From the Inbox: Dirty pipeline threatens Nebraska's cranes

A dirty oil pipeline could threaten the food supply of 500,000 Sandhill Cranes. Help us raise $20,000 by July 8th to protect this wildlife from toxic tar sands oil. Dear Friend, I just got off the phone with our field organizer in Nebraska working to defeat the pipeline and I'm energized - but anxious - about what I heard. He told me that Nebraskans are worried about Sandhill Cranes. Nebraska's Platte River is a critical stopover that allows more than half a million cranes to rest and eat before they migrate to northern breeding grounds. An oil spill in or near the river would contaminate the water, and the birds' food supply, for decades. Our field staff and local partners are organizing Nebraskans to attend community meetings to tell the U.S. State Department to block this dirty oil pipeline. In the coming weeks, we're kicking our field activities into high gear across the country, and urgently need more support from people like you to make sure the State Department says NO to dirty oil. Make a contribution today to help us raise $20,000 by July 8th to protect cranes from this dangerous pipeline. Your donation will help us to: Send community leaders from target states to lobby against the pipeline on July 8th, our National Day of Action. That same day, we'll be holding local awareness-raising events in Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana. Focus media attention around the release of a new report on the pipeline's impact on the cranes and their habitats Continue our work with local partners on the ground in target states, generating phone calls to voters, letters to the editor, and advertisements in local newspapers. Will you chip in today to join our fight to protect Sandhill Cranes and other wildlife in Nebraska and our heartland from this dirty oil pipeline? The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico showed Nebraskans that our dependence on dirty fuel can have dangerous consequences. A spill or leak is almost inevitable, especially considering that TransCanada, the company proposing the tar sands pipeline, plans to use thinner steel in its pipes and waive safety regulations to save money while pumping the dirty fuel at dangerously high pressures. Tar sands oil is the dirtiest commercially available fuel on Earth and has no place in the blueprint for a cleaner energy future. Please give generously, and help us convince the State Department to block the permit for the pipeline. Thank you for standing up for the Sandhill Cranes and other wildlife. Sincerely, Sue Brown Executive Director NWF Action Fund