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Keystone Pipeline Project should not significantly exacerbate carbon emission

Now, I know there’s been, for example, a lot of controversy surrounding the proposal to build a pipeline, the Keystone pipeline, that would carry oil from Canadian tar sands down to refineries in the Gulf. And the State Department is going through the final stages of evaluating the proposal. That’s how it’s always been done. But I do want to be clear: Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so would be in our nation’s interest. And our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution. The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward. It’s relevant.

With the words above, President Barrack Obama, gave hints on the grounds for which the proposal to transport Canada oil from Alberta to USA, will be evaluated. Approval of the project will be conditioned on:

  • The interest of the country (USA); and

  • The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate

 

According to the President, environmental considerations, more specifically carbon pollution will be the main consideration for approval of the project. Obama stated that approval of the proposal may be given if the project does not "significantly exacerbate" the problem of carbon pollution.

 

This could pose a big challenge to the proponent of the big as oil sands are not known to produce low carbon emissions. In fact, the President refer to the product as "tar sands" a term that environmentalists have always used to imply that oil sands are dirty fuels requiring tremendous efforts to refine. It is uncertain if the choice of word by President Obama is intentional or accidental. If it is intentional, there is most possibly a great deal of convincing required to demonstrate that the project will not "significantly exacerbate" the problem of carbon pollution. The next few months will tell how this story unfolds.

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