Canada has asked the Obama administration to approve a 1900 mile oil pipe line that would carry Canadian crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberto, Canada to refineries in Texas. According to a report commissioned by the Obama administration the $7 billion pipe line could substantially reduce U.S. dependency on oil from the middle east and other regions. That according to an Associated Press report.
Canada pointed out they are a secure, stable and friendly neighbor who poses no threat to the U.S. It is this writers judgement that this proposed pipe line should be given very serious thought on a fast tract. According to the report, "Funds of the Earth" an environmental group, say tar sands oil is highly polluting and there are cleaner, safer way to meet U.S. energy needs.
The environmental issue needs to be worked out. Surly a company who can afford to invest $7 billion in such a venture can afford to make sure they have the know how and equipment to make oil from tar sands environmentally friendly and safe. There is no excuse. In fact companies who make this kind of large investments have an obligation to make sure their ventures is safe for the environment.
Importing oil from a neighbor such as Canada is a plus for the people and the country in reducing our import of oil from the middle east and other unstable countries. We know the American oil companies are not doing enough drilling and production with in the U.S. on all the acreage they lease, own or rent to make our country free of dependency on foreign oil from those unstable countries. Big Oil has been given tax breaks and incentives to do so for over 50 years and have failed the test.
Although the proposed Canadian pipe line will be good for America in this time of our history, the U.S. number one priority should still be to develop energy sources that will replace oil and gasoline as our leading energy source. Any thing less will have us revisiting the subject for the next 50 years. The major oil companies in the U.S. have really blown their chance to do something for their country and its people. Their record profits have fed their greed and is now their motivation. They have swallowed up many independent oil companies in the past that has not produced one more barrel of oil or gallon of gasoline. Those take overs and mergers only produce more and larger bonuses for their CEO's and executives.
