Posted on 09/01/2011 7:38:49 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Gore urges Obama to block pipeline for 'dirtiest source of fuel on the planet' By Andrew Restuccia - 09/01/11 10:08 AM ET
Former Vice President Al Gore called on President Obama late Wednesday to reject a pending permit application for a controversial pipeline project, calling the oil that it would carry “the dirtiest fuel on the planet.”
“The answer to our climate, energy and economic challenges does not lie in burning more dirty fossil fuels —instead, we must continue to press for much more rapid development of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies and cuts in the pollution that causes global warming,” Gore, a vocal climate activist, wrote on his blog Wednesday night.
The State Department is just months away from a decision on the proposed TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry Canadian oil sands from Alberta to refineries on the Texas Gulf coast.
Environmental groups and others have mounted an aggressive opposition campaign to the 1,700-mile proposed pipeline. They’ve staged a two-week protest in front of the White House that has led to hundreds of arrests and put President Obama on notice that a failure to block the project could hurt his reelection campaign.
Gore blasted the project Wednesday, raising concerns about the environmental impact of Canada’s oil sands production, which results in higher greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil production.
“The tar sands are the dirtiest source of fuel on the planet,” Gore said.
Many Republicans and the oil industry have pressed the administration to approve the project, arguing it will boost the economy. But Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, a Republican, called on Obama to reject the proposed pipeline Thursday.
A final environmental review released by the State Department last week said there would be “no significant impacts to most resources” along the route if the company adheres to conditions and mitigation measures that pipeline regulators and environmental agencies demand.
Critics of the pipeline blasted the review, arguing it ignores key concerns about the project.
But Energy Secretary Steven Chu hinted this week that he supports the project, arguing in an interview that the country would be better off getting oil from Canada than unstable nations in the Middle East.
The State Department says it hopes to make a final decision on the project by the end of the year.
There’s something ironic about saying, “dirty fossil fuels.”
They come from the earth, doesn’t that make them the greenest fuels?
Gore needs to be denied use of any transportation except his own feet.
If Algore was a Republican, the first comment would be, “Gore owns STOCK in ‘green’ technology companies!”
But since he’s a leftist Commie pig, he gets the free pass and the billion$.
They were created by sunshine and stored more efficiently than the most efficient battery every developed.
They are the ultimate Solar Energy.
20,000 jobs.....
Then it will be built to Canada’s west coast for shipment to Asia.
Has anyone recommended psychiatric tests for these two?
Many times, at least here on FR.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see this admin give the go-ahead to this project and then if reelected yank the permits in 2013. Same thing that happened with Arch Coal in West Virginia and then Shell on that big Alaskan find.
I have an urge also... but gore wouldn’t like it very much.
LLS
Ping.
Dirtiest source of fuel? I take it Algore has never lived in an area where guano is the primary source of fuel!
Algore has never been to China. And he's full of biomass.
Ha! I bet Obama loves Gore sticking his head in an already difficult situation for him-—deciding between the green wackos or allowing gas prices to go up more right before election.
“They are the ultimate Solar Energy.”
Amen. We need to argue this line loudly and often with the enviro-whackos. Fossil fuels are natural fuels created by storing energy from natural solar collectors, and also, burning them only releases back into the atmosphere what was taken out of the atmosphere long ago. There is no long-term equilibrium imbalance involved; in fact, it is all part of a biological feedback loop, since the carbon released acts as plant food, causing vegetation to self-regulate the level of carbon in the atmosphere.
This is a messy political problem for the president.
His green liberal base can never accept a pipeline project like this.
And this is a president devoted to stopping the rise of the oceans, and allowing the planet to heal.
Politically, he has to stop this pipeline, regardless of the consequences, because his loud political base is 100% against this. There’s no way he can spin this to liberals as being good for the country in any way.
I am convinced that Al Gore has some form of mental illness! Thank God he never became POTUS!
What you have described is too complicated for the liberal mind to comprehend. They won’t accept or uderstand talk of a biological feedback loop. They have been fed the idea that carbon is bad, and must be eliminated.
I wonder how liberals reconcile the idea in their minds that each of us is a carbon based life form...............
we must continue to press for much more rapid development of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies ............................................................ FOLLOW THE $$$$$$$$, that flows into Al’s pocket.
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