By Kenneth C. Winston, Nebraska Sierra Club Advocate (kwinston@inebraska.com)
Today President Obama stated that he would deny the permit for the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. This is a major victory for the environment and for the people of the State of Nebraska . Many Nebraskans deserve credit for this victory, for speaking up in opposition to the pipeline, talking about their heritage, protecting their land and water and standing up for the kind of world they want their children to inherit.
Nebraska ’s people and resources played a pivotal role in this victory. The fact that we fought to protect the Ogallala Aquifer and the Sandhills brought these issues to the attention of the State Department and President Obama. The fact that the Ogallala Aquifer is so vast and so vulnerable in the Sandhills area was an issue that resonated wherever it was presented, whether it was in town meetings, at the State Capitol or all the way to Washington DC .
Many Nebraska Sierra Club members played a leadership role in this effort. In particular, Jane Wilson organized rallies on street corners and set up events to bring attention to the issue when few others cared about it. Senator Ken Haar deserves special recognition, for asking questions all the way through the process, introducing legislation, getting colleagues to sign letters to send to the State Department, and fighting tirelessly for a special session of the Legislature when no one else gave it a chance of success.
This decision is also presents opportunities to develop policies that support native renewable energy, like Nebraska ’s abundant wind and solar resources, instead of maintaining our addiction to dirty fuels. Energy from these resources is not only much better for the planet; it will create far more jobs than the tar sands pipeline would have. The tar sands pipeline was being pushed by the same kinds of short-term profiteering and bad energy policies that led to $4 a gallon gas and near economic collapse in the last administration. We do not want to go back down that road.
Let’s celebrate this victory and go forward to a clean energy future!