Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumWill Keystone "Significantly Exacerbate The Problem Of Carbon Pollution"? State Already Said No
President Barack Obama basked in applause Tuesday as he announced what sounded like a daunting environmental threshold for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline that the project cant go forward if it would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions. What he didnt mention: His own State Department has already indicated that the pipeline can meet that standard.
The State Department still hasnt issued its final environmental study on the pipeline, and the EPA has joined green activists in criticizing a draft study from the department that said Keystones environmental impact would be minimal. Obamas words were opaque enough that both supporters and opponents of the pipeline issued cheering statements during and after his speech.
Still, his brief comments marked a detour from the White Houses persistent line that Obama is waiting on the departments final analysis before making any judgments on the Canada-to-Texas pipeline.
And his remarks can certainly set the groundwork for the president to later say hed successfully demanded the highest environmental safeguards for the pipeline, if as is widely expected he eventually gives it the green light.
EDIT
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/obamas-keystone-remarks-cheer-supporters-and-foes-93375.html
NoOneMan
(4,795 posts)Reports basically characterize the Keystone comments as hollow because Obama, while talking stern, gave himself a clear loophole to proceed.
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)That's how it sounded to me.
wtmusic
(39,166 posts)There's no reason Transcanada would continue to lay pipe on an unapproved project. In what may be a surer sign, the American Petroluem Institute's incessant stream of pro-KXL propaganda suddenly stopped last month.
FBaggins
(26,748 posts)They won't include the impact of the oil that will flow through the pipe (since that oil will be produced anyway)... and they won't include the impact of the extra refinery operations along the Gulf (since the oil would be refined somewhere)...
...so it's just the construction/operation of the pipeline itself.