Keystone Pipeline

The idiots in Congress have just passed a bill that (hopefully) will be vetoed by the President here in the next few days. The Republicans have sponsored the bill on the false belief that the extension of the Keystone Pipeline will economically benefit the United States; they have even gone so far as to describe Obama as “juvenile” for not supporting it. It is true; however, that the Keystone Pipeline’s environmental impact will far outweigh the insignificant difference it will make to our economy.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) has speculated that the Keystone Pipeline will bring 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day to our refineries. This speculation is flawed-moreover; TransCanada (the owner of the Keystone Pipeline) has reported that the vast majority of its oil will be sent overseas. This arrangement of oil distribution may actually lead to higher gas prices for Americans after oil is drained from Midwest (thanks again to TransCanada for clearing that up).

Another popular reason to support the pipeline is the job growth it will cause. George Will, a writer for the Washington Post, calls Obama an “unshucked oyster” for his supposed lack of knowledge about jobs; it’s not like Obama has cut unemployment from over 10% to under 6. On a lighter note, Merriam-Webster says that “unshucked is not playable word” so I’m not sure if George Will can be trusted with his self-entitled poetic license. Besides, the pipeline would create a few thousand temporaryjobs, nothing worth destroying the environment over.

Oh, and what about those environmental impacts I keep talking about? The pipeline would pollute a vital drinking supply used by 2 million people in Nebraska. A recent oil spill from a similar pipeline has had its effects studied-and they aren’t good (just some dizziness and nausea but don’t worry, those are the people’s symptoms). Of course we could always use the resources given to TransCanada for pipeline to renewable energy. Why would it be such a bad thing to get energy from safer, healthier, longer-lasting source? But I guess the gazillions of dollars in oil companies’ pockets are enough to convince people otherwise.