Keystone Pipeline Decision Could Be Delayed Until After Election

Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from Washington— The Obama administration is considering a move that could delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline by requiring sponsors to reduce the project's environmental risks before it can be approved, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations.

Read the whole story

Comments

[realityCheckInTheMail]

11:08 PM on 11/07/2011

Does Obama not want to win re-election? The scientific consensus is that Keystone doesn't present a large risk to the aquifer. There are a huge number of jobs at stake.

If this puppy doesn't get approved in the next 12 months, it will be Obama's Willie Horton.

[CaptD]

01:30 PM on 11/08/2011

Jobs? Short time maybe, then what, another one?

President Obama should start using his pen to sign immediate public works jobs in the USA and pay for it the same way that he paid for the loans to Big Banks and Wall Street, by printing more money! That would jump start Americas recovery!

This Pipeline is a gift to Big Oil...

[realityCheckInTheMail]

02:03 PM on 11/08/2011

Well, ideally the recession will only last a short time. Keynesian economics (which Obama and the left certainly believe in) dictates that you focus on short term jobs to help restart the broader economy.

Obama ran on a platform of creating infrastructure. Infrastructure ***is*** short-term jobs. You don't build a bridge, or repair a road, or add a runway, forever and ever. You do those things until they're done, and then society enjoys the benefits for the duration of the project.

The pipeline ***is*** infrastructure. With the added bonus that the taxpayers don't have to pay for it.

This is Econ 101 here. Did you sleep through the class where they explained infrastructure?

[K August]

08:11 PM on 11/08/2011

800-900 temporary pipeline building jobs is a "huge" ?

According to the "Scientists" at NASA this is a big mistake. Tar Sands are the dirtiest carbon on the planet and if we continue to dig it up it will be "Game Over" for our climate.
All species need clean air and water to survive...... why are corporate profits more important?

[realityCheckInTheMail]

09:42 PM on 11/08/2011

Perhaps the pipeline jobs are that few ... but even so, it's a symbol.

The CO2 emissions from the tar sands are a symbol too. It's a tiny slice of a tiny slice of a tiny slice of the global emissions.

Do you want to know which symbol carries more weight? Take a guess come Nov 4.

Moreover, a lot more than 900 people work in those refineries on the other end of the pipeline. Plus, KXL includes a spur outbound from the booming Bakken field in the Dakotas. Pipeline building jobs, refinery jobs, drilling jobs, it adds up. Especially during a recession.

[quillerm]

07:54 PM on 11/07/2011

It's fun watching these leftists post all their hate for oil. They are using electricity, driving cars, live in heated homes and most of the products they own were made from oil. But mention a pipeline to ship oil to a refinery and they all go nuts. Pipelines have proven to be the safest, most environmentally safe method of shipping oil in comparison to trucks and ships. They need to research how many oil truck spills happen each year, and how many people die in them. Ships are far more dangerous and pollute more than pipelines, why don't they know these simple facts?

[gremlint]

01:27 PM on 11/08/2011

Yes, it's wonderful to be addicted to oil.
Pass the crack pipe !!!

[CaptD]

01:31 PM on 11/08/2011

The simple fact is that the oil will leave America, so this is really a gift for China!

[realityCheckInTheMail]

02:06 PM on 11/08/2011

That's idiotic. The oil will be refined in Texas. Some of it will be sold abroad, some in the states.

The cost of transporting the oil from Texas to China or whomever will be borne by the foreign consumer. The domestic consumer will always be able to outbid the foreign consumer, because the domestic consumer can be satisfied with less expensive transprotation costs.

This is why oil and gas are cheaper near the refineries or ports that provide them then they are far away.

US citizens will be closer to the refined product. US citizens will buy the refined product more cheaply than people far away. US citizens will be employed in the refinery re:less.

The is Econ 101. Did you sleep through the class where the explained how manufacturing works?

[quillerm]

07:40 PM on 11/07/2011

Obama Logic:

Let's see... ship millions of gallons of oil by a safe, underground pipeline or use thousands of polluting, dangerous trucks on our highways? This is really a tough decision, I will wait until after the election.

[gremlint]

11:16 PM on 11/07/2011

Better yet ... don't transport the oil at all.  LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND.
The difficulty of a decision is relative to the intelligence of the person deciding.

[quillerm]

09:40 AM on 11/08/2011

Leaving it in the ground will not heat homes, fuel cars, or provide petroleum products that millions of people use every day. It still takes oil to produce electric cars, lubricate the machines that power our factories, etc. Now that cars are getting more efficient in gas consumption and oil is recycled, the pollution factor is manageable. When cars run on hydrogen and alternative products are available to lubricate machines, things may change but this isn't the time.

[CaptD]

01:33 PM on 11/08/2011

Fanned and Fav'd!
Solar (of all flavors) is the answer!

I'm voting for a Leader that commits to racing Germany toward a green solar future!

[GrumpyinAZ]

04:08 PM on 11/07/2011

If the Tar Sand isage upposed to solve Americas Fuel Shortage, why the pipeline?
Refine it and sell it here, don't ship it to the Gulf for sale overseas. America doesn't get a drop of Alaska's oil

[sursum korda]

06:28 PM on 11/07/2011

There is something called the International Distribution Grid defined and enforced by America for the benefit of America which heretofore has been enforced/muscled rather well. We in Eastern Canada (comprising about 80%) of the population get our oil from Venezuela, the Middle East and Nigeria as does the US eastern markets. ALL our oil goes south.

[SMBrown2]

03:35 PM on 11/07/2011

Sounds like a tough decision. Obama should vote "present."

[sursum korda]

03:14 PM on 11/07/2011

Does anyone know who Keystone actually is, like who owns it? I don't mean where it's located (Calgary)but the money behind it? I started to check that once and found names of US companies such as Tuscarora Gas Transmission, Great Lakes Gas Transmission and Northern Border Pipeline and of course TransCanada, the Calgary based entity, who only holds 24%. It sort of makes sense that if it's gonna create of jobs they would be US firms for I can't see US capital paying foreign workers in the US.

[PedroLeon]

02:58 PM on 11/07/2011

Way to take a stand, Pres.

[getoffmedz]

02:55 PM on 11/07/2011

Hey y'all! This is the "exercise your talking points" topic and "How to be popular in your extreme right-wing workplace" topic.

Step right up!

LOL

[cityprole]

02:50 PM on 11/07/2011

Couldn't be more gutless..and considering the way Obama caved to banks and corporations, you just know he'll cave on this..but smart enough not to deal with it til after he's re-elected, and it's too late...
Pathetic!
I am a proud retired union member, once an officer and president of my local, and I still say that the health of the earth has to trump jobs, in this particular case.

[CaptD]

01:34 PM on 11/08/2011

Salute!
Fanned and Fav'd!
America First, N☢T Profits for the Rich...

[getoffmedz]

02:47 PM on 11/07/2011

The keywords here are "may," "could" and "considering."

; o }

[The Power To Unelect]

02:49 PM on 11/07/2011

Obama is a total, complete FAKE politician...




He has no courage, no beliefs... he is empty inside.

[quillerm]

07:43 PM on 11/07/2011

True, ship oil by thousands of polluting trucks on our highways or safe, underground pipelines? I would choose the trucks because I like to drive on oil spills and dodge tanker trucks when driving to work.

[lightsout]

02:39 PM on 11/07/2011

Gee, what a courageous decision which shows the character of the man - or complete lack of.

So much for "change you can believe in" and "transparency".

Can you Obamaites say "duped" and "voter regret"?

[getoffmedz]

02:48 PM on 11/07/2011

And you can predict the future?

lol

[lightsout]

03:01 PM on 11/07/2011

And you think the delay is not politically motivated? You are a clown.

[The Power To Unelect]

02:53 PM on 11/07/2011

Correct...

We've been had.

[Leninist]

02:40 PM on 11/07/2011

gee, and then I wonder which way he will go? ahem....

[iriemeditation]

02:23 PM on 11/07/2011

sadly, its because he is not who he pretends to be, and for all of us who are consciously paying attention and care for the earth, he knows we won't vote for him when gives them the go ahead :( he's already: kept endless war going, given more tax breaks to the selfish, caved on EPA regulations, allowed banks free reign, catered to the rich not to the poor....... NOT the hope OR the change we believed in. 8(

[freegeg]

02:21 PM on 11/07/2011

30,000 jobs are waiting on Barack to make up his mind.

[wsdave]

03:05 PM on 11/07/2011

Yeah, but they'll vote for him anyway, because they KNOW he'll go ahead with the pipeline after the election. Until then, he still needs the Green support.

[gremlint]

11:18 PM on 11/07/2011

Thanks for the baloney.  I needed a far-right-wing snack.