Progressive Oasis

OMAHA, NE – Nebraska’s own homegrown group, Bold Nebraska, continues to fight for what is right when it comes to TransCanada and its nasty Keystone politics. I idolize the efforts of Bold Nebraska and its Founder, Jane Kleeb, for holding up the construction of Keystone, and for putting the truth out there for all Americans to see.  It is a shame not all Democrats fall in line when it comes to standing against TransCanada and the threat the Keystone Pipeline poses on the Oglala Aquifer, the Sandhills and especially the well-being of Nebraska property owners the pipeline would be built on.  Since it began in 2010,  Bold Nebraska is setting out to change the political landscape and restore political balance.

Without the efforts of Jane Kleeb and Bold Nebraska, the Keystone Pipeline would have been a done deal already, a point confirmed in a nice little Rolling Stone article about today’s new green heroes.  She has successfully squared off with with oil companies and labor groups that have spent millions of dollars in DC pushing the project. Much of the opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline has been centered in Nebraska, thanks to the efforts of Kleeb and Bold Nebraska.

And today that fight continues, and Bold Nebraska doesn’t fight alone.  Groups like 350.org, the Sierra Club and vocal Congressmen, like Keith Ellison.  Keith Ellison recently released this press release about the Keystone Xl Pipeline and Terry Lee’s Northern Route Approval Act. Ellison says, the Keystone Pipeline “would cause the same carbon dioxide emissions as over 37 million passenger cars.”   A group of Congressmen signed a letter to the President telling him the costs of the Keystone XL Pipeline for outweigh the benefits.  See the letter here.

Why would a Congressman like Terry Lee propose a such a law that caters to big oil?  According to the PriceofOil.org, House Supporters of Keystone XL Took $56 Million From Big Oil.  From the article:  “Members of Congress supporting the pipeline took in a combined $56 million from fossil fuel interests, $36 million from oil industry interests alone. Members supporting the pipeline took an average of $233,774 from all fossil fuel interests, $150,604 from oil industry interests alone. Members opposing the pipeline took an average of $65,233 from all fossil fuel interests, and $24,886 from oil industry alone. Supporters took 6 times more from the oil industry than opponents.”  Make sure you read the entire article here.  Lee Terry’s bill would give TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline a special exemption from US environmental law.  From the article: “Terry’s bill would exempt the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), permitting requirements for federal rights of way, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. H.R. 3 isn’t a bill to approve Keystone XL. It’s a bill for giving a foreign company special treatment by exempting it from the nation’s most cherished laws protecting public health, welfare and the environment.”

It is pretty sad when your Congressman will support special treatment for a foreign corporation, but does little else for Americans with their time in DC. It is really sad when a progressive leader like Jane Kleeb has done more for the state than Nebraska’s entire GOP delegation combined in DC.

Don’t forget to sign this petition to investigate the State Department’s Environmental Report here.

Below, Jane Kleeb speaks her mind at the State Department Hearing on the Keystone XL Pipeline in Grand Island.