This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
Obama Blames Republicans For Keystone XL Decision
The big news of the day, aside from the idiot rally finally being back on full bore, is that the Obama administration finally pushed Canada's hand in telling it to sell its crude to China instead of the US, which we are confident it will gladly do. Much of this was largely priced on, as was the fact that opportunity for significant job creation was just kicked to the curb. What was not however expected, is that in keeping up with the fine tradition of taking responsibility for his decisions and actions, kinda sorta, America's president said that it was really the republicans whose fault it is that Keystone XL is now and will remain in its blueprint stages. From The Hill: "Obama said he was not acting on the merits of TransCanada Corp.’s plan, but instead was forced to make the decision based on the “arbitrary” deadline mandated by GOP provisions in December’s payroll tax cut extension deal. "As the State Department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment," Obama said in a prepared statement. “As a result, the Secretary of State has recommended that the application be denied. And after reviewing the State Department’s report, I agree,” Obama added. In other words, do you remember where you were when the republicans blocked the Keystone Pipeline?
Naturally, Republicans were not happy, and will use this faux pas to the fullest extent.
House Republicans blasted Obama for his decision to reject the pipeline at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
"President Obama is destroying tens of thousands of American jobs and shipping American energy security to the Chinese," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said. "The president is selling out American jobs for politics.”
Boehner vowed to continue pushing for approval of the pipeline.
"This is not the end of the fight. Republicans in Congress will continue to push this because it is good for our country, it is good for the economy and it’s good for the American people," he said.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said Wednesday that he has invited Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify before his panel next week on the pipeline decision.
President Obama, while nixing the project, sought to show that he backs expanded oil-and-gas development.
“I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil,” Obama said.
“In the months ahead, we will continue to look for new ways to partner with the oil and gas industry to increase our energy security – including the potential development of an oil pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico – even as we set higher efficiency standards for cars and trucks and invest in alternatives like biofuels and natural gas,” said the president.
“And we will do so in a way that benefits American workers and businesses without risking the health and safety of the American people and the environment,” he added.
The sad thing is that due to yet more political bickering, nobody is a bigger winner here than China and OPEC: precisely the two organizations that America should be most concerned about, and not who has how many votes where. But such is the terminal game of political marionettes which we have.
In the meantime, The Ogallala Aquifier will be appreciated in all its pristine beauty by ever more unemployed Americans, whose jobs skills petrify as most they remain without a job for a record 40+ weeks.
»
- 11227 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
Republicans are chicken shits. Name one thing they have defunded, other than lightbulb ban enforcement. They give obama all the money he wants in this stupid good cop-bad cop charade.
Shitheels like McBain do, but get enough tea party or libertarian guys in there and we'll have a shot at sanity. For a few years anyway until all that power and money goes to their heads.
CBS News: 11 More Solyndra’s In Obama Energy Program
Great pipeline myths. They create jobs! They are safe! For the alleged contrarians, I find the oilogopoly 'lie swallowing' to be surprising and amusing. If you want some accurate information on pipelines, re: Mike Klink, 12-31-2011, "Lincoln Journal Star and Greg Palast's new book about Vultures, et al. The oilyopolists make sure that the pipelines are never properly inspected. Ever heard of PG&E and an explosion that blew up a whole neighborhood near the SF airport. Re-enginering the electricity grid, that would create jobs. Constructing pipelines creates temp jobs for Spanish speaking construction workers for about ten months tops. The pipeline is run from 'Central Control' as well as the cover-up of the safety hazards. Come on guys, it isn't Rocket Science.
Good points...However, logic is frowned upon in this thread. Somehow, shit like this always manages to deteriorate into that same old tired ass republican vs. democrat paradigm.
If the people are too stupid to see that, then the points you make are WAY over their heads.
You noticed that too??
oh brother could we stop with these koch brother like press releases.
The pipeline ALREADY comes into the US. Only a handful of jobs were ever going to be created.
Could we jus have some fact based reporting here.
