Yes, but the assertion that this will be a huge boon to Americans, either in jobs or cheaper gasoline, is false. It's been politicized like so much else, and is now being argued mainly on principle.
Obama Lies Again
- Thread starter gwb-trading
- Start date
You're saying construction jobs won't come out of a pipeline construction? Even the refineries, which are operating less than 100% will be able to take on more people. Not to mention transportation, shipping, etc.
The Keystone XL Pipeline construction will create 42,000 jobs minimum for a period of 2 years. The Pipeline operations will create 100 permanent jobs.
The Canadian oil from the pipeline support 21,000 refinery jobs at minimum. If the Canadian oil sent to the Canadian coast instead of to the U.S., we would layoff 21,000 refinery oil workers and our existing refinery plants would continue to be under-utlilized (but the situation would even be worse).
Currently the Canadian oil is coming by in train, the Keystone XL pipeline would not greatly increase the amount of Canadian shale oil coming into the U.S. If we do not build the pipeline then it is likely the Canadians (in time) would build one to their coast - and a minimum of 21,000 permanent U.S. jobs would be flushed.
Does it look like I said no jobs? I said it won't be a big bonus to Americans, and it won't. And there are the downside risks. The left emphasizes this, the right downplays it. Like I said, this has become politicized along the typical fault lines. The truth of it is, no big deal.
GWB's statistics claim otherwise. Regardless, if it was truly no big deal, why wouldn't Obama let it go through? Is he just trying to be a dick about it?
Because when it's no big deal, the downside risks are excessive. Besides, he has an environmental constituency to consider (which the "dicks" on the right would ignore).
Yes. Oil is going to be exported. I don't know why they have to try to obfuscate that fact.
They (Keystone proponents) are making the same mistake the Bush administration made with Iraq. They thought they had to have evidence of WMDs in Iraq in to have public support for invasion so they made stuff up.
If you are right you don't need to make anything up to convince people.
Let me ask.... over 99% of Canadian oil is exported to the United States. Today the demand is greater than the Canadian supply. Why would this oil be exported outside of North America?
I can understand Canada wanting to diversify its base of end customers. Having one customer consume over 99% of your product is a economic risk - but this would only happen if Canada build a pipeline to their east coast.
There is no sound argument (or evidence) that this oil is going to be exported. It is not exported now when it is shipped by train to the U.S. Building the pipeline would simply send the same amount of Canadian shale oil to the U.S. in a more safe and economical manner - while not increasing the amount of oil (which is fully consumed today in the U.S.).