Daryl Hannah Speaks Out About Protesting Proposed Oil Pipeline

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," August 31, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET!

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the "Personal Story" segment tonight: Actress/environmentalist Daryl Hannah arrested yesterday in front of the White House. Ms. Hannah has -- was -- I should say part of a group protesting a planned oil pipeline from northern Canada to the Gulf Coast of the U.S.A. Unlike America, Canada is aggressively developing their oil reserves. Ms. Hannah was cited for failure to obey a lawful order and paid a $100 fine, and she joins us now from Washington. So it's an interesting story. This pipeline that's up now stems from Albert, Canada to Oklahoma. And it's been running for about a year, a little bit more than a year.

DARYL HANNAH, ACTRESS/ACTIVIST: That's right.

O'REILLY: And now they want to extend it from Oklahoma to the Gulf and you and your group, you are real upset. Why are you upset?

HANNAH: Well, the Keystone one, which I believe you are referring to, has had 12 spills in 12 months. And this pipeline is proposed to go all the way to the Gulf of Mexico through family farms, through ranches and over our most precious, fresh water aquifer that supplies water for 20 million people and for a third of the nation's most rich farm lands and ranch lands. And it's just not a wise thing, aside from the fact that the tar sands is just recognized as one of the world's largest ecological atrocities.

O'REILLY: OK, so you're -- you say it's risky. But it does provide about 12 percent of our oil we get from Canada. The State Department -- and it's interesting. You're running up against Hillary Clinton and President Obama. It's you Daryl Hannah against Hillary Clinton…

HANNAH: No.

O'REILLY: …and President Obama. And here's why. Here's why. Because the State Department has to OK it, and they are going to. And President Obama is going to sign it because it is…

HANNAH: He hasn't said that yet.

O'REILLY: No, he hasn't. And you're absolutely correct. But here is why he has to, has to. Because it's a job creator. It's a job, a big job creator. He can't not create jobs and say…

HANNAH: Well, you know what else creates job? True energy independence. Freedom from fossil fuels creates jobs.

O'REILLY: But we don't have that, Ms. Hannah.

HANNAH: We don't have it because we're not doing it. We need to have it. We can have it. For example, some the largest solar communities are on military bases. There is a town in Missouri that runs on wind power.

O'REILLY: All true.

HANNAH: This is the way we get true energy independence, freedom from fossil fuels.

O'REILLY: And I want that as much as you do. I really want that as much you do. I don't want to be dependent on oil or fossil fuels.

HANNAH: Yes, nice, Bill. That's right.

O'REILLY: Ninety percent of my audience wants it, Ms. Hannah. You've got to admit…

HANNAH: Exactly and that's -- that's why -- that's why actually thousands of people are out there demonstrating in front of the White House.

O'REILLY: No, no but here is what you're going…

HANNAH: To ask for energy independence in this way. And that's…

O'REILLY: As well intentioned -- all right.

HANNAH: These are not…

O'REILLY: …as well intentioned as you are. And -- and you are well intentioned. As well intentioned as you are…

HANNAH: But these -- these people aren't activists that are out there. These are grandmas, these are nurses, these are doctors. These are people who have never been arrested before who are out there saying we want what President Obama promised, which is a clean fuel and energy future.

O'REILLY: OK, but President Obama is not really well-known in keeping his promises. And I say that with all due respect.

HANNAH: Most politicians are not known for keeping their promises.

O'REILLY: Here is where you and granny -- here is where you and granny and Uncle Ben are going wrong. Ok. Do you know who T. Boone Pickens is? Do you know him?

HANNAH: I do know who T. Boone Pickens is.

O'REILLY: OK, now he was in my office about four months ago. He spent billions of dollars trying to develop wind energy.

HANNAH: Well, I believe that…

O'REILLY: Wait, wait, hear me out. Hear me out, hear me out. OK, he put up 687 wind turbines, all right, at a reported $1.5 billion. And he wanted to export the energy in, just as you do. Clean energy, get away from oil. He couldn't make it work. It didn't work. So therefore, we don't have it.

HANNAH: Well Bill, if you -- if you -- if you scratch the surface, you'll see that T. Boone Pickens has another agenda, which is natural gas. Because when oil wells run dry, what do they have? Natural gas. T. Boone Pickens owns more natural gas rights than probably anybody in this country.

O'REILLY: But you can do both.

HANNAH: He is trying to promote natural gas, which is not clean, which is also a fossil fuel.

O'REILLY: You can do both. T. Boone Pickens is a businessman. He wants to make money.

HANNAH: That's right. That's exactly right.

O'REILLY: If he can sell natural gas and wind, he is going to do both. He told me -- and I believe him -- he put his money where his mouth is and they couldn't get the wind power to the urban areas. They couldn't do it.

HANNAH: That's just not the case. It's absolutely not the case.

O'REILLY: All right.

HANNAH: But -- but, you know, T. Boone Pickens is a charming man. He's a -- he's a well-spoken man, but the fact is that he has an agenda, and it's not that hard to find.

O'REILLY: OK, all right. Now, do you think President Obama is on your side? Is he on your side?

HANNAH: You know what? I -- I think it's difficult because politicians tend to listen more to the lobbyists and the multinational corporations.

O'REILLY: So he's a sell-out? You're saying the president is a sell-out? You voted for him.

HANNAH: I'm not -- I'm not -- I'm not saying that. You don't know who I voted for.

O'REILLY: I do so, Ms. Hannah. You're in that tree; they brought you a special ballot.

HANNAH: You're hilarious. No, you know what? I mean, I think that it's very challenging for politicians to do right by the U.S. citizens and that's what we are asking for.

O'REILLY: Well, I'm going to ask you -- you've got to be no spin, and I know you are -- is he selling you out? Is the president selling you out? Because he's going to sign this pipeline.

HANNAH: We will see. He better not sign this pipeline.

O'REILLY: He is.

HANNAH: There's going to be -- then you will see that the actions on the White House will be stepped up because if you look at any significant social movement in a historical context, the Suffragette Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Abolitionist Movement, they all require a certain amount of civil disobedience or civil resistance. And I think you're going to see more and more of this as the days go by if that's the case.

O'REILLY: All right, Ms. Hannah. You are always welcome here. We thank you very much for coming on in.

HANNAH: Thank you so much, Bill.

Content and Programming Copyright 2011 Fox News Network, Inc. Copyright 2011 Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.