Battle over controversial international oil pipeline growing

[alp227]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- The battle over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would stretch 1,700 miles through six states, from Alberta, Canada, across the U.S. heartland, and into Texas to Gulf Coast refineries, is intensifying.

The final congressional hearing on the $7 billion project is scheduled for October 7 in Washington. And the State Department, which has to sign off on the deal because of the international scope of the project, has said a decision is expected before the end of the year.

Environmental groups are furious about the pipeline, which would carry at least 700,000 barrels of tar sands oil a day to U.S. refineries, and the plan to run it through sensitive environmental areas. During a two-week protest in front of the White House more than 1,200 people were arrested, including actress Daryl Hannah and leading NASA climate scientist James Hansen.

Veteran activist Bill McKibben, with the group Tar Sands Action, was the main organizer of the civil disobedience campaign or sit-in, which ended this weekend. The group wanted to send a message to President Barack Obama because the project also needs a presidential permit to move ahead.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/05/oil.pipeline/index.html

[daleanime]

1. Is it too late to hope for some common sense?

:banghead:

[The Green Manalishi]

11. "Is it too late to hope for some common sense?"

Yes.
It's going to happen.

Might as well expect universal health care, all US forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan and a pony as expect anyone opposing this to not be labeled a raving ecomoonbat nutcase by the White house.
Done deal.

[left on green only]

15. I've Been Telling The Right Wing

What they aught to do to diminish the number of states that object to such a huge money maker for private industry is to re-route that puppy lengthwise down the state of California and position it right on top of the San Andreas fault line. Just think of all the jobs that it will create in the state that has the second highest unemployment rate in the USA. Aquifer smackifer, they can run that puppy right along side the grand canal that brings all of the water from Northern California to the Southern California swimming pools. Yesseree, The right wing: building a better America for Arnie and his pals :sarcasm:

[Earth_First]

2. Tar Sands & Shale Bed Hydrofracking = last vestiges of a dying energy source...

Unfortunately their arrival means further ramping up of the environmental damage in order to meet energy demands.

Truly heartbreaking...

[SpiralHawk]

3. yup

k - r

[Tempest]

5. The amount of water required is enough reason to kill fracking

Texas is in an extreme drought and water restrictions are in place for the people, but the oil industry has no restrictions on the amount of water they can use.

[progressoid]

16. Even sadder when all of this time and effort could be put toward finding

and developing renewable sources of energy instead.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

4. Drive a &*%$ing stake through the heart of this thing before it's too late.

OTOH, I have a sinking feeling that this monstrosity has already been green lighted by the one person who could stop it dead.

Or to paraphrase a DU'er ( I can't recall the ID) said the other day, can he stop it.....YES he can, but he probably won't.

[JJW]

6. Global Warming on steriods

Short term profits of Wall Street fat cats has made the world crazy. Seriously, this project ends life on earth in the long term by putting too much CO2 into the atmosphere.

[Sancho]

7. It may not matter, but I called the WH...

after the Gulf oil spill, I'm gonna fight the oil monsters however I can...

[lunasun]

8. But I just heard a radio ad telling me that it would create 600,000 jobs

and give us an energy source from our friendly neighbor Canada....I guess as opposed to Middle East where not so friendly:shrug:
I listened to the ad and I noticed it never really said where those jobs would be but hey the ad all sounded so positive surely nothing can be wrong with the pipeline right???:sarcasm:

[on point]

9. Those are anticipated clean-up jobs -provided we still have some clean regs left!

[plumbob]

10. The filthiest shit in the world traveling under high pressure a couple

of thousand miles through all kinds of terrain and weather - hey, what could go wrong?

[SharksBreath]

12. Pretty digusting.

[QUALAR]

13. Brainless White House

If Obama had any fucking vision, he would propose a series of water aqueducts throughout the Midwest to offset another dust bowl. It's coming due to climate change and Texas will be hurt severely. And yes, my name is Clair as in Voyance.

[styersc]

14. Given the economy, energy costs and political season, this was

inevitable. If not under Obama then under the next one in.

Strategy now should be to make sure all environmental regulations are followed to the letter. Better Obama be at the helm of regulation during the construction and operation of this pipeline. There are dozens out therre already. Me must sit on them to make sure this one is sanely regulated.