Discussion for article #233136
I’m curious - if the President vetoes the bill, will the Republicans pass it 50+ times, just to make some sort of point, as they have with trying to repeal the ACA?
Since the U.S. is currently producing more oil and gas than ever and we’re currently wallowing in excess supply, and since the tar sands are going to brought to market regardless of the pipeline, the energy security argument argument for Keystone is moot.
That means the only real argument in favor of 850 miles of pipeline being built is for the jobs it would create, which proponents have vastly overstated. And, according to a report recently released by the Center for American Progress, proximity to open spaces and outdoor recreation areas are a much better enticement to job growth than oil and gas development.
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The outdoor recreation industry currently supports 6.1 million jobs in the United States. U.S. outdoor recreation accounts for more direct jobs than oil, natural gas, and mining combined, and a growing body of research shows that proximity to parks, trails, and outdoor spaces is among the most prominent factors that businesses and workers consider when choosing where to locate.
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A 2012 Headwaters Economics study found that areas in the West with protected public lands have higher rates of job growth and that proximity to the protected land is “correlated with higher levels of per capita income.” Areas with national parks, wilderness, and other recreational assets are succeeding in attracting high-wage, high-skill jobs more rapidly than similar communities without such amenities. “Communities with protected public lands have a competitive advantage in attracting the engineers, architects, software developers, doctors, lawyers, researchers, and others,” study author Ray Rasker recently wrote in the Missoulian.
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A 2011 California study notes that quality-of-life benefits associated with recreational opportunities and infrastructure—in terms of keeping people healthy, attracting workers, and attracting employers—could be a state economic contributor that is at least as important as the direct sale of outdoor products and services.
So, instead of building a pipeline with minimal job creation potential, with no real contribution to U.S. energy needs and with very serious environmental hazards maybe we should think about building a bike path instead.
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