Political players in the US Senate are forcing a vote on Tuesday to usurp President Obama’s authority for approval the KXL tar sands oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast, ushering tar sands oil to the world oil market. The vote count is extremely close, and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet’s vote is critical. Despite his claims of understanding the severity of the climate crisis, reports say Bennet is planning to vote for the pipeline.

Concerned Coloradans are organizing an event Monday to ask Bennet, “Will you be a climate hero or a climate criminal?”, likening voting for the pipeline to lighting the fuse on a carbon bomb. They will implore Bennet to be on the rights side of history by rejecting the KXL Pipeline and not vote like the climate deniers in Congress who won’t accept the overwhelming scientific evidence of a human-induced climate crisis.

Who: Concerned Coloradans and groups including 350 Colorado, Clean Energy Action, Food & Water Watch, Earth Guardians, Greenpeace and more

What: Public demonstration telling Bennet not to vote like a climate denier

When: Monday, Nov. 17th, 12noon

Where: Denver office of Sen. Michael Bennet, 2300 15th St, Denver, Colorado 80202

Why: NASA scientist James Hansen has said that the KXL pipeline would expedite the burning of tar sands oil and result in “game over” for a safe climate, potentially raising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations to 600 parts per million – far above the safe upper limit of 350ppm. A Yale poll entitled “Climate Change in the Coloradan Mind” found that 73% of Coloradans polled said that the issue of global warming is important to them personally. Participants will ask Bennet to vote with Coloradans, not the Koch brothers.