Environment Flashcards
Keystone XL Pipeline Explained - NRDC - 2022
Keystone XL pipeline project canceled: After more than a decade of protests, legal battles, and executive orders across three U.S. administrations, TC Energy officially abandoned the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline in June 2021 following President Biden’s revocation of a critical permit.
Environmental risks: KXL faced opposition due to its potential environmental damage, including leaks of tar sands oil, which is more corrosive and difficult to clean, posing threats to rivers, ecosystems, and drinking water sources like the Ogallala Aquifer.
Climate impact: Tar sands oil extraction produces 3-4 times more carbon pollution than conventional oil, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Building the pipeline would have increased these emissions and been detrimental to climate goals.
Public opposition: Protests from environmentalists, Indigenous communities, and local stakeholders, along with political and legal challenges, helped prevent the pipeline’s construction.
Economic viability: The project’s cancellation also reflected shifting market conditions, with major oil companies pulling out of tar sands investments due to low oil prices and rising climate concerns.
Political flip-flop: The pipeline was initially vetoed by President Obama, revived by President Trump, and ultimately revoked again by President Biden, reflecting its political controversy.
Job creation claims: Despite industry claims that KXL would create nearly 119,000 jobs, a State Department report revealed it would generate only about 35 permanent jobs after construction.
Biden Funding for Hurricane Helene Relief - NC Newsline
President Joe Biden pledged federal support for the Southeast’s recovery from Hurricane Helene, stating that the government would provide resources for as long as necessary. Speaking from the White House, he announced plans to request emergency funding from Congress and is expected to visit North Carolina later in the week once it wouldn’t disrupt recovery efforts. Federal aid, including FEMA and other agencies, is already on the ground, with 3,600 personnel deployed so far.
The United States is producing more oil than any country in history - CNN; 2023
The U.S. is on track to produce a record 13.3 million barrels per day of oil in Q4 2023, surpassing previous records. In October, U.S. production hit 13.2 million barrels per day, just above the Trump-era peak of 13.1 million. This robust output, driven largely by shale oil in Texas and New Mexico’s Permian Basin, helps maintain relatively stable crude and gasoline prices, with gas prices recently averaging $3.08 per gallon.
Despite this, President Biden faces criticism from Republicans, who argue his policies hinder domestic production, especially on federal lands. They claim his administration’s energy stance undermines U.S. energy security. However, the record production is largely due to market dynamics and efficient drilling technologies, not presidential actions. The Biden administration’s policies have evolved, including approving the controversial Willow drilling project in Alaska, as global events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising gas prices prompted a more pragmatic approach to fossil fuels.
The U.S. is also exporting as much oil as Saudi Arabia or Russia produces, underlining the strength of its energy sector. However, experts caution that while Biden’s energy policy initially leaned toward climate action, geopolitical realities have forced shifts in strategy.
(According to Chat GPT, “The U.S. both uses and exports the oil it produces. While domestic consumption still makes up the majority of U.S. oil use, the country has increasingly been exporting oil as production has risen. As of recent years, U.S. oil exports have been growing significantly, with the U.S. exporting as much crude oil, refined products, and natural gas liquids as major oil producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia. This has become a notable aspect of the U.S. energy landscape, with energy exports reaching levels that were once unimaginable.
In terms of energy independence, the U.S. is indeed more energy-independent than it has been in decades, primarily due to the surge in oil production, particularly from shale oil. While the U.S. still imports some oil, particularly from countries like Canada, it now produces enough to meet a significant portion of its domestic needs and even exports surplus production. This shift has reduced the reliance on foreign oil, a key measure of energy independence. However, the U.S. remains interconnected with global energy markets, which means that while it’s less dependent on foreign oil, it still plays a role in global oil dynamics).
