Myths Surrounding Keystone XL

For more than six years, there has been debate over the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from the tar sands of Canada to oil refineries on the gulf coast of the United States. While the debate between supporters and those who oppose the pipeline continues, an article in the Guardian highlighted a few popular myths surrounding the impacts the Keystone XL pipeline will have if completed.

            

 The first popular myth is that Keystone XL won’t contribute to climate change. This myth has been spread by the US State Department, who claimed that Keystone XL wouldn’t have a significant impact on the development of the tar sands or the demand for crude oil and therefore wouldn’t have a significant impact on climate change. However, the State Department also discovered that once the pipeline becomes operational, its emissions would be equivalent to that of 300,000 cars per year. In addition, the tar sands are 17% more intensive than an average barrel of crude oil from the US.

Photograph: Sue Ogrocki/AP

The second widespread myth is that the pipeline will create thousands of jobs. The American Petroleum Institute lobby group told the US public in 2009 that over a four-year period, Keystone would create up to 343,000 jobs and add approximately $34 billion to the US economy in 2015. However, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service found that these figures were not subject to review and had been based on an internal study. According to the State Department, the pipeline would only create approximately 42,000 temporary construction jobs and 50 permanent jobs after the construction is finished.

Myth #3 is that the pipeline will free the United States from its dependence on undemocratic oil regimes. However, Canada already supplies 33% of US oil imports, which is more than Mexico and Saudi Arabia, combined. In addition, the majority of the 830,000 barrels of oil transported by the pipeline per day will be exported.

Another popular myth is that Keystone XL will lower gas prices. However, Keystone will not affect local gas prices because gas prices are determined by the international prices for an oil barrel.

Overall, it seems that those in favor of the construction of Keystone XL are choosing to ignore the facts that shed a negative light on the pipeline. It seems to me that there are far more drawbacks than positives surrounding the construction of Keystone XL, especially in regards to the environmental effects.

To read the original article on the Guardian, click here.