Year 2, Month 9, Day 18: Same Ol’ Same Ol’

The Louisville KY Courier-Journal runs a guest OpEd by Curtis Morrison and Tyler Hess, who are shrill:

Deep below the bio-diverse boreal forest of Canada’s Albertan province, there lies a secret. A sleeping monster so daunting, sensible people wouldn’t imagine awaking him. Its ensuing wrath could bring unprecedented chaos. As one of many culpable predators, the monster’s prey could include much of life on Earth. in size, it lies largely unperturbed. Should President Obama awake it?

This monster is not Bigfoot. Actually observable and truly capable of widespread destruction, the monster we illustrate is the bitumen sludge contained in the Albertan tar sands. Extracting it would ultimately have consequences to our climate that should bring logical brains and compassionate hearts to a raging boil.

Sent September 6:

At a time when we should be trying to kick the fossil-fuel habit entirely, the Keystone XL’s backers would have us believe that the project is environmentally responsible and essential to our country’s energy economy. It is neither.

TransCanada and its subcontractors loudly trumpet their adherence to environmental protection standards exceeding current regulations. Given the oil industry’s long history of mendacity and malfeasance, I don’t find this reassuring. We’re told the tar sands oil will benefit America’s consumers — but a recent study from Oil Change International shows that Alberta’s crude is primarily destined for foreign markets.

And, ultimately, we must heed climatologist James Hansen’s words: burning the tar sands oil means “game over” for the climate of Earth — and for all of us who live on it. The pipeline is a spectacularly bad idea, promoted by unscrupulous and profit-driven people. The President should block the Keystone XL.

Warren Senders