The Keystone XL Pipeline: Don't Shoot the Messenger

Know the old saying "don't shoot the messenger?"

It's where the poor guy in funny looking tights and a hat which your daughter would be embarrassed to wear to a tea party with Mr. Teddy has to go up to the king with a roll of parchment. If it's good news, tights and hat guy lives, bad news? He dies, unless he can deliver the bad news in a funny way.. (Tight Tights)

So what about this here Canadien pipeline? (You have to say that with a French accent, the word "pipeline" has at least nine syllables).

The reality is simple: the oil is going to be produced. What we are arguing over is how it's going to be delivered, and where it will be delivered.

Activists and most of the executive branch are against the pipeline. Instead, they prefer we us rail cars and boats to China (the other option, and less environmentally friendly in and of itself). This means more of this heavy crude refined in emissions unregulated China, and much higher overall well-to-wheels emissions.

The atmosphere is one big carbon sink, so it honestly matters not a penny where you combust the oil, it has the same impact on the atmosphere high above your favorite gentrified neighborhood with the hip bars serving IPA. Gross. The IPA I mean: it's really gross.

So what's really happening is that environmental groups are fighting like mad to stop the most environmentally friendly way of delivering and using the oil.

Stupid.

If what they were all fighting for would have some environmental benefit, maybe I could see it. But they are trying to use the pipeline as a fight against tar sands, and it just isn't. Canada will be producing the tar sands whatever Cambridge, MA and Palo Alto, CA (and thus, our representative President) believe.

So.. If democrats and environmentalists win, they will successfully harm the environment. If republicans and industry groups win, they'll be helping the environment.

This is a funny one folks, and yet sadly I feel I'm the only one who gets the joke.