The Keystone XL Pipeline: Congress, PLEASE Vote “No”!

Dear Readers,

I haven’t written too much about politics in the past – but with the Keystone XL vote looming up on Friday, I had to dig up one of my old pieces about it and post it. This issue is just way too important to ignore.

For those of you who aren’t sure what I’m talking about, here’s a quick recap: the Keystone Pipeline runs from Alberta, Canada, to Illinois, Texas and Oklahoma. It already exists. What DOESN’T currently exist is Phase IV of it, the Keystone XL Pipeline extension, which would run through a good deal of the Midwest – including the Sandhills region of Nebraska, a prairie ecosystem and American National Natural Landmark. I am strongly opposed to it, due to the severely negative impact it could have on the environment, as well as its failure to create many permanent jobs.

Here goes:

The green energy sector is not simply important. It is our future, and our children’s future. As I have mentioned in previous posts, oil is running out at an alarming rate, and coal – while plentiful – poses far too many dangers to the environment to be used in large quantities. The Ivanpah Solar Plant in California marks the beginning of a new, sustainable era… and I believe that we must – pardon the pun – focus our energies on cultivating a strong green energy sector.

In regards to the Keystone Pipeline project’s job creation capabilities: we must ask ourselves how realistic our current expectations are. The Trans-Alaskan Pipeline was expected to create an enormous number of permanent jobs for Alaskans; however, “The Wall Street Journal concluded in September 1979 that the “capital intensive” oil industry had failed to create a significant number of permanent jobs for Alaska.  After the pipeline was completed, unemployment grew, reaching 15% by June 1977.  By September 1979 it had dropped to 11%, but private industry failed to expand substantially.  40% of Alaska’s workforce remained on the public payroll.” So when that Nebraska judge struck down the Keystone Pipeline, it was for the best. 

You know, the development of green energy can create jobs, too. In fact, it may even create more jobs – for, in order to create an efficient green energy industry, we need entrepreneurs: confident, intelligent thinkers and doers. Let us give our future generations a chance to excel; a chance to breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives.

Signed,

The History Hacker