NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Audubon President David Yarnold Calls Obama Decision on Keystone Pipeline "A Victory for Common Sense."  

Full Statement:

"This was a gutsy call by the President. But it was also a victory for common sense.  You don't pipe potentially lethal goo through one of America's largest wetland ecosystems.   

"An environmental disaster of epic proportions has been avoided by the rejection of the Keystone pipeline, but we need to stand shoulder to shoulder to avoid such close calls in our future.

"The pipeline would have sent the world's dirtiest oil -- from Canada's tar sands -- over 1,700 miles through our countries farms, ranches, and  through the Ogallala Aquifer -- the source of drinking water for 2 million people. Nearly 2,000 rivers, streams and other water bodies were in danger of repeating the Kalamazoo River disaster.

"One of the world's foremost experts on the damage Climate Change poses, NASA's James Hansen, called the pipeline  'essentially game over' for any hopes of stemming carbon emissions from fossils fuels.

"It's time for a new game to begin. President Obama can take this strong stance further by pressing for incentives for renewable energies, creating Green jobs, and challenging America's entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers and inventors to envision a future without fossil fuels.     

"We also urge the administration to reject any reapplication of TransCanada for an alternate route through the sensitive habitat of Nebraska's Sandhills.    

"The 19,000 square miles Sandhill ecosystem in south-central Nebraska are internationally important migratory stopover sites.  Known as the 'pinch in the hourglass' of the central flyway, this area provides a refueling and resting site each spring for more than 10 million waterfowl and 300,000 shorebirds, including more than 80 percent of the global population of Sandhill cranes. 

"As this issue is debated in the future we encourage the President to continue to stand firm in his opposition to this harmful project."

Read Yarnold's Open Letter to Secretary Clinton Oct. 2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-yarnold/keystone-xl-pipeline-approval_b_1005000.html

Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.

Media Contact: DELTA WILLIS
Senior Communications Manager
National Audubon Society 
New York, NY
Tel 212-979-3197  dwillis@audubon.org 

SOURCE Audubon

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