Those pipeline jobs were temporary jobs. Repubicans have been voting against every other temporary job to stimulate the economy but do a 180 on this. I can't believe Obama did it, must not be getting enough campaign money out of the Oil Lobby.
That oil was for Big Oil to make money on shipping it out of the country. It's not for Americans.
"That oil was for Big Oil to make money on shipping it out of the country. It's not for Americans."
BINGO!!
And for this dose of logic and truth...the people on this thread are gonna junk the fuck out of you.
No, just junk you. Do you not think that there already are oil storage, gasoline storage, diesel storage facilities over this aquifer? Hell, there are towns and cities over this aquifer. It covers a HUGE area. Is it not likely that oil or gas has been spilled somewhere in the land area? Gee, nobody died... Ever heard of leaking gas station storage tank cleanups? Crude is much thicker and would be slow to leach into the ground and it would be in the pipeline company's interest to fix it up asap (ie lost revenue, fines, etc). I think we've been able to handle pipelines in the past. Use your pee brain and maybe you can acquire some human IQ...
Bingo! Leaking tanks at gas stations are already a huge problem. And almost all of the old ones are leaking. Throw some old dry cleaners on there with TCE plumes and it is quite a mess. This pipeline poses a minor risk. Don't people realize the massive numbers of pipelines already criss crossing the country?
Must be "safer" to just ship it here from the ME.
I'm not trying to make friends.
That oil was for Big Oil to make money on shipping it out of the country. It's not for Americans.
Flag Tyler.
Same Old Song And Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzdWPwVTWsI
If Barry Soetero's lips are moving he is lying. Is there anybody left that takes this asshat seriously?
http://vegasxau.blogspot.com
"Give me liberty or give me death." OHIO elementary school, 1967,
In the meantime, The Ogallala Aquifier will be appreciated in all its pristine beauty by ever more unemployed Americans, whose jobs skills petrify as most they remain without a job for a record 40+ weeks.
Are you seriously suggesting that it's a bad thing to not
I don't think the writer understands what the Ogallala really entails...
oops, sorry missed your post and submited a similarly-opinioned long screed below.
Many contend that the OA will dry up in a few decades
"In the meantime, The Ogallala Aquifier will be appreciated in all its pristine beauty by ever more unemployed Americans, whose jobs skills petrify as most they remain without a job for a record 40+ weeks."
C'mon Tyler, this snark is beneath you.
Do you really contend that keeping the Ogallala "Aquifier" pristine is somehow a bad thing? Don't you guys even remember the BP spill? Jeez, I thought this web-site was more informated than the Red/Blue team fights.
Instead, we should risk it all for a few hundred to a thousand TRANSIENT jobs? Nebraska is not in need of cheap, transient jobs, they have an unemployment rate of 4.2% And the people of Nebraska were against jamming this pipeline through their state. Shouldn't they have a say in things? I thought state-rights libertarian guys were for that sort of control your own destiney.
The Ogallala Auquifer is a true natural treasure. When the rest of the world is running out of drinking water, while the center of our country still has plenty, in part due to this decision, I'm sure all you guys will praise ex-president Obama. Right.
I grew up in Nebraska, and lived there 'till I was 30. My experience since leaving is that nobody else in the US even thinks of Nebraska except for as a corny punchline to some stupid sitcom.
Good for the people of Nebraska for standing up for themselves.
Here's a little snippet for any of you that care, from Bloomberg about some of the background that apparently we won't be reading on Zero Hedge. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-22/heineman-s-nebraska-pipeline-sh...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
“We’ve certainly been getting a lot of national attention we don’t normally get,” said Heineman, a 63-year-old Republican.
In a series of maneuvers, Heineman managed to delay construction of the 1,661-mile (2,673-kilometer) Keystone XL pipeline -- and prompt its owner, Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. (TRP), to reroute the 15 percent that was to cross Nebraska and its environmentally sensitive Sandhills region.
