I've been reading a lot on the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas and I'm having a hard time with a couple things.
Firstly, I cannot seem to find a story about the pipeline that is not dramatized or politicized with a clear motivation to either per- or dissuade me from approval of such a project. I'm primarily interested in a breakdown of the number and kinds of jobs created as well as their expected duration, the costs/profits for our country (not simply oil companies), potential hazards, and the environmental ramifications. Yet, all I seem to get are people spouting off about how it is good or evil.
Secondly, I'm not particularly interested in politics as I find the whole process mostly counterproductive. What are the political ramifications of proceeding with such a project or denying it? Is this pipeline really even that important? I've heard suggestions that President Obama's entire environmental legacy rests upon this decision.
My stance on oil is one of trying to ween a person off a dangerous substance. I don't have a problem with rising gas prices driving development of more efficient engines or new fuel research. Personally, I think our number one energy priority should STILL be a more efficient grid. A cyclic power delivery layout that leads to fewer, smaller power losses which can be located, isolated, and repaired more quickly. I just don't view importing more oil from sands projects which are already fairly inefficient to be a front burner topic.
So, does anyone have the patience to explain some of this to me without the garbage faux media outlets polluting (no pun intended) the issue with biased reporting?