When the Numbers just don’t add up…
The two main arguments for proponents of the Keystone XL pipeline, a 1,700-mile stretch of pipe and pumps that would link a gargantuan oil patch in Alberta to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast is that it will create jobs, thus improving the economy, and that it will secure America's future energy resources. Both arguments are refuted in the second of two articles by Tom Zeller at the Huffington Post about the controversy surrounding the development of the oil pipeline. The first installment can be found here, but in summary, the number of jobs and the amount of money the XL pipeline is expected to generate has been greatly over exaggerated. Furthermore, the risks entailed to the environment with a pipeline of this sort far outweigh the proposed benefits that TransCanada, the company behind the project claims. This resistance has in many ways taken on a symbolic tone, putting supporters of clean energy against those who are not and may just be one of the most important decisions the Obama administration makes in its first term.
How does the XL Oil Pipeline effect the environment?
While the estimates on how bad this pipeline will actually be for the environment vary, what we do know is that it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on it. Estimates of the increase in carbon footprint have ranged anywhere from 5 to more than 30 percent depending on who you are asking and the potential for disaster that is a result of a spill or crack in the pipeline makes risks to the environment that much more substantial.
All About Jobs
Perhaps the biggest argument for proponents of the pipeline is that it will create hundreds of thousands of jobs and invest billions into the American economy. These figures, claimed by TransCanada, which sometimes cites "numerous studies" as its source, have been highly refuted causing TransCanada to adjust their original claims. In the end, the pipeline will undeniably create jobs, just how many and where is the question. Independent studies claim that the impact on the U.S. economy would be at the most 2.3 billion, a far cry from the 7 billion that TransCanada originally declared. A sizable percentage of materials for the pipeline would be obtained from foreign markets, while the direct construction and manufacturing jobs would be only be temporary, with pipeline builders being imported to camps along the planned route. If the jobs argument is not there, is this pipeline really worth risking the preservation of our environment?
But what about Energy Security?
Finally, changing up how America imports its oil is unlikely to provide much security. Oil is a global commodity and thus responds to complex and often unpredictable global events. Last year, an analysis commissioned by the Department of Energy noted that securing America’s energy would have little to do with the Keystone XL. The global nature of the oil market makes it difficult to answer even the most simplest of questions in what will the Keystone XL do for me in terms of reduced gas prices? Perhaps most surprisingly, analyst have suggested that Keystone XL would actually drive up gas prices by 10 or 20 cents a gallon in the Midwest, where tar sands crude is currently bottlenecked. Not only are we failing to secure our country’s energy future but we are also further burdening our economy by asking driver’s to pay for it at the pump.
What do we do now?
It's time for us as a country to think about long-term solutions to our energy crisis and the Keystone XL Pipeline is simply not it. If it weren't for the controversy that has erupted since the announcement of the proposed pipeline in the forms of mass demonstrations and protests, this pipeline would have already been approved and we would have set our country upon yet another doomed path. We need to learn from our past mistakes and quit thinking in terms of how to satisfy our next quick fix and instead, concentrate more on sustainable solutions taking into consideration the long-term impact it will have on our country.
One Stop Green is looking towards a ‘greener’ future, sharing the latest and greatest ideas in green living and green technology with you through our staff written blogs. Going 'green' is no longer a choice, it's our responsibility, that's why it's so important to try and do the small things that can help change the outlook of the planet - and this is essentially the purpose of One Stop Green. We believe even the little things like recycling or using less water helps the environment out in a big way, and that's why our various solutions seek to nurture and edify your home or business in an eco-friendly manner.
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