Last week, President Obama stood firm against Republican pressure and big oil’s demands and denied TransCanada’s push for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. This is very good news for clean energy and environmental communities, however, TransCanada intends to swiftly propose a re-route of the massive pipeline through less “environmentally sensitive areas”, which include attempting to avoid Nebraska’s Ogallala Aquifer, an aquifer critical to Nebraska’s natural habitat, livelihood and farming community, never mind its fresh drinking water supply.  This point of entry has been the main challenge for the company.  It will be interesting to see where President Obama stands on the predicted newly proposed route, which is anticipated to arrive at his desk within two weeks.

The proposed $7 Billion Keystone XL pipeline would carry crude tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, across the middle of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico for refining and will inevitably be a delivery route for oil bound for overseas markets, mainly Latin America and Europe.  According to Tar Sands Action, … “Gulf Coast refiners plan to refine the cheap Canadian crude supplied by the pipeline into diesel and other products for export … Much of the fuel refined from the pipeline’s heavy crude oil will never reach U.S. drivers’ tanks.”

For all of the associated domestic jobs being touted by Washington, DC, it’s wise to realize this proposed pipeline will only create a few temporary jobs, at best.  This is not the energy market we should be striving for in 2012.  We should be instead be investing in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency measures.  The Canadian Boreal Forest, where much of the tar sands exist, is currently being leveled for expanded tar sands production.  This forest is a pristine habitat for countless wildlife in addition to the rare Spirit Bear , an albino bear that lives only in this region of the world.  There are also countless native tribes that call this region home.  Sending millions of gallons of crude oil and oil tankers through pristine wild land is no way to secure our energy future or combat climate change.  In fact, the pipeline will only accelerate climate change.  The KeystoneXL protests that took place in Washington, DC this past summer reflect the urgency to cease tar sands expansion for fear of exacerbating climate change – the tar sands are said to release 10 to 45% more greenhouse gas emissions than combustion of other related fossil fuels.

While this week’s decision by the State Department and President Obama is a wise one, the political and financial might of the fossil fuel industry and TransCanada will fight back.  It’s important to realize however that despite the influence of big oil, the voice of the concerned American citizen has played a significant role in this debate, and ultimately, Obama’s decision. With this in mind, it’s time to continue the push for a cleaner energy future – a future that does not include the tar sands.