Keystone XL Pipeline
Michael Espriella
3/27/13
Period 5
Keystone XL Pipeline
The topic of the proposed Keystone XL from Canada to Texas interested me after reading David J. Unger’s article about the Sierra Club protest. This topic is interesting because it integrates economic, political, and environmental debates. The pipeline would bring tar sands from Canada to refineries in Texas. The Canadian company promoting the construction of the pipeline, TransCanada, has changed the route of the pipeline in order to minimize the disturbance of resources but the debate has continued. Other companies such as Valero Energy Corporation and ConocoPhillips have also taken a role in constructing or supporting the pipeline.
The environmental opportunities that the pipeline presents are very attractive mainly because of the jobs that will be created. According to a State Department report, the pipeline could create over 40,000 jobs. These jobs would vary from construction and manufacturing to business activities. On the other hand, the same report describes how only 35 of these jobs would be permanent. This leads to debate as those opposed to the pipeline claim that the job creation is not enough to justify the construction of the pipeline. The opponents worry about the various environmental consequences of the pipeline.
As fossil fuel consumption increases, more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. Completing the Keystone XL Pipeline would promote the use of fossil fuels, concerning environmentalists such as Bill McKibben along with environmental scientists. The pipeline would not only lead to greenhouse gas emissions but it also endangers soil and water resources. The pipeline would likely disturb highly erodible soil in its path. It could also degrade streams or surface water and disturb animals’ habitats. One study discovered that 13 federally protected species will have their habitats encroached on. In addition, one of the proposed paths of the pipeline would run over the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest aquifers in the world that provides around 30 percent of all ground water that is used for irrigation and also provides drinking water for over two million citizens. A leak in the pipeline could greatly harm this water source as well as the surrounding ecosystems. The various environmental consequences and economic opportunities have led to political debates.
A main reason for support of the Keystone XL pipeline is that people assume that if we do not get oil from Canada, we will have to get oil from another source such as Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, or Mexico. Proponents of the project argue that oils from these other sources are heavy crude oils, which would be more harmful than Canada’s oil sands. The political role of the pipeline was seen when the U.S. State Department released a report on the pipeline outlining its effects on climate and potential job opportunities. Some claim that the State Department downplayed the environmental impact of the pipeline. Others argue that the report concludes that the pipeline should be constructed because stopping the construction would not do anything about climate change.
This topic interested me because I believe energy is a field that has a lot of room for improvement. In order to use resources more sustainably, we should promote the use of renewable energy and promote minimal use of fossil fuels. We do not need to cut out fossil fuels completely but methods such as a carbon taxes with proceeds funding alternative energy research would help us transition to a sustainable lifestyle. While some argue for the use of fossil fuels because of the economic opportunities, there are also economic opportunities in the development of alternative energy sources that are not as harmful to the environment. We also have a lot of technology that uses renewable energy it is just a matter of using this technology to reduce our impact on the environment.
Sources
http://swampland.time.com/2013/03/07/build-that-pipeline/
http://thegatewayonline.ca/article/view/keystone_pipeline
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/keystone-xl-jobs_n_2812291.html
3/27/13
Period 5
Keystone XL Pipeline
The topic of the proposed Keystone XL from Canada to Texas interested me after reading David J. Unger’s article about the Sierra Club protest. This topic is interesting because it integrates economic, political, and environmental debates. The pipeline would bring tar sands from Canada to refineries in Texas. The Canadian company promoting the construction of the pipeline, TransCanada, has changed the route of the pipeline in order to minimize the disturbance of resources but the debate has continued. Other companies such as Valero Energy Corporation and ConocoPhillips have also taken a role in constructing or supporting the pipeline.
The environmental opportunities that the pipeline presents are very attractive mainly because of the jobs that will be created. According to a State Department report, the pipeline could create over 40,000 jobs. These jobs would vary from construction and manufacturing to business activities. On the other hand, the same report describes how only 35 of these jobs would be permanent. This leads to debate as those opposed to the pipeline claim that the job creation is not enough to justify the construction of the pipeline. The opponents worry about the various environmental consequences of the pipeline.
As fossil fuel consumption increases, more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. Completing the Keystone XL Pipeline would promote the use of fossil fuels, concerning environmentalists such as Bill McKibben along with environmental scientists. The pipeline would not only lead to greenhouse gas emissions but it also endangers soil and water resources. The pipeline would likely disturb highly erodible soil in its path. It could also degrade streams or surface water and disturb animals’ habitats. One study discovered that 13 federally protected species will have their habitats encroached on. In addition, one of the proposed paths of the pipeline would run over the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest aquifers in the world that provides around 30 percent of all ground water that is used for irrigation and also provides drinking water for over two million citizens. A leak in the pipeline could greatly harm this water source as well as the surrounding ecosystems. The various environmental consequences and economic opportunities have led to political debates.
A main reason for support of the Keystone XL pipeline is that people assume that if we do not get oil from Canada, we will have to get oil from another source such as Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, or Mexico. Proponents of the project argue that oils from these other sources are heavy crude oils, which would be more harmful than Canada’s oil sands. The political role of the pipeline was seen when the U.S. State Department released a report on the pipeline outlining its effects on climate and potential job opportunities. Some claim that the State Department downplayed the environmental impact of the pipeline. Others argue that the report concludes that the pipeline should be constructed because stopping the construction would not do anything about climate change.
This topic interested me because I believe energy is a field that has a lot of room for improvement. In order to use resources more sustainably, we should promote the use of renewable energy and promote minimal use of fossil fuels. We do not need to cut out fossil fuels completely but methods such as a carbon taxes with proceeds funding alternative energy research would help us transition to a sustainable lifestyle. While some argue for the use of fossil fuels because of the economic opportunities, there are also economic opportunities in the development of alternative energy sources that are not as harmful to the environment. We also have a lot of technology that uses renewable energy it is just a matter of using this technology to reduce our impact on the environment.
Sources
http://swampland.time.com/2013/03/07/build-that-pipeline/
http://thegatewayonline.ca/article/view/keystone_pipeline
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/keystone-xl-jobs_n_2812291.html
