The decision that Obama has to make about the proposed Keystone Pipeline is a really big one, that in many ways will set the tone for how we as a country are going to face the Climate Crisis.
A couple weeks ago the State Dept released it's environmental report about the Keystone Pipeline, saying the environmental impacts would be minimal. While we could spend a long time going over why that seems like total bullshit, lets just move on.
We also know that if the pipeline is denied, that TransCanada will find other ways of moving the tar sands oil (by train or truck). Which seems to have tried to steer this discussion to a "whether we build the Keystone Pipeline, OR NOT, we're still going to move our tar sands, no matter what Obama says" Effectively telling us we are going to be screwed by them, either way.
My point: Decisions, decisions..This decision is all on Obama, not congress thankfully.
If he approves it, it would send a message to the world that the US is not serious about addressing the climate crisis. It'd show that we, as a country, are okay with letting foreign oil flow through our country. That we are willing to suffer the environmental costs. That we will just deal with whatever pipeline explosions,when they eventually occur. It would basically send a terrible message.
At a time when we need to finally take away big oil tax subsidies & move in a meaningful way away from oil & pave the path of progress forward in a clean and environmentally sound way, I say to Obama: Deny KeystoneXL. It is the best choice you can make. Unless the EPA can effectively to prevent the use of, or place new regulations on, Tar Sands..
Environmentally, denying the Keystone pipeline might not stop TransCanada & others from moving & drilling tar sands. That he can't prevent, but at the same time Obama does have the power with this decision to stop the part of the Pipeline from ever happening. Sure he can't control the minds of TransCanada & whatever they do if he denies them, but he can do our country & planet right by making the only rational decision: denying the KeystoneXL Pipeline.
That is the signal of what we as a country need to send. That we have awakened to the atrocities of tar sands. That we want to clean power for our cars, businesses & houses. That we want to make thousands of permanent, high paying US jobs, building new electrical grid (sorry to bring coal in to this, but it's a big problem, too). That we don't want to see more wildlife & wilderness ravaged by the process of extracting fossil fuels. That we want to send a signal that we need to, as Chris Hayes has said, end our addiction to oil.