Cons of Keystone XL Pipeline

This blog post is dedicated to exploring the cons of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Encourages Nonrenewable Resources: Crude oil is not a renewable resource. There is a limited amount of it on Earth and it will eventually run out. If the production of crude oil increases, it will become cheaper and will discourage the use of more sustainable energy like solar or thermal. Cheaper crude oil encourages people to invest in that, instead of devoting resources to renewable resources. This slows down the development in making renewable resources on a grander scale and therefore cheaper.

This Leads to Green House Gas Emissions and Climate Change: When tar sands are refined into petroleum it releases Carbon Dioxide when it is burned, about 20 pounds per 1 gallon. This carbon dioxide gets stuck in the atmosphere and blocks solar rays from escaping, thus warming the planet at an unprecedented rate. The construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline will encourage the extraction of crude oil and therefore more of it will be burned resulting in more green house gas emissions and climate change.

Damaging to Water Resources: The proposed Keystone XL Pipeline will be transferring tar sands, a messy resource to extract. It requires three more barrels of water to extract just one barrel of tar sands. The water will most likely come from aquifers which take thousands of years to refill. After the water has been used to extract tar sands it is usually so contaminated that it must live the rest of its life in "tail ponds".

Habitat Degradation: The transportation of tar sands will inevitably lead to more of it being drilled and therefore more habitat degradation. The tar sands in Canada are located in Alberta under the Boreal forests. Forests play a huge role in maintaining the temperature of the earth because they are carbon sinks. A carbon sink is something that absorbs carbon dioxide, a carbon source is something that releases carbon dioxide. Humans would be an example of a carbon source and plants an example of a carbon sink. The destruction of the forest for tar sands means an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, along with less space for the animals who occupy the Boreal forests to live. Less space for animals means more competition for resources such as food and water and may lead to their extinction. Below is a picture of a caribou, an endangered species that lives in the Boreal forests.

Target for Terrorists: Some people speculate that the pipeline will become a target for terrorists.

Counter Arguments to Pros:
Creates Jobs - However these new jobs will be short-lived after the construction of the pipeline is complete and the extracting of the tar sands is complete
Cheaper Energy - The price of energy will be cheaper, what price will we pay down the road when the effects of climate change grip the planet?

Some Anti-Keystone XL Pipeline Posters:

More Information: http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline