Marissa and Stacy: Keystone

There is significant political debate dealing with the environment in US politics. There are two sides to the current debate involving the environment. The issues involve people in support of environmental protection and economic growth and security. Many people try to argue that environmental protection conflicts with business interests and jeopardizes economic stability and employment. On the other hand, environmental health is key to ensuring a successful and lasting economic foundation beginning with the products that naturally come from the environment.

There are many issues involving the environment currently being debated. One such issue that has been heavily debated is the Keystone XL Pipeline. This pipeline aims to transport large quantities of oil sands from northern Alberta, Canada, into the US to be exported and processed. This is controversial because the process will create many jobs and help the economy but it will also have an extremely negative impact on the environment. For example, the XL pipeline will require the creation of multiple open-pit oil sand mines that will leave large piles of toxic tailings that can pollute water sources and soil. There will also be massive amounts of clear cutting to make room for the pipeline itself. On the other hand, the pipeline project will create an estimated 50,000 new jobs and will help to stimulate the economy through an anticipated $100 billion in annual total expenditures from the US.

In the government debate over this issue, Obama has recently put the project on hold. the republicans in congress, have tried to create a bill that will strip Obama of his authority over this issue. In congress, the house and the senate are not agreeing on the issue, so the bill has not been passed thus far. However, if it does, Obama will likely veto the bill. This week, the house voted again on the issue and were in favor of speeding up the project for the fourth time in 2 years. This is an ongoing debate that will need to be resolved before the project is finished.

While the Keystone XL Pipeline issue is still unresolved, similar issues have been debated and resolved throughout much of the current era. The conflicts between the environmentalists and the economists will continue due to the inablity and unwillingness to find a middle ground between the two. When jobs are created, the environment is often set aside and vice versa. Until there is a balance between the two, there will continue to be a political issue in the government. Currently, the government has the authority throught the EPA to regulate and carry out certain environmetnal policies insituted by the government, but when the government succumbs to pressure from both sides, it has been forced to usually take stances that are less environmentally friendly in order to appease the economic masses. Currently, the U.S. is falling behind in environmental protection policies compared to the majority of developed nations, and the government has put environmental protection on the back burner of most political policies.

A song for you to enjoy:

Hug a tree for me,
its easy as can be!
Save the animals,
Eat yogurt danimals!
Don't pollute the ocean,
In motion!