NEW YORK (Press Release)– AJC on Wednesday, Nov. 19, urged the Obama Administration to expedite the Keystone XL Pipeline review process and approve the project, following the Senate’s failure to pass a bill that would have compelled its construction.
AJC has long advocated for the pipeline and supported the bill that was defeated by one vote. “The Keystone XL pipeline is critically important for U.S. energy security, our economy and relations with Canada, our neighbor and ally,” said Richard Foltin, AJC’s Director of National and Legislative Affairs.
Canada is the United States’ largest trading partner, and already provides oil through other pipelines. Transporting oil via pipelines is safer, more energy efficient, and more reliable than importing it through tankers from the Middle East or elsewhere.
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Preceding provided by the American Jewish Committee (AJC)
I find it exceedingly strange that AJC would involve itself in this controversy.
What’s more, a great many people believe that the Keystone XL pipeline is a totally wrong move.
Apart from the danger of pollution, this move would only further enrich the Koch brothers. And Mitch McConnell’s argument that this would be great job creator, is also specious. The jobs it would create would be merely temporary.
Peter Kubicek
In order to avoid a disastrous level of global warming, we need to leave at least 80% of known reserves of fossil fuels in the ground.
It thus makes no sense to utilize fossil fuels such as the Canadian tar sands which would be transported by the Keystone XL pipeline, because this source does not give efficient energy return.
Above and beyond the energy requirements to mine conventional oil reserves, about one barrel in six of the oil harvested from the Canadian tar sands is needed to produce the high pressure steam that must be continuously injected into the ground to melt the tar-like Alberta “oil” just to pump it out of the ground!
Building the Keystone XL pipeline could commit us to the production and use of this inefficient and polluting fuel source for the long term.
Donald M. Axelrad, Ph.D.