CNN Host Presses Bernie Sanders on Keystone: You ‘Ignore’ Gov’t Studies That Say It Won’t Be Bad
Carol Costello believes in anthropogenic climate change, but she refuses to “brush aside” a State Department study that suggested the Keystone Pipeline would not cause significant damage to the environment.
The CNN made as much clear on Friday morning when she confronted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for his staunch opposition to the controversial oil pipeline project.
After Sanders told her he hopes the pipeline does not get congressional approval, citing his belief it will worsen American dependency on fossil fuels and contribute to global warming, Costello chimed in: “There’s a fly in the ointment of your argument, though. The State Department did a study on the pipeline and it found the pipeline would not significantly affect greenhouse gases and it would also support 42,000 jobs over two years. It would result in $3.4 billion for the U.S. economy. All of that sounds good.”
“The figure that you’re giving us comes from the company itself and it is widely exaggerated,” Sanders shot back.
“It comes from the State Department,” Costello reminded her guest.
Sanders remained skeptical, however, telling her: “If we’re serious about job creation, we should rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, our roads and bridges and rail system and water plants.”
Costello pressed him once more: “But these things that I passed along to you came from a State Department report, which is an unbiased report. So it is wrong?”
“Yes,” the senator replied. “It is wrong.” He noted that he has seen other studies which suggest “there is no debate” over the pipeline’s environmental impact.
The CNN host pushed Sanders once more, this time attempting to level with him:
“I think climate change is real and I think that man has contributed to that, but you can’t ignore the State Department report that says it won’t significantly affect greenhouse gases if the Keystone Pipeline is completed,” asked Costello. “How do you brush that aside?
Sanders remained steadfast, however, telling her the study was “not accurate” and that “the United States cannot be an international leader on one of the most serious crises facing this planet.”
Watch the full segment below, via CNN:
