My thoughts on the Keystone XL Pipeline

President Obama's decision yesterday to block the Keystone XL Pipeline (KXL) has upset many people. The Canadians are mad at us because they want to ship their oil across the United States to the Gulf, a more central shipping location. The IBEW is mad because they wanted their union members to go to work. The oil companies are mad because they want the profits from the oil. The only two groups of people who do not seem disappointed are the environmentalists, for good reason, and the Republicans, who see this as an opportunity to oust the President in the elections. On the other hand, I am also thrilled but for very different reasons. I think the whole thing has been misrepresented from the beginning and I think this could be a path to energy independence that the Republicans and the oil companies would love us to avoid.

The KXL is designed to carry Canadian oil to the Gulf where it can be sold. That statement alone should raise some questions. Although Canada is the leading provider right now for U.S oil, we should not assume that all the Canadian oil going through the pipeline would be used by us. The Canadians would like to sell their oil to other countries also, and the Gulf of Mexico is a great way of doing that. We have been told that we would get this oil, but reason says we would not get all of it. Therefore, a great deal of the selling points for the KXL have been based on assumption.

Next, we have been told that is a "shovel-ready" project. It probably is. But that does not mean that we have to take advantage of it or be labeled a job killer. Fixing the nations highways is also "shovel-ready" and one that few state governments are embracing and the national government is reluctant to fund. But once the pipeline is built, are the jobs still going to be available? Probably not and definitely not in the numbers that are needed for construction. Wouldn't we be better off looking for jobs that would be sustained? I think so.

Which leads me to why I think this presents a great opportunity for us. We need fuel and we need jobs. We have the capacity to ramp up sustainable, renewable natural energy like solar and wind and, since there are already companies in place who are working in these fields, with a little funding, we could have fuel and jobs. With a boost in production, jobs from management to laborer, and course that looks to the future, we could be laying the groundwork for a strong, independent United States to move into the next century. Instead, we listen to the rhetoric from loud people who have their own agendas and dismiss a person who blocks the KXL as being "stunningly stupid."

In my mind, the only "stunningly stupid thing to do" is to continue down this path of oil dependence. As long as we are reliant on a non-renewable source of energy, we will continue to barter our security for our oil. As long as we are reliant on oil, we will continue to be influenced by oil companies who care more about their profits then the general welfare of our country. As long as we continue to listen to the loud mouths who have been influenced by big oil and quick fixes, we will continue to flounder along until it is too late, which will be when we finally realize that China now owns the United States. This rejection is an opportunity to move into a new and better direction. Let's go!