Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 18, 2014. The Senate on Tuesday defeated a House-passed bill to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a leading opponent of the project, said it would be “crazy” to promote the use of the dirtiest oil on the planet while scientists say global warming is getting worse. “The scientific community is telling us that we have a narrow window of opportunity to address the crisis of climate change and to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy,” Bernie said. “This legislation would move us in exactly the wrong direction toward not only more dependence on fossil fuels, but on some of the dirtiest fossil fuel imaginable. That is insane.”
Bernie disputed pipeline proponents who bill the project as a way to create jobs. In fact, he said, there would be fewer than 50 permanent jobs if the pipeline were to be completed. “To talk about 50 permanent jobs as a ‘jobs program’ is nothing more than a cruel and misleading hoax to workers in this country who want and need decent-paying jobs,” said Bernie, who serves on the Senate energy and environment committees.
“We do need a major jobs program, but this isn’t it,” Bernie said, calling instead for Congress to pass a meaningful infrastructure rebuilding program to create millions of good-paying jobs.
Source: sanders.senate.gov
