BillHustonBlog: Request from Carl at Pipeline Safety Trust

This is in Open Letter to Carl Weimer,
Executive Director of the Pipeline Safety Trust,
moderator of the "Safe Pipelines" listserv.

Dear Carl--

When you CENSOR and DELETE a post to the SafePipelines list,

would you do the author the courtesy of informing them

as to what changes might be made to permit publication?

Rather than doing so silently?

Thanks.

I do appreciate the good advocacy work you have done

with the PST. This video is excellent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJRwePrctGw

I would not understand how the law itself is being enclosed
though the "Incorporation by Reference" of secret, corporate,
intellectual property into the People's Law, if not for your work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bukp4T9BVzc

So gratitude for this.

However, I find your silent censoring of on-topic postings
relating to Keystone XL on the Safe Pipelines List to be inexcusable.

http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2014/02/nprs-living-on-earth-promotes-industry.html

If you are censoring me,
I know you are censoring others.

Why? Can you explain?

What is your fear, or bias, or concern?

We are at a critical juncture in human history,
and our communities are under grave attack
by the fossil fuel industry.

This is not hyperbole or a joke.

This seems to be a time critical inflection point,

possible at the brink of mass-extinction of life on earth

due to global warming.

There needs to be a big national discussion about this,

however the media channels are being largely enclosed
by the Fossil Fuel lobby.

The mainstream media are, including NPR (a subject of my post)
actively engaged in broadcasting false and misleading information
about (e.g.) Keystone XL, as the President considers a decision
on the Northern Segment.

The same with fracking. In addition to non-stop advertisements

on every radio and TV channel, including so-called "Public Broadcasting",

ads by ANGA, Exxon-Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Chesapeake, IPAA, the API etc.,

... The oil+gas industry is also spiking THE NEWS with Public Relations
(lies and deception) from groups like Energy in Depth and many others,

sometimes though independent consultants which appear
to be independent (like Phelim McAleer) but which have strong
industry ties.

The oil+gas industry is also spiking science by funding

professor chairs, academic institutes, and "scientific research"
which always seem to show the industry in a positive light.

The Oil and Gas industry is also engaged in spying,

bullying, and malicious slander of activists, scientists,

journalists, bloggers, economists, etc. who say anything

the industry deems to be less than celebratory to their image.

Perhaps you are unaware that this is happening.
However this is all true. I have several shills who
harass, bully, and slander me online.

I have friends who have been subject to SLAPP lawsuits.

References: [1] - [2] - [3].

I have had gas industry bullies shove me physically in public meetings,

and photograph my license plate. Why? Intimidation?

(happened last week).

I have friends in PA who are followed by private security agencies,

and have been investigated by Homeland Security,

and visited by the police over vague accusations and
a "fishing expedition".

In fact, in Susquehanna County, MOST of the local police
are working private security for the oil+gas industry.

The regulatory agencies, legislative bodies,

the courts, the NGOs, local police, hospitals, and the media:

None seem immune to enclosure and influence.

All of these seem to be overly cozy with industry.

Some have been captured outright.

And the regulators in charge of protecting the environment
and public safety like FERC, PHMSA, DOT, EPA and others say

"our hands are tied",
"we have no authority",
"we have no funds",
"our jobs is to approve permits",

etc.

So your censorship of these topics is disturbing to me personally
(no one likes to be censored)

but also leads me to wonder
if you and/or the Pipeline Safety Trust
have been perhaps co-opted by industry,
like all the other groups I've mentioned.

Concerning on-topic posts:

I note you make posts which are not strictly on-topic,
such as concerning Oil Trains.

I appreciate these postings because the topic of
Oil Trains is closely related to Pipeline Safety.

My posting which you twice silently censored

did concern pipeline safety of Keystone XL
(thus: on-topic),

e.g., understanding the exact nature and chemistry
of the product KXL will ship (the subject of my post)
is vital in assessing the safety of KXL.

Tar Sands Junk IS NOT OIL.
It must be smashed and cracked at great expense
to turn it into refined products such as gasoline.

My post also contained factual information concerning other
closely-related areas such as Peak Oil and EROEI
(net Energy Returned on Energy Invested).

If people understand Peak Oil, and EROEI,
suddenly, the extreme desperation of Tar Sands development

and the Keystone XL becomes apparent.

I want to again underscore the severity
of the actual and potential impacts we are
all facing as the result of oil+gas development,
and the spread of infrastructure projects,

such as gathering lines, transmission lines,
distribution lines, and compressor stations,

gas and LPG storage, LNG storage,
import/export terminals, etc.

Such as the List of the Harmed.

Over 5,000 names of individuals and families

which have suffered mostly health impacts
as the result of these activities.

Many of these people are now dead.

Many of these people suffered direct impacts
from Pipelines (inc. Compressor Stations).

These are on-topic discussions, Carl.

When I made this video there were "only" 1,300 names
on the List of the Harmed.

Now the list has almost QUADRUPLED (4x)

in just one year.

These Oil+Gas companies act as if they are above the law.

The are raping the environment,
causing great scars upon the land,

often completely without regard to the law

or the desires of the local community.

These activities are often unpermitted and unregulated.
They are cheating landowners out of royalties.

I can back up every statement with published reports.

Almost every promise they have made have been broken.

People say, "If their lips are moving, they are lying."

Even pro-gas landowners are now saying this in
Bradford County PA.

This is like a military invasion.

The Generals (corporate CEOs, PSYOPS men, and PR agents)
planned the attack years ago.

They have devised scheme involving every branch of government

whereby THE PEOPLE CANNOT SAY NO to these projects.

This is what Bradford County PA looks like today.
MASSIVE IMPACTS -- nearly no square inch has been untouched by this.

This has all happened in just 5 years:

My family owns hundreds of acres in Bradford County PA.

My family are good stewards of the land.
They would NOT have permitted this had they had access to the facts.

This was in industrial invasion.

And now Carl Weimer,
head of the Pipeline Safety Trust
an endowed not-for-profit corporation
chartered to protect the public,

is censoring information about a massive pipeline
project seeking approval, which will have possible
grave consequences for every living thing on earth.

This is not acceptable.

I am an scientific writer, blogger, documentary videographer,
and investigative citizen journalist.

I work in the realm of pipeline safety, and other areas
relating to energy production and sustainable communities.

I am asking you to do the following things:

Please publish all on-topic postings to the Safe Pipelines listserv,
or explain to the author how to improve the post
to meet your editorial standards.
I am asking you to do this for all authors, not just myself.
I am asking you to declare

a) that you are personally free from industry bias and funding,
b) that the PST is free from industry finding and influence,
c) that you are committed to serving of the public
and working to improve pipeline safety,
disseminating factual information about Pipelines and related topics, and
d) you are committed to fostering constructive discussion
and debate about these critical topics.