Posted on 03/16/2013 5:10:52 PM PDT by smoothsailing
March 16, 2013
Stanley Kurtz
Deciding whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline is surely one of the toughest challenges of Barack Obama’s presidency. He hasn’t made up his mind yet, of course. Or has he?
Bloomberg reports that the Obama administration “is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the first time that they should consider the impact on global warming before approving major projects.” Up to now, under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federally approved projects had to consider potential impacts like dangerous spills or air pollution, but not global warming. Directing all federal agencies to take climate change into account under NEPA will transform environmental policy in this country, putting a huge new drag on the economy in the process.
But let’s concentrate on Keystone. The Bloomberg report makes it clear that Obama’s order opens the way for further litigation and substantial delays on Keystone, whether the federal government officially blocks construction or not. That’s because NEPA allows citizens and environmental groups to file claims against projects even after they win government approval.
So the Obama administration could green-light the pipeline, file a report that stops short of calling Keystone a major global-warming hazard, and still find the project delayed for years by environmental groups bringing court challenges under the new NEPA guidelines.
In this scenario, headlines loudly proclaiming Obama’s approval of Keystone would shield him from Republican attacks. Simultaneously, the president could mollify the left by claiming credit for guidelines that effectively allowed his allies to stop the pipeline. And that would be right. Obama can publicly “approve” Keystone, while simultaneously handing the left the tool they need to put the project on semi-permanent hold. Environmentalists would take the political heat, while Obama would get off scot-free. Pretty clever.
Now maybe Obama is going to nix the pipeline outright. That’s what Lawrence Solomon predicts. At this pont, however, Obama’s formal public decision may not matter. The Keystone XL pipeline may have already been effectively stopped by Obama’s quiet new directive. The only remaining question would be how much credit or blame Obama wants to openly take for a block that’s already been thrown.
you don’t allow things that would boost the economy when you’re orchestrating it’s collapse.
BUILD IT ANYWAY. Who the hell gave the King the authority to stop it, anyway? Eff him. Proceed with construction and let the military or Feds come out to try and stop it. That’s when we stand with the builders. Bring it on.
Dumb azz 0bama has taken over 1,600 days to make a decision. That’s well over 3 years. What a joke. He’s gotten away with voting ‘present’ so far.
I remember in the wake of the crash when Buffett starting buying up rolling stock, and everyone wondered why.
That filthy S.O.B. does not care about his country any more than Obama does.
Back during the crash I also read enough of the backstories about how the White House was in constant communication with our own petit little version of Soros. They were asking him which of the big bank/brokerages should be saved, and which he was willing to put his money into.
Surprise, surprise, they were the same ones. Buffett 'invested' in Citi, Goldman and others, and refused to take the calls of Lehman and Bear Sterns.
The government (taxpayers) poured money into the same ones (and does to this day!).
Buffett bled money out of us that time too.
There is NO reason Keystone should not be built. There is every reason that is should. Every reason but one--that it will be good for the nation, rather than Obama.
Apparently that's reason enough.
Considering that "global warming" is itself a fraud, this is like asking how something will affect unicorns.
Be that as it may, the effect of this oil on the environment is moot. The oil will be processed and burned in the US, or it will be processed and burned in China. Either way it will be processed and burned.
Shipping it by pipeline is less risk to the environment than shipping it by sea. And you consume less energy getting it to market than you do shipping by sea. So if you care about the environment, Keystone is the better answer than the alternative.
Its funny, simple economics usually leads you to the more economically efficient answer, which is usually the more environmentally efficient answer.
Over half of the population are communists. They just think they’re democrats.
The logic escapes these bastards. You have a million barrels of oil flowing in a pipeline over hundreds of miles. Or, you have a million barrels of oil being transported by rail and trucks over hundreds of miles. Which is the greater contributor to “global warming?”
It shouldn’t be up to this bought and paid for a-hole!
Jarret, Ayers and the rest of the crew are still trying to figure out how to maximize total profits on this latest scam, that’s all....
Mighty easy for you to say when you’re not the CEO who would be sent to prison for violating laws and regulations.
That's easy, there is none.
and America takes another one in the........
It’s how he rolls. He votes present.
The energy will go to China, along with the jobs and the prosperity.
What a shame.
In the meantime, 0baMao asking for $2 billion to develop alternative energy.
What kind of a republic places its economic liberty in the hands of one man?
Can’t have a pipeline going right past the Utah, Wyoming, Colorado.. oil sands and oil shale..
Could give “the masses” IDEAS!.. they shouldn’t have..
Like; more oil than in all of Canada, next would be thinking of California oil fracking.. with even more..
Monterey shale fracking would open up a conversation The White Hut does not want..
Directing all federal agencies to take climate change into account under NEPA will... [open] the way for further litigation and substantial delays on Keystone, whether the federal government officially blocks construction or not. That’s because NEPA allows citizens and environmental groups to file claims against projects even after they win government approval.
Buffet’s probably giving BO a huge kickback not to approve. Perhaps this needs to be looked into.
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