Pros And Cons Of The Keystone Pipeline

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First lets start with the basics. What is the Keystone Pipeline? The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned since 2010. It runs from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta to refineries in Illinois and Texas, and also to oil tank farms and oil pipeline distribution center in Cushing, Oklahoma. Under the forest in northern Alberta, Canada lie the world’s largest deposits of tar sands, sand mixed with thick, tar-like oil. “To produce one barrel of heavy crude oil from tar sands requires strip mining the forest, extracting four tons of earth, contaminating two to four barrels of fresh water, burning large amounts of natural gas, and creating vast holding ponds of toxic sludge. …show more content…

The first issue is the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission that will be given off each year. The United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs has determined that the projected amount of emission annually emitted by the project is “0.24 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MMTCO2). On top of that 1.44 MMTCO2 yearly will be given off due to the electricity use to pump station power. This is equivalent to the GHG emission of 300,000 passenger vehicles or 71,928 homes using electricity for one year” (Walker, 14). This type of climate change in the Earth’s atmosphere will lead to warmer winters, shorter cool seasons, longer durations of frost free periods, warmer summer temperatures, and longer summers equaling impacts associated with heat stress and wildfire …show more content…

To reduce potential construction- and operations-related effects where habitat is crossed, Keystone would, if permitted, implement measures to minimize adverse effects to wildlife habitats, including shelterbelts, windbreaks, and living snow fences. Pipeline construction would be conducted in accordance with required

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