COMMENTARY | Before you get nervous about me spewing political garbage from my mouth, just know that I am not a political piranha. I am however, about to spew political garbage from my mouth. I loathe politics, mainly because it’s a game that is won by who shakes the most hands, nevertheless, I do have an interest in this Keystone Pipeline expansion project. Why? Call me a tree-hugger, but I love nature. So if you haven’t been following the Keystone XL Project, let me fill you in so you can come to your own conclusions.
What
A pipeline that will go from the tar sands in Alberta, Canada, all the way down to Texas.
When
As soon as possible, but it requires approval from President Barack Obama. This project has nothing to do with Congress. On January 18, President Obama rejected TransCanada’s application for the pipeline. This doesn’t mean TransCanada can’t apply again, because I can assure you, they will keep trying.
Where
Look out Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Texas and Oklahoma. The pipeline will slash its way straight through the heartland.
Who
TransCanada, a company that builds and operates energy infrastructure.
One side is saying…
Not good for the environment or humans. Tar sands oil are a mixture of clay, water, bitumen (oily viscous material) and … you guessed it — sand! Mining and processing can extract the bitumen, which can then be refined into oil. These techniques are complex, expensive, and emit more greenhouse gas emissions than the normal drilling process. Huge amounts of water are needed for the extraction process, the remaining water waste is toxic and dumped into manmade pools. Friends of the Earth claim the water doesn’t stay there, though — it has been known to permeate clean water supplies.
The other side is saying….
The building of the pipeline will create temporary jobs for hundreds of unemployed Americans. House Speaker John Boehner, a huge advocate of spray tanning, said the President’s Jobs Council stated, “Energy pipeline projects, like this one, could create hundreds of thousands of jobs.” According to the Perryman Group study, states along the pipeline route will receive billions in property taxes and supply half the amount of oil the United States currently imports from the Middle East.
So there you have it. The way I see it, this is a pipeline that will snake through our backyards with the potential to ooze toxic sludge and contaminate our clean water supplies. No, thank you.