Sanders Campaign Press Release - Sanders in Minnesota Puts Spotlight on Saving the Planet

MINNEAPOLIS – Bernie Sanders returned to Minnesota one day ahead of Super Tuesday when voters here and in 10 other states go to caucuses or polling places to help select the Democratic Party presidential nominee.

"Let us make history tomorrow," Sanders said in remarks that invoked the memory of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota. "Our whole state is on fire for Bernie Sanders," U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison told the crowd while introducing the U.S. senator from Vermont.

In remarks at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Sanders focused on the environment and the need to address the planetary crisis of climate change.

He announced his opposition to two proposed oil pipeline projects. Enbridge, Inc.'s Sandpiper and Alberta Clipper pipelines would bring a combined 1.4 million more barrels of oil per day into Midwestern refineries. Sanders compared the projects to the Keystone pipeline which would have shipped crude oil from Canada's tar sands region to refiners along the Gulf of Mexico.

"President Obama said when his administration was reviewing Keystone XL that he wouldn't grant approval if the project made climate change significantly worse," Sanders said. "A Sanders administration would direct the State Department to apply that same test to the Alberta Clipper and the Sandpiper, because we need to ensure corporations don't keep wrecking our climate and environment for their own profit."

Sanders' campaign recently released a new television ad on his consistent leadership on climate change issues ranging from Keystone XL to offshore drilling.

In recent weeks, Sanders also has drawn a sharp contrast between his proposal to ban fracking and Hillary Clinton's plan to double down on domestic gas production.

Sanders has also faulted Clinton for taking campaign contributions "from those who would profit off the destruction of the planet," and argued those contributions undermine her ability to effectively address climate change.

"Just as I believe you can't take on Wall Street while taking their money, I don't believe you can take on climate change effectively while taking money from those who would profit off the destruction of the planet," Sanders said.