Living legends Neil Young and Willie Nelson are returning to show the whippersnappers of today that standing for something means far more than clicking a ‘Like’ button. The duo, who have fought the good fight for socially conscious causes together via Farm Aid for decades, will perform a “Harvest the Hope” benefit concert on Sept. 27 on a farm near Neligh, Nebraska to raise awareness in the ongoing fight against the Keystone XL pipeline.
The town is on the route of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and also crosses the historic Ponca Tribe “Trail of Tears.” Proceeds from the “Harvest the Hope” concert will go to Bold Nebraska, the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Cowboy & Indian Alliance, to fund the Keystone XL pipeline resistance, as well as a number of small, community-based clean energy projects on farms and tribal land. The farm location is owned by a family representing a strong collective of Nebraska landowners refusing to sell their land to TransCanada for the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline.
For those looking for more information on the divisively controversial issue, some key arguments against the proposed oil pipeline can be found here and on Forbes.com. One core concern is that we’re betting the economy against the environment. A rupture in the Keystone XL pipeline could “cause a BP style oil spill in America’s heartland, over the source of fresh drinking water for 2 million people.” Furthermore, NASA’s top climate scientist has said that “fully developing the tar sands in Canada would mean ‘essentially game over’ for the climate.”
Native American hip-hop artist Frank Waln will open the show, and an appearance is expected from the “Stopping the Pipeline Rocks All-Stars,” some of the local Nebraska artists who recorded a benefit album in the solar-powered barn built inside the path of the Keystone XL pipeline last summer.
“Harvest the Hope” Concert tickets will go on sale the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 20. Learn more at BoldNebraska.
Photo: Ebet Roberts/Getty Images
