The most controversial environmental battle making news these days is the Keystone XL pipeline. The State Department will probably approve its construction, upsetting the greens but keeping labor happy. A $7 billion project would create a lot of jobs. There are claims made, this time by Democratic lawmakers, of conflict's of interest and the State Dept has been hit by FOIA requests but the fall back position is, as always, concern for the environment. Supposedly it will cross an aquifer and a rupture could contaminate billions of gallons of precious water. Not too likely. The aquifer is several hundred feet underground and most pipeline lie about 4 to 5 feet underground. It will destroy thousands of acres of farmland. Not true. Once it's completed the farmer can go back to using his land just as before except he'll be getting a monthly rental check. Pipeline right of ways, usually 50 or 100, feet wide are almost always leased; not bought.
How much environmental impact will there be? That's an unknown so far, but as far as visibility goes quite a bit less than a silly wind farm. Put the proposed 1700 miles into perspective. There are already some 55,000 miles of crude oil pipeline in the lower 48 states. Refined product lines, that carry the end products of the oil industry — gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil, diesel fuel, and so on make up another 95,000 miles. Then there is the largest network of them all- the natural gas pipeline network as pictured above containing 305,000 miles of pipe.
If the argument was put honestly to the American public it would be; Do we want to import oil from Canada's tar sands? and the answer would be "Hell yes". The public is entitled to an honest debate on this issue.
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