Obama And The Pipeline Non-Decision: It Does NOTHING To Protect The Environment

Regarding my previous blog on this subject, one has to wonder which of the following are the actual reasons President Obama said more information was needed about the pipeline's environmental impact:

1. He and all his so-called experts on the environment really don't know what the impact will be even though they've had three(!) years to investigate it or
2. This administration's desire to drive up the cost of fossil fuels to make 'clean energy' cost-competitive overrides all other considerations so it's better to just cut off a debate that's based on science and reason or
3. They do know the answers to the environmental questions but they don't like the answers because they affirm the pipeline won't cause any significant environmental damage ... so they need to keep studying it until they get answers that support their agenda-driven biases.

Since our Canadian friends won't wait any longer for an answer, option #3 doesn't really mean this administration intends to keep studying it. After all, what's the point of further investigation since Canada won't pursue it with us any longer? So this is the best of all worlds for the Obama administration. Not only do they get to say no to the pipeline, they even get to stop studying whatever science might inconveniently affirm the pipeline poses no significant risk. It's a win-win for their agenda. Unfortunately, it's also a lose-lose for America.

What's hilarious is that the president's decision doesn't do anything to protect the environment. The risk to the environment is no different whether the pipeline crosses the USA or Canada to their west coast. In fact, the president's "no" decision increases the environmental risks! Once Canada's oil gets to their west coast it'll be put on ships and hauled all the way across the Pacific. Ships leak and crash. That's a NET INCREASE IN RISK to the planet's environment in a place where it's much harder to clean up than on land. Also, that oil will be used in China in ways that are more environmentally harmful than the ways we'd use it. Also, that pipeline would have allowed us to bring in less oil from other countries by ship. That's an opportunity lost to reduce the risk of an offshore oil spill from tankers ... another UNNECESSARY RISK TO THE ENVIRONMENT that could have been diminished if the pipeline had been approved.

So to say no due to environment reasons is laughably absurd. It defies logic in so many ways it makes me wonder how smart they are. Or how stupid they think we are.