A conservative stronghold that hasn’t been carried by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, Nebraska joined environmentalists, celebrities and scientists in opposing the pipeline. They expressed concern that an oil leak could foul the Sandhills or the Ogallala Aquifer that runs underneath and provides drinking water to 1.5 million people.
Heineman’s campaign against the closely watched project burnished his reputation as a maverick not afraid to embrace nontraditional causes. Wielding a mixture of fiscal conservatism and Prairie populism, the governor is also credited with helping his state emerge from the recession largely unscathed.
Nebraska had the nation’s second-lowest unemployment rate in September at 4.2 percent, behind only North Dakota, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics, when the national rate was 9.1 percent. As other states lost jobs, company headquarters and young families during the economic downturn, Heineman’s state retained them. Since he took office, Nebraska has the ninth- strongest state economy, according to Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States index data.
+ twenty fucking five
What's wrong with tyler?
I think he's just stirring the pot. Being a little Woody Woodpecker...the instigator. It's fun...like smacking a hornets nest with a golf club. What can possibly go wrong?
Apparently, the benefits of possibly saving a few cents on a gallon of gas far outweigh the downside of having to drive 1500 miles for a fresh glass of water.
Or perhaps this oil that they want to pipe in is special. Perhaps it's the edible type? It could like, totally be. Mix with water and you get "Petrolaide"...yummy!
Petrolaid?
You mean LIKE THIS:
AKRON, Ohio — Milk will be off the menu in the new year at one of the state's big urban jails.
Starting Sunday, inmates at the Summit County Jail in Akron who want milk will instead be offered a powdered breakfast drink that's mixed with water.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/ohio-jail-sours-on-milk-wi...
Your fears are overblown and not even worthy of comment.
Thanks Mr. TransCanada representative, I feel better now, and I'm sure you would fix things personally if something did go wrong.
PS - What happened, did British Petroleum lay you off as a spokesman?
Do you drive? If so, you are a nimby hypocrite or of similar thoughtful ability to the alien...
whaa?
Lemme guess - you are whining because:
A. you hate anything that O'Bama does, even if it (for once) happens to be a good thing, or
B. you (foolishly) invested in TransCanada stock, and even though they did not have a deal locked down.
I have to assume that is the cause, else why would you be so pissed that a pipeline that was going designed to ship stuff from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, to be refined AND SOLD TO OTHER COUNTRIES was blocked from running over the largest repository of fresh water in the world.
That's right! Tell em!
Drinking water. Food supplies. Who needs that shit when you can save a few cents a gallon on gas, right?
Shit.....Monsanto already owns the rights to contaminate the aquifer
Is this really happening
"nobody is a bigger winner here than China and OPEC"
Bullshit.
"Nebraska joined environmentalists, celebrities and scientists in opposing the pipeline. They expressed concern that an oil leak could foul the Sandhills or the Ogallala Aquifer that runs underneath and provides drinking water to 1.5 million people."
Right on.
Golly, it would be terrible if such an accident carmed the beautiful Nebraska Sandhills... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Nebraska_Sandhills_NE...
If the celebrities are against something, I guess that clinches it.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Ogallala_satura...
If a leak develops, you just stop pumping and fix the leak.
How long does it require for the oil to seep through dozens of feet of earth to reach the aquifer? Weeks, probably months. So there is plenty of time to scrape up the oil-laden soil using bulldozers before it does any harm.
And even if it reaches the aquifer, OIL AND WATER DON'T MIX. So where is the harm?
This water contamination argument is just an excuse by neocon warmongers to keep us dependent on Middle East oil in order to justify more wars against the region.
actually, I believe the aquifer is a few hundred feet down. These same people who have been pumping it dry for years using petro powered pumps now want to deny the fuel that was transported over other peoples land to go over their own.
I thought Carter was too nice to be Prez.
I hope that we dont suffer four more years of this.
And so the divide and conquer political strategy continues unabated in the US; full steam while the sheeple point fingers at one another swearing it is must all be the other sides fault. Meanwhile both major US parties fully endorse the idea of TBTF as a new pillar of our society, capitalism be damned. You see we are all equal, however, some of our banker friends are just a bit more equal from here on out. Third party candidate anyone?
