Keystone XL Pipeline Still Hotly Contested

It looks like the Keystone XL Pipeline is going to face a tough time on U.S. President Obama’s desk, and an American Petroleum Institute spokesperson says he’s “disappointed” by this countervailing force that appears ready to fight a Republican-led congress.  On we go.

There a few energy experts with honest environmental sensibilities who think the pipeline is a reasonable idea, most of whom reason that Canada will very likely exploit the oil in its vast tar sands reserves regardless of what we do here.  Proponents and fence-sitters, however, occupy a slim minority.  James Hansen (pictured), Director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, represents the vast majority of the scientific community when he famously wrote: “If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate.”

Obviously, there’s no way for an outsider like me to weigh in on the issues here as they pertain to atmospheric/oceanic science in any meaningful way.  It’s clear, however, that the U.S. faces a decision that has far more gravity than the physical pipeline itself.  In the next few months, the most powerful nation in the history of humankind has the opportunity to tell the world that it understands the basic science of climate disruption, and hereby shows its dedication to doing something about it.  The U.S. will either grasp that opportunity, or live with the shame of having let it pass by.