WAITING TO XL
By Barry Piacenza
January 20, 2012
Now that the hoopla regarding the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline is over, with the decision of President Obama
in the US not to proceed with construction. This was a decision of wisdom not only for the United States.
It is apparent that the arbitrarily forced deadline placed by the Republicans and the recommendations of the State
Department were reason enough for the White House to do away with this proposal. The wisdom of this is not only
based on facts there was much conjecture that the refined product was not to be utilized in the United States but
shipped overseas perhaps to Asian markets. This would've been a means to have US refineries profit while exporting
the product elsewhere.
It is needless to say it is a step in the right direction regarding climate change since the tar sands themselves
are higher emitters of greenhouse gases than even normal refining processes will bring about.
A combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen, heavy black viscous oil. Tar sands can be mined and processed to
extract the oil-rich bitumen, which is then refined into oil. The bitumen in tar sands cannot be pumped from the
ground in its natural state; instead tar sand deposits are mined, usually using strip mining or open pit techniques,
or the oil is extracted by underground heating with additional upgrading.1
Tar Sands Open Pit Mining, Alberta, Canada
|
|
Tar sands are mined and processed to generate oil similar to oil pumped from conventional oil wells, but extracting
oil from tar sands is more complex than conventional oil recovery. Oil sands recovery processes include extraction
and separation systems to separate the bitumen from the clay, sand, and water that make up the tar sands. Bitumen
also requires additional upgrading before it can be refined. Because it is so viscous (thick), it also requires
dilution with lighter hydrocarbons to make it transportable by pipelines.2
estions raised by the state of Nebraska concerning eminent domain, possible aquifer damage, and risks from pipeline
accidents were also reasons not to proceed. |
The jobs issues involved were temporary and not in large enough numbers to impact the long-term unemployment issues
structurally apparent in the US economy.
There'll be many more decisions points on the journey of climate change economics this just being the latest. It is
only through wisdom, perseverance, use of renewable and alternative energy sources being discovered through astute
research in both the private and public sectors that we will eventually be able to save our planet from the detrimental
outcomes of climate change as shown in the real science being conducted.
1http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/tarsands/index.cfm
2http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/tarsands/index.cfm
|
|
|