I don't really care about the political posturing. It is nonsense. President Obama is citing improper deadlines imposed by Republicans as part of his decision making process. It would be nice if he would apply those same standards to his decisions for funding solar energy companies. This is just a set up for more cash dumping into renewable energy voodoo. Even if the technologies are viable, the money still seems to be falling into open hands that have little competency, except for that high level competency of accepting government money. NICE. I don't mind the idea of making natural gas a more central part of our energy economy, but the infrastructure is not entirely in place, nor is the impetus to convert from liquid fuels to gas. Either way, why are pissing on our neighbors to the North? They have tremendous natural resources and are willing to sell - and for pretty cheap. Creating jobs around oil in our country is not palatable, but trillion dollar wars for a similar outcome is ok in another country? That just does not compute. I don't know if the jobs numbers are accurate with this pipeline...I don't care. Jobs are jobs. One or many, it is more than we had yesterday if we make one today and that seems like the preferred outcome. Ogalalla Aquifer? I can respect the environmentalists concern. Hold them to a high standard of safety and response to spills. A spill would have to be pretty catastrophic to impact the aquifer. It isn't like the bottom of the ocean. If you have significant leak, you stop pumping. Sure it will be a mess, but one that can be cleaned up without significant impact to the ground water.
Do you remember mandated cellulosic ethanol targets under GWB? Where was the outrage when the companies backed by the Feds then went tits up? Hell, at least solar panels are a demonstrated technology....
http://www.ajc.com/business/plant-closure-bursts-ga-838588.html
I love that you bring up past subsidies in support of additional subsidies. It kind of proves the point doesn't it? The Federal Government has a poor track record of picking winners in R&D spaces. More corn is used for industrial purposes now than for food. This has put a premium on corn feed prices. Why the premium? Because subsidies cause more farmers to grow industrial corn for ethanol and other uses than for food. It acts as a double tax on people. Pay more for corn based food products (including beef, chicken, etc because of feed) and pay taxes that go toward developing ethanol stocks and the like. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so depressing. The farm bill gives more than 80% of its subsidies to farmers already making more than 1 million a year. Sounds like progress to me. Let's get out of the way and let free markets work. If it is worth pursuing, private money will chase the R&D.
And by the way...Corn ethanol was and is a bad enonomic and environmental choice for fuel. That really isn't in dispute at this point is it? A demonstrated technology...? There is still some question as to the cost of producing panels (in oil, silver, silicon, etc) for their demonstrated output. Inputs vs. outputs. Also, solar panels are limited to where they can be located and at what light intensity they can produce power. I like the idea and they are getting much better, but we still have a long way to go before they can put a lasting and significant dent in our power supply/consumption. I am all for it, I just want to see private money, not tax money chasing it.
Solar panels are a proven technology whereas cellulosic ethanol was not and still is not...
Sorry, where do you see me supporting subsidies? I missed that one....I am only pointing out the hypocrisy of people pissing and moaning about Solyndra while the same people said *nothing* about Range Fuels....
Go figger, eh?
it was right here...was ZH around then? Right here as in me.
Why the fk you think I call him Busch, dude? Low rent beer, redneck nascar...it's the perfect pervologism.
Damn rights ZH was around, did you see the date???
Refresh my memory.... no one said shit about Range Fuels... In Congress or here...
Was it because that was the Repubs baby (and probably more than a few Dems benefited at the time....)
Anyway time to run...
Sure it will be a mess, but one that can be cleaned up without significant impact to the ground water.
fukk u.
You want jobs? Address this issue:
32,000 high-tech, well-paying jobs left Ohio in 10 yearsWHY?
...the loss stems from U.S. firms establishing research and development jobs overseas at a faster pace than in the United States...
http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/32-000-high-tech-well-paying-job...
Goldfish,
I wasn't talking about exporting jobs. Yes, that is a problem and a major one at that. These posts are discussing the Keystone XL pipeline. As far as jobs going overseas...that is a function of bankers and central banks screwing with national currencies and Federal regulators making it more expensive to do business in the United States than in other countries via the tax code and import/export tariffs. We all have a responsibility in addressing this particular issue. You vote don't you? And what about Ohio's responsibility as a state in retaining those jobs through tax benefits, etc.? You obviously need to direct some aggression towards someone, but why not turn that into some positive energy and get someone elected who gives a shit about solvency and a sustainable economy?!
Just a note: I am not saying that I would prefer seeing an oil spill. I just want the government to get out of the way and let the market work. Courts exist to settle disputes arising from private land ownership, which is what an oil spill on land or contaminated ground water supply would entail - settlement in the courts - once upon a time that was their function.
Back at you snapper head.
Canada's prime minister Steven Harper has a trip to china comming up .If that pipeline doesn't go south it goes west .
well, it is an election year!
so what? they don't approve a pipeline
some "mr Big" is happy somewhere we would hope, but i am not privy to the details of any oil or pipeline deals
so, if the oil goes to china, it goes in ships, right? so, maybe we can still buy the oil and ship it or let somebody else ship itl maybe the environmental lobby will pay for this kinda leadership, especially if fricknFrackin is involved
maybe after november the oil peeps can figure out who to pay to get this done. this ain't workin!
the state dept!!! bilary! YaY! prez0 + bilary!!! the R's fuked up the process by trying to control bilary! nannyism strikes back!
prez0, bilary & nannies>>>>> 1
oil & pipeline guys >>>>>>>> 0
this will get the DemocraticParty juices flowing a little; prez0 & bilary are so hot! and there is nothing like pillow talk about the safety rules to fire up nannies everywhere!
batteryPower, BiCheZ! solar rechargeable!
Good lord not oil from Canada! Not new non-government jobs! This must be stopped at all costs!
So China can get their hands on the Canadian oil and the US can get theirs from Iran.
What an idiot.
Yes, of course. It's always the other guy's fault. This is quite a little stage play, in itself. Pipelines and free trade corridors are the backdoor implementation of United Nations plans to dismantle and part out the United States. It is interesting to see the bickering over which country gets what.
http://georgesblogforum.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/the-daily-climb-2/
the backdoor implementation of United Nations plans to dismantle and part out the United States
Just say fukk no.
" do you remember where you were when the republicans blocked the Keystone Pipeline?"
Riding my pet unicorn with the tooth faerie, of course.
It is indeed quite amazing how a website that is otherwise so contrarian, anti-oligopoly and anti-establishment does go "full retard" and turn into an oil industry puff piece whenever energy issues come up.
You want to talk about anti-market vested interests? The bankers can't hold a candle to the fossil fuel crew. As a Canadian, I for one am embarrassed that my prime minister seems to work for the petroleum producers association. Makes me laugh everytime I hear someone complain that renewable energy requires government assistance- then what the hell is the entire cabinet of the Canadian gov't heading to the US to pimp a pipelline? The invisible hand?
Margin Call, are you from Canada or are you from Quebec? Government assistance? What the fuck do you think pays the bills in Canada. It sure isn't government subsidized auto manufacuting in the east, welfare provinces in the Alantics, or anything from Quebec.
Ontario currently has a budget deficit the same as California with on tenth the population. Maybe check out where the federal government gets most of its revenue before spouting off about subsidies.
Oh at least we have got Rae waiting in the wings to save the country, you fucktard.
Now that wasn't very nice....
Let me guess, do you own TRP common?
You're right. Sorry for calling anyone a fucktard for having a different opinion.
I don't own the stock but work in the oil industry and am really tired of the Harper bashing.
Margin Call hates that our PM stands up for Canada and its economic interests.
I LOVE that this PM stands up for Canada. Margin Call prefers a leader like Obama who undermines the US at every corner. He would be happy with Rae, Layton, Dion, Iggy, etc and 25% unemployment and the governments tight control on new govt jobs.
