Obama should ‘face down critics’ and approve Keystone XL: science journal – by Yadullah Hussain (National Post – January 31, 2013)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

One of the world’s most respected scientific journals says U.S. President Barack Obama should focus on coal-gorging power and utility companies in the United States, instead of appeasing environmentalists by turning down the Keystone XL pipeline.

“Regarding the Keystone pipeline, the administration should face down critics of the project, ensure that environmental standards are met and then approve it,” Nature said in an editorial on its website. (Read full editorial here).

Keystone XL pipeline, which will ship oil sands product from Alberta to the Gulf Coast, has been the subject of environmental rage and its scrapping is seen as central to reducing global carbon emissions. But Nature contends the pipeline’s impact on the environment is exaggerated.

“Nor is oil produced from the Canadian tar sands as dirty from a climate perspective as many believe (some of the oil produced in California, without attention from environmentalists, is worse).”

While oil sands development raises “serious air- and water-quality issues in Canada,” these issues are beyond the president’s jurisdiction, the weekly periodical said.

“By approving Keystone, Obama can bolster his credibility within industry and among conservatives. The president can also take advantage of rising domestic oil and gas production to defuse concerns over energy security.”

The magazine, considered one of the most-cited scientific journals in the world, says Obama should instead send a message to the coal industry.

“The energy utilities will duly cry foul, but the same companies are already powering down old and inefficient coal-fired power plants in favour of natural-gas plants. Why? Because natural gas is cheap and burns more cleanly than coal, helping companies to meet increasingly stringent air-quality regulations.”

For the rest of this article, please go to the National Post website: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/01/30/obama-should-face-down-critics-and-approve-keystone-xl-science-journal/?__lsa=cf3c-1f3b