Bernie Sanders: Passing Keystone XL Means A 'Significantly Less Habitable' Planet

[Ferd Berfel]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/14/bernie-sanders-keystone-pipeline_n_6470716.html

As the Senate prepares to vote on whether climate change is real as part of the proposed Keystone Pipeline bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) strongly believes “it’s a good idea” for President Barack Obama to veto the bill.

“Unless we get our act together, the planet that we’re going to be leaving to our kids and grandchildren will be significantly less habitable than the planet we have right now,” Sanders said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday.

“I think it’s a good idea for the president, Congress, and the American people to listen to the overwhelming amount of scientists who tell us loudly and clearly that climate change is one of the great planetary crises that we face,” Sanders said. He insisted that we must face the “devastating problems” caused by climate change and...



How about, filibuster the goddamn thing?!
We cannot afford this.

It is complete insanity to allow Keystone XL. I keep hearing about ‘Climate Change’ as the reason to not build this suicide machine. This is important for the long term (maybe not so long term) however, there are very immediate, and ‘hand-to-mouth’ reasons, for not allowing this stupidity. These are centered around Fresh Water. Specifically the Ogallala Aquifer

Fresh Water is a requirement for survival,
Canadian Oil is not a requirement for survival.
Profits of Corporations and Billionaires are not a requirement for survival.
A few temporary jobs and 35 permanent jobs is not a requirement either – sorry to the 35

ALL Pipelines leak.

The Ogallala Aquifer
Crosses 8 states
IS the Fresh Water supply for 82% of the 2.3 Million people in the area
27 percent of the irrigated land in the United States overlies and uses the aquifer
Is about 30 percent of the ground water used for irrigation in the United States
It would take hundreds to thousands of years of rainfall to replace the groundwater in the depleted aquifer. Certain zones of the aquifer are now empty; these areas will take over 6,000 years to replenish naturally through rainfall.

Once this aquifer is poisoned
30% of the crop production of the United States will end – permanently.
Millions of people will be forced to abandon these areas and relocate.

There are probably many additional points to be made here, but the ones listed should be more than enough to make any rational person just a bit nervous. It scares the shit out of me.

[upaloopa]

1. I think you are forgetting the fact that the Koch

brothers have invested ill gotten gains in the oil up in Canada and unless we are willing to pollute our water supply they can't increase their billions of dollars of wealth using the leverage they bought and paid for in congress.

[djean111]

2. What I am afraid of is that there will be some sort of "deal" struck, wherein the Keystone will

be passed, and not vetoed, in "return" for approving Fast Track. Or Fast Track will get approved with nasty safety net amendments attached to it.