Hey Sheriff, you have no idea who or what would make me happy.
What doesn't make me happy is to watch Canada not even attempt to be something other than a one-trick-pony petro state. I also think it is very, very unwise to coddle China (mind you it is also very distasteful to swallow all the hypocrisy of Canada's China policy over Harper's time in office). I get a good chuckle when Canadian nationalists dream of sticking it to the US by befriending China. Is this a bad joke? China would bulldoze our whole country for a yuan.
The US clown back at the blame game while our rights are being stripped pending the US finacial collapse and coup.
This decision will prove to be one of the worst ever made for US energy security. After Venezuela, hello Hugo Chavez - the reliable one, the next largest supplier of oil to the US is Canada. Further, Canada is the only major world supplier of petroleum to have essentially one export market - the US. Canadian foreign policy and trade types have, for years, lamented the fact that all Canadian pipes, with the exception of the east west TCPL lines which are bankrupt in all but name, drain south. They have been held at bay by internationalists who point out that the USA is a predictable and stable market for a predictable and stable supplier. Today, the internationalists received a black eye, and I very much expect the policy types who have expounded on the need for multiple petroleum and nat gas export markets, to enable capitalism to effectively flourish, will now carry the day. As the Northern Gateway and Kitimat petroleum and LNG terminal build process picks up steam (the Canadian federal government is actively moving to limit the length of environmental hearings for these two projects on the basis that foreign interests are financing the petitioners in order to filibuster the proceedings), Canada will, in about 5 years, have both strong East Asian export markets and a means of servicing them - right about the time when the US will need Canadian oil the most. Given the ever increasing investment by East Asia (primarily the Chinese) in the Canadian oil patch (thanks to US dollars gleaned from the Chinese balance of trade with the US), the East Asian export market for Canadian petroleum is not only guaranteed, but in fact becoming an eer increasing political priority due to the growing influence of Chinese interests in Canada. The only thing holding them back was the inertia caused by the nature of the US demand market - stable and predictable. Thanks Prez Obama - you have moved our most important foreign source of energy firmly into the international camp. If you have any other such pre election goodies for us, please keep them to yourself.
This decision will prove to be one of the worst ever made for US energy security. After Venezuela, hello Hugo Chavez - the reliable one, the next largest supplier of oil to the US is Canada. Further, Canada is the only major world supplier of petroleum to have essentially one export market - the US. Canadian foreign policy and trade types have, for years, lamented the fact that all Canadian pipes, with the exception of the east west TCPL lines which are bankrupt in all but name, drain south. They have been held at bay by internationalists who point out that the USA is a predictable and stable market for a predictable and stable supplier. Today, the internationalists received a black eye, and I very much expect the policy types who have expounded on the need for multiple petroleum and nat gas export markets, to enable capitalism to effectively flourish, will now carry the day. As the Northern Gateway and Kitimat petroleum and LNG terminal build process picks up steam (the Canadian federal government is actively moving to limit the length of environmental hearings for these two projects on the basis that foreign interests are financing the petitioners in order to filibuster the proceedings), Canada will, in about 5 years, have both strong East Asian export markets and a means of servicing them - right about the time when the US will need Canadian oil the most. Given the ever increasing investment by East Asia (primarily the Chinese) in the Canadian oil patch (thanks to US dollars gleaned from the Chinese balance of trade with the US), the East Asian export market for Canadian petroleum is not only guaranteed, but in fact becoming an eer increasing political priority due to the growing influence of Chinese interests in Canada. The only thing holding them back was the inertia caused by the nature of the US demand market - stable and predictable. Thanks Prez Obama - you have moved our most important foreign source of energy firmly into the international camp. If you have any other such pre election goodies for us, please keep them to yourself.
It was always meant for the international market not US domestic use.
