Posted on 12/20/2011 5:51:25 PM PST by SmithL
With all the political posturing in Congress over the Keystone XL tar-sands oil pipeline, it’s easy to lose sight of the real issue: This pipeline is dangerous, unnecessary, and would cost the American people far more than we can afford. What we’re watching unfold in Washington, DC, is more than just a high-stakes political power play — it’s a scam undertaken by Big Oil’s congressional puppets on the orders of oil companies that have billions of dollars at stake.
The politicians pushing the pipeline are (how can I put this politely?) lying to the American people and pandering for dirty oil money. What do we really stand to gain if this thing is rammed down our throats? Higher gas prices, more air pollution, the threat of poisoned water, and enough carbon pollution to make stopping climate disruption next to impossible — but few of the jobs and none of the huge profits that Big Oil would reap.
Exaggerated job numbers play well to public concern about unemployment and the economy, but they are a hollow promise. The numbers from TransCanada — the company behind the pipeline — have already been discredited as fuzzy math for using tricks like double counting and incidental employment for dancers, choreographers, and speech therapists. Here’s some non-fuzzy math: The pipeline would raise gas prices across the Midwest — hurting both consumers and businesses. Ironically, the pipeline could actually destroy more jobs than it generates.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.sfgate.com ...
After the bug kill, they fought with the courts to keep the bug trees from being cut for timber. The “spotted owl” was the cry. The year after the biggest forest fire in Sierra history made ash of the spotted owls.
Those that worship the earth, are poison to it. The loggers and hunters take far better care of the earth than the “enviro-mental” fools.
The Sierra Club's alternative is for all of those SUV-driving middle class white people to die and disappear, so no more energy will be needed.
Nevertheless, the author may be unintentionally right about one thing - the excessive focus on oil and gas is taking attention away the development of thorium reactors and other advanced technologies that we absolutely must have to become energy self-sufficient. Unless the cost of energy can be lowered dramatically, it is difficult to see how the next economic boom will ever get started, and without radical advances in energy technology the current depression could drag on for decades.
The pipeline is a deal for Canada not the USA and this is why.
This pipeline isn’t about providing benefits for, or making the USA energy independent. Factually it will cause the price of gasoline to rise in the Midwest which currently enjoys an oversupply of product from Canada.
It is about the taking of sovereign rights of USA citizens and landowners by foreign corporations by eminent domain so to maximize their profits, not USA benefits. The USA is nothing but the conduit to enable unrefined Canadian oil to be shipped to a global market and then have it bid up by the Chinese. In the end much of the oil will by-pass USA refineries too.
This proves that neither Party knows how to work in the interest of the USA as a nation. Congress is owned by global corporations instead of working for USA citizens. As Donald Trump would say, only an incompetent corrupt Congress would give foreign corporations access to USA land without negotiating a deal giving advantageous and long term benefits to the USA.
Why is there no deal that accompanies this pipeline to provide the USA with guarantees on supply of this oil that traverses the USA, and also require use of our refineries?
The only “advantage” for the USA that this pipeline offers is from short term employment while they are building it. I agree with Trump that Congress is made up of politicians, fools and traitors. This pipeline deal is analogous to a private individual owning a piece of valuable land that a neighboring corporation desperately needs, and the deal that is cut via eminent domain turns over perpetual rights to his property for access in exchange for the corporation giving the landowner a temporary job building their road.
The same rented fools in Congress who absurdly gave Asia our economy, open access to the USA and world’s largest consumer market with no concessions from Asia, are still screwing us for the benefit of other nations..
Tar sands oil is a gigantic climate disaster waiting to happen.
Not to mention all the other aquifers that are similarly crossed by many existing pipelines.
It was more made up BS that sounds bad to the uninformed.
The bottleneck in Cushing is going to be eliminated regardless of this pipeline going in or not. That price differential between WTI and Global supply is not goint to last much longer. It has already begun to reduce and other pipeline projects are proceding anyways. This was just another red herring thrown up to scare people without looking at what was happening outside this one pipeline project.
