Truck hauling 36-inch Pipe to build Keystone-C...

Where do I start?

The President has more time now to decide to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline from going from the “tar sands” oil fields to the Gulf of Mexico across an aquifer or let it go through. Lets be clear, “tar sands oil” is the dirtiest on the planet. (Earth not Planet POV) The process has been extended for questions and information gathering before the President has to decide. This is a  good thing as more people are learning how much harm it will do and how many people will be hurt by it. I love our neighbors to the North. Canada is a good neighbor. But it is the rich folks who own the land where the tar sands are who are being poor neighbors. That oil needs to stay in the ground where it belongs.

Why does Sec. Kerry have a say in the Keystone?  The State Department, which has jurisdiction because the pipeline crosses an international border.

English: Photograph of the Athabasca Tar Sands...

“Obama and his administration have been under intense pressure from environmentalists to kill the Keystone XL Pipeline project. Critics argue that fuel from the Canadian tar sands is far more dirty and damaging to the environment than ordinary oil, and that any pipeline spills would have devastating consequences to farmland and drinking water. The Keystone XL Pipeline would cross more than 1,000 water bodies.” MORE than 1000 bodies of water that is used for irrigation and drinking and washing . Any spill would pollute that water and cause harm to those folks dependent on it. The Keystone XL Pipeline if built, will cross 1,179 miles from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska.

Money talks, and we have some money on our side.

http://www.newsmax.com/US/keystone-pipeline-defective-tom-steyer/2014/02/02/id/550421/

 

This man, Tom Steyer is a very wealthy man who will back Democrats against the Keystone XLPipeline. So who will benefit from the Keystone Pipeline? Who will be hurt? First, the rich oil corporations and the very wealthy will benefit. Second, the middle class, working poor, and poor will be hurt. Farmers, ranchers, homeowners, and small businesses will also be hurt.  What about the landowners who do not want the pipeline crossing their land?  They may be forced to give their land up by emanate domain. They will definitely be hurt. This pipeline is proposed being built across the Ogallala Aquifer (which is a large water supply for much of the “bread basket” of America. Just one spill could contaminate the water supply of many homes and farms and ranches and small businesses. The lies told to try to get people to agree that the Keystone XL Pipeline is for the good of the country are plentiful! 1)The oil from the tar sands is clean.  Pure bullshit! It is filthy like coal is. Maybe worse. 2)Building it will create thousands of jobs. Maybe hundreds of temporary jobs, but only 35 permanent full time jobs. 3)The pipeline will not have any spills. In fact every pipeline has spills. A spill on land over an aquifer will contaminate the water! 4)This will help America because we will become more energy independent.  Hogwash! The oil is going to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico and then on to container ships to China and other foreign countries. America will get none of the oil. 5)No body will be hurt by the Pipeline going by their land. Even more hogwash! Eminent domain will take the land from its owners and benefit only the oil companies! I’m sure there are many more lies being told to facilitate the building of the Pipeline. The truth is it will only benefit the rich and hurt the American people!

English: A map showing aquifer thickness of th...
English: A map showing aquifer thickness of the Ogallala Aquifer with the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline route laid over. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Aquarius 1027KalimajjgravitasNirekAdLib Recent comment authors
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Aquarius 1027
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Aquarius 1027

Great article, Nirek, about what blatant lies are being told by both the wealthy and the corporations who only want to increase their profits. I say hogwash, too! The so-called benefits with the Keystone XL pipeline do not outweigh the risks. Especially when all of the benefits go only to the wealthy – and all of the risks go to the rest of the nation and its environment.

Kalima
Admin

Running a bit late, sorry.

Thank you Nirek for putting all the negatives against the Keystone XL Pipeline in one article. Lives will be ruined and land destroyed just to line the already full pockets of a few.

I don’t think that John Kerry will approve it over the President’s head, and know for a fact that many petitions have been sent to him asking him to say no, all with close to 100,000 signatures from concerned citizens. In the last month I have signed at least four. It’s worth fighting for.

jjgravitas
Member
jjgravitas

Who benefits from the pipeline? The oil companies, not necessarily the USA. The oil companies are exporting a lot of their product to other countries rather than keeping all gas in our own country. For the last 14 years we have been concerned about our dependence on foreign oil, specifically oil from the Middle East. And in spite of that, Big Oil and the GOP are still fighting the emergence of alternative energy. And what are they doing to ensure that oil developed in the USA stays in the USA?

AdLib
Admin

Great points, Nirek.

Like just about everything else related to the oil industries, the main product they manufacture is lies. They lie about the thousands of permanent jobs Keystone will bring when it’s only a couple dozen. They lie about how it will decrease US dependency on importing oil but the oil from the pipelines will be shipped right out to China and elsewhere. They lie about the danger the pipeline represents to the drinking water of many US states and the domino effect on the rest of the country.

The good news though is that indications seem to point to Obama saying no to it. He can’t make Climate Change his top priority as he has stated if he simultaneously approves massive carbon pollution that scientists have deemed, “Game Over” for Climate Change.

We do have a big fight ahead of us because if Obama says no, the Koch brothers who are heavily vested in Keystone will spend millions and pull out all the guns to pressure Obama to reverse his decision.

Obama has put off the final decision until after the elections in November. I think the momentum is going in our direction but we’ll have to stay on top of this and take nothing for granted.

Aquarius 1027
Member
Aquarius 1027

Agreed, AdLib – Liked your comment that ” . . the main product they manufacture is lies.” That sums it up perfectly!!