"One of the most important facts that is missing in the national debate surrounding the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is this – Keystone XL will not bring any more oil into the United State for decades to come. Canada doesn’t have nearly enough oil to fill existing pipelines going to the United States. However, existing Canadian oil pipelines all go to the Midwest, where the only buyer for their crude is the United States. Keystone XL would divert Canadian oil from refineries in the Midwest to the Gulf Coast where it can be refined and exported. Many of these refineries are in free trade zones where they may be exported to the international buyers without paying U.S. taxes. And that is exactly what Valero, one of the largest potential buyers of Keystone XL's oil, has told its investors it will do."
More here:
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/keystone-xl-will-raise-oil-prices...
Some people think tar sands and other "hard to extract, hard to refine, non-cheap oil" will be of little consequence in the looming global petroleum production downslope and resulting crash... check out the "Beyond The Peak" piece in the latest Zeitgeist movie... skip forward to 2:23:43 ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w
Sorry about the double posting - I am just learning how this system works - Mea Culpa
That's okay, it was worth posting twice.
The Valero quote is accurate and the Gulf refineries do have heavy crude refining capacity available due to declining availability of product in Texas and the Gulf; however, in times of need, oil refined in the US can and will be appropriated for US consumption rather than allowed to be exported (that's just what countries do in times of need), while oil directly exported offshore by Canada will not be as easy to appropriate.
So other than a few temp jobs building the pipeline and the theoretical "it'll be there if we need it" argument, what's in it for us?
Do we get cheaper gas? No.
Do we get more oil? No.
Do we make any money taxing it? No.
Does it put one of the largest sources of fresh water in the world at risk? Yes.
"Valero – the Texas independent behind last year’s attempt to overturn California’s clean fuel standards – is the only U.S. company among the six customers who have jointly committed to purchase 76 percent of Keystone XL’s initial capacity. The other refiners are Shell, which is part of Motiva, a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and the Saudi government, and Total of France, both of which have newly upgraded facilities in Port Arthur tax-free trade zones. There are also two Canadian producers and one international oil-trading firm in the group of six customers."
http://priceofoil.org/2011/08/31/report-exporting-energy-security-keysto...
Tell me again why we need this?
I would also suggest that those who think that the Northern Gateway pipeline is a fait accompli up here in Canada should read up on the stories in the Canadian press. The First Nations in BC are going to give it one hell of a rough go. Harper isn't some dictator who can just ram through whatever pet project he pleases.
Yet.
Take your rediculously safe oil pipeline and shove it up your asses. America should have switched over to Thorium a decade or more ago. Jobs? That pipeline would have created some temporary jobs for a year, and thats it. Give it a rest. Cheaper oil? Nope. Cheaper Gas? Put 'NO' in your pipe and smoke it!
Obama obviously understands how spectacularly awesome $150-$200 / bbl oil is for our growing U.S. economy! He actually just improved the theoretical national wealth of Canada tremendously, ensuring that their tar sands will not be ready for the world market until the maximum amount of pain has been inflicted on the middle class and the working poor. Now Canada's tar sands are worth much, much more.
I distinctly remember the morning the news broke on Rigzone about TransCanada inking Keystone in 2008, when I worked in energy pipes for a major steel company in Chicago. The excitement for the industry was that it would give a new decently viable application in the USA for heavy wall 36" DSAW, the only size that could carry this kind of slurry under the distances, pressures, and temperatures required.
It would have taken our Romanian linepipe mill 20 years of continuous production for just 1 of the 4 runlines to be able to cover the mileage required. I think 1,000 people worked at that mill.
The last new oil refinery that has been built in the USA was completed in 1977 (I think). Valero and Sunoco just abandoned their refineries on the Delaware River. The value of Keystone was that it would bring the "unrefineable" to a network of refineries and export terminals that could eventually handle refining it. Since nobody in either country is going to OK new refinery construction, thanks to the DOE and NRCan, you are all now permanently stuck with lower standards of living, and higher prices at the pump. Hope and Change, folks. Hope and Change.
Obama: Blatant liar.
Obama: predator and NWO stooge.
Obama: Intentional destroyer of nations.
