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.