For example:
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/12/21/seaway-pipeline-reversal-project-announces-open-season/
The USA is nothing but the conduit to enable unrefined Canadian oil
More nonsense designed to scare people. There is already planned a project for even more oil to export on the Gateway pipeline. Transcanada is not building a longer pipeline to farther away port from other markets just to export. That export will happen but it will be with the Gateway pipeline. Shipping oil through the Keystone XL to Gulf Coast would not be competitive with the Gateway pipeline.
The only “advantage” for the USA that this pipeline offers is from short term employment while they are building it.
Perhaps you've heard of OPEC? We buy more oil from them than Canada or any other country. Perhaps you think that is good for us, but I would rather send more dollars to Canada than to OPEC.
Sorry I'm not an expert on that aspect, but I am a US citizen and oppose it because it is a bad deal for the USA without giving us any guarantees except 20K temp jobs. Donald Trump would say why are we giving the farm away without guarantees and direct benefits for the USA.
What do you think about Canadian companies or any private enterprise taking land from Americans by eminent domain?
What part of the country do you live in?
Is it supplied by fuel shipped by pipeline acquired by eminent domain?
Wow, you are really way out there. Your arguments are mostly theoretical balderdash.
Give us a break. Join the 21st century
Why no beneficial guarantees to the USA that all output from this pipeline will stay in the USA? The pipeline creates some obvious risk and potential environmental cost to the USA with spills etc. and the common good needs met if eminent domain is ever used. Sorry profits for Canada (or USA) oil companies and risk to environment don’t equate to common good in USA.
Congress has a history of giving away the benefits that we Americans should expect from any such deal because most of them are leased from interest groups, and not working for US citizens. I could use the example of free trade as they gave away our huge market and economy to Asia and other countries asking for nothing in return.
Give me one other expample of a single product imported into that has such a requirement.
It is a commodity. We pay market rates. The cost of transportation prevents it from being exported. Or do you have some expectation that we could pass such a requirement, offer $1 per barrel and they would have no choice?
Sorry profits for Canada (or USA) oil companies and risk to environment don’t equate to common good in USA.
If you don't want the product, don't buy it. But how do you expect to get the fuel you buy? Do you have magic unicorns to delivery it directly to your gas tank without any risk of spillage?
Importing via ship from overseas has a far greater risk of spills than shipping by pipeline. And then the refined product still has to be shipped by pipeline to deliver to the market.
Show me the option that has a lower risk? Or do you intend to only ride your horse, bicycle or walk?
At this point they are just throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks.
Anything to scare the uniformed and the easily swayed to not look into the real situation and protest against it in ignorance.
Our Congress and government is owned (not by us citizens) and they have proven time and again they do not know how to make a deal, whether it is this pipeline or free trade without screwing the USA.
But why should they? They all are turned into millionaires and lobbyists by not making a good deal for the USA? This deal is a typical corrupt Congressional deal where they get rich and we Americans get nothing (or worse).
You are right, I can’t give a single example where any other such deals are in the interest of the USA. They are owned or conflicted and don’t know how to make a deal.
Corruption is rampant by politicians and yet some still try overlook it because of partisanship. My philosophy is that any politician (local to federal D/R) that is found guilty of being bribed or of major corruption should face a firing squad at Ft Leavenworth. That would put an end it.
Another lying big green anti American, spewing his green lies and bs.
How much money does he get from the really big oil crooks, the Opecker Princes in his efforts to keep us dependent on Opecker Prince oil?
“The San Francisco Chronicle I should have known. What a crock. Who believes this stuff?”
Unfortunately for us, most of the US $inators in power, Lord Obama and his energy czars and about 40% of Americans who have replaced religion with their love of the Green Hate America bs.
Plus... You're one of the best BS detectors on the site!!!
Well, check out the author and especially his title... excrement director of the Sierra Flub!!!
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