The only thing the Keystone pipeline would have done is create chaos for decades as the government 1, starts to take land homes and business. 2, starts eminent domain and then steals the land and displaces thousands of homeowners and job losses as a result of all the closed businesses along the way. 3, finally builds the pipeline and sells the oil to china anyway with no benefit to the American people! If the republicans really wanted to help our country they would build a new state of the art refinery in N. Dakota. Then we could ship gas from there with minimum impact to the northern states or anywhere in the U.S. for the benefit of citizens. I’m amazed at how the republicans believe that the people are so stupid that we would think they are actually thinking of us the sheeple. No U.S. citizen would benefit from the pipeline. Its all smoke and mirrors and just pure BS! IMO obummer actually got this one right. GO Ron Paul!
Greeting hedgers..been reading for a while hoping to contribute to the discussion here one of my favorite sites. I had my GF get a CNG civic a couple years ago when i really thought we were going into IRAN.. its a great car for the peninsula because there are so many fill stations. All the taxis around sf and the airport use cng. You can get a home filling station which compresses the ng piped into your home for the equivalent of about 40 to 80 cents a gallon. There is active lobbying stifling the advancement of this compressor technology for regualr folks like us because you avoid road taxes.. CNG can provide some security against fluctuating fuel prices you guys should check it out.. i want to modify my 4x4 toyota pickup into a bi fuel. other then a bike its one way to try to be in command of your own future and not rely on the bureaucracy in Washington to do anything worthwhile for us folks
Can you express that figure into CCF?
That will better help me estimate what the resulting Nat gas will be to feed one of those cars.
ATTENTION PEAK OIL NON-BELIEVERS
ATTENTION PEAK OIL NON-BELIEVERS
Please educate yourself about the looming global petroleum production downslope and resulting crash... check out the "Beyond The Peak" piece in the latest Zeitgeist movie... skip forward to 2:23:43 ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w
Why is this the president's decision in the first place?
Why has ZH turned into the drudge report, too much "hes evil cos hes blick" here for me.
One day somebody here will have a fact based Argument to disagree with Obama, till then just keep the racism up.
America ist Kaput, question is how long before you realise it and how many people you kill afterwards using nukes to keep your unsustainable resource capitalist system going for another decade.
Govt Spending was less than bush (two Futile wars were govt expenses) and he taxes you less than reagan but you still hate him cos hes black.
WTF?
how does your voter logic work, im having trouble following it.
Please explain, for us EU' citizens over here in this (socialist nightmare) with our free healthcare and clean environment.
Another thing, your firemen are socialists, so are your cops and the us army, how and why do you hate cops fireman and soldiers, you always seem to say they are great, yet they are all socialists (they act for the common good of all their citizens)
Help me to understand the cognitive dissonance, please?
When you start with the "racism" cliche, the rest was barely worth skimming. And as many errors as there are in your post, its not worth the time correcting them.
I'd say the military is a lot closer to a welfare program than a socialist organization. Mostly unemployable and uneducated minorities, etc etc. That's why government policy is to try to get them all killed in pointless excursions and to deny them medical care if they survive and come back.
Would we expect any better from the Deceiver in Chief?
Obama's not the messiah, (he's a very naughty boy)
And Bush, He wasn't the antichrist either.
Do you really want the govt to spend your tax dollars building a pipeline taking oil from canada to the gulf of mexico to be sold to china at a 15% discount (due to stupid tax laws).
Seriously WTF Dude?
Follow the money. The Koch brothers donate to Republicans. The Koch brothers would have profited.
Thats all it took for Obama and Clinton to deny this.
The rest is fluff. :)
I'm amazed that with all the so called well informed ppl at Zerohedge, this report is causing such outrage. The benefits of this Keystone pipeline to the U.S. is questionable at best.
It’s better than continuing to ship Oil here from the ME.
Conoco Books Tanker to Ship Libyan Oil to U.S., Shipbrokers Say
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-19/conoco-books-tanker-to-ship-...