By Tribune-Review

Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 9:00 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Early in his second term President Obama will have the opportunity to reverse course and approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which will transport oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast and pump an estimated $1.8 billion into the U.S. economy.

But envirocrats have stepped up their efforts to derail common sense with doomsday scenarios, arguing that the intensity of “greenhouse gas” from Canadian tar sands and petroleum coke (petcoke) from the refining process will accelerate “climate change.”

Gang Green's latest scenario, however, fails to account for the greater risk if the pipeline isn't completed — namely, the transportation of oil via tankers to Chinese refineries, which poses far greater environmental harm, writes Nicolas Loris for The Heritage Foundation.

Moreover, the alleged danger to Nebraska's main water source, another supposed pipeline killer, has been dispelled by a state Department of Environmental Quality review, according to The Wall Street Journal. A new route proposed by pipeline operator TransCanada Corp. bypasses regions that had drawn concerns.

Anticipated approval of the new route by Republican Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman will put the ball back in Obama's court.

At stake — energy security and economic growth without a substantiated threat to the environment. The pipeline is a no-brainer.

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