STOP the XL Pipeline

I've posted about this issue before, and I only raise it again because apparently government approval of the XL Pipeline that will bring tarsands oil from Canada to refineries in Houston is close. Robert Bryce, in a recent column said that President Obama will probably give that approval because not doing so will hurt his chances of re-election.

So, the president is considering something that could prove to be an environmental disaster because of politics? Or is that just Bryce's opinion? Either way, we should let the president know that we don't want the XL Pipeline.

Bryce points out all the ways that the pipeline will benefit the U.S., while downplaying the environmental issues, which are huge.

First of all, this is not regular crude oil that will be coming through these pipes. It is a thick substance that needs chemicals to thin it out and keep it flowing.Those chemicals are highly toxic and could ruin water systems for generations.

The Sierra Club has been following this issue for some time and recently posted a report released by the University of Nebraska that details the disastrous results of a worst-case scenario spill from Keystone XL. According to the report, a tar sands oil spill from the Keystone XL "into the Platte River in Nebraska would form a plume of oil that could extend more than 450 miles, contaminating drinking water for people as far away as Kansas City, Mo., and threatening wildlife habitat….a worst-case spill in the Sandhills region of Nebraska could pollute 4.9 billion gallons of groundwater with a plume of contaminants 40 feet thick, 500 feet wide and 15 miles long."

Read the full article HERE

Unlike crude oil spills, the contamination would last for generations, not just a few months until some cleanup is complete. We are looking at the possibility of destroying a water source completely, and that is true for every state that the pipeline crosses.

An organization, STOP Tarsands Oil Pipeline, that was started right here in East Texas has a website with a lot of facts that the oil companies and politicians fail to mention when talking about this pipeline, including the significant threat to the water supply in Texas should there ever be a leak.

Maybe I shouldn't say "should there ever be a leak." We are all painfully aware of how prevalent oil leaks are.

The other significant environmental issue is the increase of carbon emissions at the refineries. Tarsands production creates three times the greenhouse gases than crude oil. The bay area of Texas is already a hot bed of cancer and other illnesses directly related to pollutants, so we are just going to dump more on them?

Shame on us.

Shame on our government.

And shame on the oil companies who are pushing for this, despite the dangers. All in the name of profit.

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