Reasons to Oppose the Tar Sands Pipeline

Americans need Obama to refuse the Keystone XL pipeline extension. Over the long term this pipeline will empower the continuation of a polluting industry that will make our planet unlivable and threaten America's domestic tranquility. Let's turn away from ecologically devastating jobs creation. Send Obama your thoughts, here. Here are mine:

1. JOBS: Poor Quality. Jobs such as those offered to our union pipefitters maintain our dysfunctional status quo. 

2. JOBS: Are We Sure? According to a Cornell University study, TransCanada's claim that this pipeline would provide 20,000 union jobs is overstated. 

3. SECURITY: Oil Dependent Forever? Both the Obama and W. Bush Administrations have stated "America needs to end its addiction to oil." 

The Ogallala Aquifer provides roughly 30% of America’s
agricultural water and 27% of its drinking water.

4. SECURITY: Water in Danger. Once that 2,500 mile pipeline is in place America's most important water resource, the Ogallala Aquifer, would be at risk of pipeline leakages and spills due to: human error during design, human error during installation, mechanical error, materials error, systems error, malfunctions, the effects of environmental conditions changes such as long term drought, the effects of dramatic environmental weather events such as flooding or tornadoes, sabotage, and terrorism. The Ogallala Aquifer provides roughly 30% of America’s agricultural water and 27% of its drinking water: 24/7, 365 days a year. 

According to the tar sands industry, 

tar oil is roughly 1.5x more greenhouse gas intensive 
than conventional oil.

5. SECURITY: Climate Impacts. The Alberta tar sands oil resource is 8x larger than Saudi Arabia’s conventional oil resources. Empowering this business would extend the existence of fossil fuel burning many decades into the future. From extraction to consumption, the tar sands industry openly states that consuming tar oil is roughly 1.5x more greenhouse gas intensive than conventional oil. Every American has had some encounter with the effects of dramatic weather events this year. Those of us who have studied climate change know these events are "right on schedule" with the gloom and doom recent climate science modeling has produced. If the global scientific community's consensus on climate change and what's causing it is correct, consuming these tar sands would lead to the end of civilization as we know it, as extreme weather events intensify in frequency and power and the regularity of seasonal cycles all but disappears from our year to year living experience. The future promise of burning more greenhouse gasses, according to the climate scientists, is unlivable. This community has stated repeatedly America is the single biggest exacerbator of the climate problem and that “the world” is VERY far behind in protecting the planet… Or should I say, we humans are very far behind in maintaining the stability of the planet our civilization relies on. Let's not make a terrible problem worse. 

Our men and women in uniform deserve better. 

6. SECURITY: Our Military. Since 911 thousands of American soldiers have lost their lives protecting refueling convoys in the Middle East. This type of technology is an easy target for any sized opponent. Permitting this pipeline would make it easy for the Military’s oil dependence to continue. Our soldiers deserve better. Let's not expand America's oil refinement business.