 immediately.” They also told Biden he must “end the era of fossil fuel expansion decisively.” Among the letter’s other signatories are Amy Schumer, Joaquin Phoenix, and pop star Katy Perry.
Your presidency is a watershed in human history, the last chance to turn the tide before climate disruption spirals out of control. We worked hard for your election in part because you embraced that challenge as a defining strength of your candidacy. And we are encouraged and grateful that you clearly signaled your resolve by rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline on day 1. The “climate test” for the KXL decision was clear and compelling. We ask you to apply it now to the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline.
Mark Ruffalo added in a statement to NBC News:
“Many of us had high hopes — and high expectations — when President Biden said in his inaugural speech that the climate crisis is one of several crises profoundly challenging our country. We will be judged, you and I, for how we resolve the cascading crises of our era. I call upon the president and the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend and thoroughly review the permit for the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline, a massive project that would not only intensify the climate crisis, but violates the treaty rights of tribal nations.”
In a tweet, the Avengers star praised Biden for ending the Keystone XL pipeline in January, a decision that destroyed 1,000 jobs. “But he can’t stop there,” Ruffalo wrote. “Line 3, a tar sands pipeline on the same scale as KXL, is an attack on clean water, our climate & Indigenous rights.”
