Obama faces Canadian pipeline dilemma

Barack Obama, the US president, is to make a final decision on the construction of a $7bn extension to Canada's Keystone pipeline to refineries in Texas.

Environmental groups that helped elect the president say that the project is a threat to US farmland and to the Midwest region's largest aquifer - which nearly two million people depend on for drinking water.

Meanwhile, labour unions, who also supported the president, are rallying behind the project due to its promise of thousands of badly needed construction jobs.

Other people who support the extension say that the US needs the pipeline to secure energy dependence.

Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports from Washington.

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News & Politics

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• americasnews
• Barack Obama
• al jazeera
• aljazeera
• Tom Ackerman
• Keystone pipeline

[SpoonHysteria]

$16 billion a year in Canadian government revenue to be made and $3 trillion into the Canadian economy over the next 15 years, if the US doesn't want it TransCanada will simply pursue the plethora of opportunities in China while you'll continue to fund Iran.

[BBP081]

Being president must be the shittiest job in the world.

[tindallpe]

According to this report, another reason to shut it down is because Texas refineries will "Profit" from reselling diesel fuel to Europe according to this report from Al Jazzerra. Well we certainly don't want America to make a profit and we certainly don't want to be able to supply Europe.

[tindallpe]

No that's for the Arabs .. Arabs like Al Jazzera the same ones that beat women for getting raped and treat women like a house pet that won't listen with brutal punishment for'disobedience". The advantage of the ‘Tarsands” is that they are surface oil, no drilling, no Gulf of Mexico.The fear is environmental destruction. After construction the lands are reclaimed

[tindallpe]

It‘s a massive version of your gas pipelines sent to your cities and homes. Maybe it's just me, but the hypocrisy in this video is about as blatant as it gets. Modern pipelines detect a breach immediately and transfer stations can immediately stop the flows. There are already pipelines al over North America. Listen to the Arabs if you think they have the answers and just keep transferring you wealth abroad .That’s your business. We’ll just sell it to China.

[tBusket]

Leave it to the people of the US to bow down to the all mighty king's final say! We have finally reached the point where states are no longer sovereign. A state is basically property belonging to DC and the Governors of each state are basically non-factor lords with pretentious titles. The governors of the proposed states should make this decision regardless of Washington and move forward without any blessings. Let the chips fall where they may and reclaim your state for what it is..A STATE!

[tenderlove01]

Money money money!! Why not for one second can ppl stop being so concerned on the size of their fucking wallet! Trans Canada hired their own ppl to do what their claiming was a "environmental inspection" when in all reality it was one of the many blind folds placed over our eyes to hide the truth. You would think that after the oil spill of the Gulf of New Mexico, instead of learning from our mistakes we create new ones such as this pipeline desecrating the beautiful mountains, forests, and w

[newalm]

Well, Obama stopped it. He just killed thousands of jobs...again! The eco nuts in the U.S. are destroying the U.S.!

[sonnydey]

Build that pipeline just build it to be safe to the environment.

[vanhalen515084]

people in canada are at work right now building the northern part of keystone, it will go