‘Green New Deal can only happen with end of US interventions in Middle East!’ (Sunrise Movement spokesman) (E989)

Firstly, we speak to John Paul Mejia of the Sunrise Movement. He discusses why environmentalists and progressives are demanding the Line 3 pipeline be shut down, the encroachment of many of these fossil fuel pipelines on indigenous peoples’ rights, why all future permits for oil and gas pipelines should be denied, why the Line 3 pipeline is arguably a test of trust between voters of colour and President Joe Biden, why the move away from Middle East oil and the US’ wars in the Middle East, why Biden will face more scrutiny than his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama, and much more! Finally, we speak to Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi, author of ‘The Business Secrets of Drug Dealing: An Almost True Account’. He discusses the person behind the book who came to him admitting he had been a drug kingpin for many years and wanted to tell his story, the rules of surviving as a drug dealer and not getting caught, this anonymous drug kingpin’s belief that the entire American system of justice is inherently racist and how he uses it to his advantage, why the police tend not to learn from their errors, drug dealing during coronavirus, and much more!

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STATEMENT ADDITION:

“Enbridge respects tribal sovereignty and treaty rights which is why we worked so closely with tribes to make certain their communities continue to benefit, and their resources are protected as we build Line 3.  The two tribes most affected by the Line 3 Replacement Project, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have both spoken and written repeatedly in support of project permits.  The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa managed the state’s longest and most extensive Tribal Cultural Resources Survey ever for a project of this nature with eyes and feet on the ground for more than 300 miles identifying and recording significant cultural resources to be avoided. The project is now being built under the supervision of tribal monitors with authority to stop construction, who ensure that important cultural resources are protected.  As of December 2020, Enbridge had already spent $180 million dollars with tribal nations, communities and contractors – and Line 3 replacement had just started in Minnesota.  Nearly 400 Native men and women are working on Line 3 making up 9% of the workforce. Safety and safe operation is our focus every day. Replacing the existing Line 3 pipeline with one made of thicker steel, with more advanced coatings, will better protect Minnesota’s environment and people for generations to come.  This safety and maintenance driven replacement project was agreed upon and noted in a federal consent decree during the Obama Administration and has already been completed in Canada, North Dakota and Wisconsin.  Pipelines remain the safest and most efficient way to transport the energy we rely on to power our vehicles, heat our homes, and create a myriad of products from cell phones to heart monitors. Line 3 is the most studied pipeline project in Minnesota history. It has passed every test through six years of thorough science-based review – including 70 public comment meetings, appellate review and reaffirmation of a 13,500-page Environmental Impact Statement, four separate reviews by administrative law judges, 320 route modifications in response to stakeholder input, and reviews and approvals from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (The only Tribe with “Treatment as a State” water quality authority along the pipeline route). Construction of the Line 3 Replacement Project began in Minnesota on December 1, 2020 and is nearly 50% complete.  The project is providing significant economic benefits for counties, small businesses, Native American communities, and union members – including creating 5,200 family-sustaining construction jobs, and millions of dollars in local spending and tax revenues.”