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Madeline Ostrander: How Nebraskans Defeated the Keystone XL Pipeline

The grassroots victory shows that concern for fundamental issues such as health and clean water transcends party politics.

The Nation

February 2, 2012

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The grassroots victory shows that concern for fundamental issues such as health and clean water transcends party politics.

When the proposal to construct an oil pipeline through Nebraska’s iconic Sandhills sparked strong local opposition, Nebraskans successfully banded together across party lines. Their grassroots campaign ultimately resulted in the Obama administration’s rejection of the highly controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

In this episode of Nation Conversations, The Nation‘s Emily Douglas spoke with Madeline Ostrander, whose piece in this week’s issue, Transpartisan Politics on the Plains, explores whether the unexpected success in Nebraska could serve as a model for a national agenda, especially since, as Ostrander warned, “This isn’t the last that we’ll see of… Keystone XL.”

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—Elizabeth Whitman

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