Sheldon Whitehouse and Henry Waxman: Keystone report can't have it both ways

[flpoljunkie]

Keystone report can't have it both ways
By Sheldon Whitehouse and Henry A. Waxman
updated 7:46 AM EDT, Tue April 15, 2014

Large sections of oil pipeline lie next to a family farm in Sumner, Texas.

(CNN) -- For all the noise about the State Department's final environmental review of the Keystone XL Pipeline being a "blow" to pipeline opponents, the report contains more than enough information for Secretary of State John Kerry -- a respected environmental champion -- to conclude that the pipeline is not in the national interest.

Although you have to dig a bit, the report recognizes the dangers associated with the tar sands fuel that the pipeline would transport. Oil from tar sands spews 17% more greenhouse gas than the average crude oil refined in the United States. If the pipeline operates at capacity, that's as much carbon pollution as 5.7 million more cars driving on our roads. This is enough added pollution to erase as much as 70% of the carbon pollution reductions from the Obama administration's recent motor vehicle emission standards.

So how does the report admit the possibility of lasting environmental harm from the tar sands on the one hand while concluding that building the pipeline would not cause an increase in greenhouse gas emissions on the other? It presumes that the tar sands fuels are going to get to market anyway, so the environmental damage happens with or without Keystone XL.

We think this presumption is seriously flawed. One key assumption is the report's forecast that crude oil prices will stay above $75 per barrel. Below that price, the report actually finds that Keystone does make a difference in driving tar sands production and greater carbon pollution. Contrary to the report's assumptions, there is a real chance that crude oil prices will fall below that level.

more…

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/15/opinion/white-house-waxman-keystone-pipeline/index.html

[staggerleem]

1. Who bears the costs?

Quoting from the letter from Congress to the USTR (http://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/waxman-and-whitehouse-question-us-trade-representatives-position-on-tar-sands#_ftn1)

"This single source of tar sands products, therefore, could produce more than $70 billion in additional damages associated with climate change over 50 years, the costs of which will be partially borne by U.S. businesses and investments worldwide."

The sad fact is that while SOME U. S. Businesses will have to bear that cost, one group that will remain relatively unaffected by it will be the Oil Barons, who've made a WONDERFUL living for themselves by privatizing the gains of their polluting madness, while passing the social costs on to the public.

So this will be yet another bill that the American Taxpayer will foot for damages wrought by the Koch Brothers and their ilk!