Posted By Jean Chemnick
The proposed Keystone XL pipeline would not contribute nearly as much to climate change as environmentalists have claimed it will if it is allowed to go forward -- and would boost employment and bring Canada and the United States closer together, energy and manufacturing advocates said today.
Speaking two days after tens of thousands of people marched past the White House to protest the much-delayed project as a threat to climate stability -- President Obama was vacationing in Florida at the time -- the National Association of Manufacturers hosted a roundtable with other industry voices today to make the case for the pipeline.
"To Americans, I would put it very simply," said Alex Pourbaix, president for oil pipelines and energy for TransCanada Corp., the company that is seeking a permit to build the Alberta-to-Texas pipeline. "Do you want your oil to come from a country that respects human rights and has some of the strongest environmental rules in the world, or do you want it to come from places that have little regard for either?"
"We've been promoting that North American energy development is a foundation for economic development, is a foundation for economic recovery in this country, and will provide large economic benefits for large and small businesses alike," said Matthew Koch, vice president for oil sands and arctic issues at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy.
Read the full article at E&E News