The need for fuel has always been strong, and still continues to be so to this day.  So ways to to get to and transport the fuel would follow as well. The Keystone pipeline is just the proposed method to transport the fuel, but regardless it is still part of the bigger picture of the debate going on.

Mainly, the two sides are that the Keystone pipeline would mean harm to the environment and that it wouldn’t be an effective source of energy, while the other side says that it would be economically beneficial and safe.

For the side against Keystone, they bring up some valid points that you’d actively need to clear away things to get to the resource, which would effectively mean tearing up the land and changing it drastically. All of this would be done to get at a resource that apparently causes large amounts of pollution and does not make up for the “energy” spent to get to it in the first place. This also brings into question, why do we continue to go for these resources instead of trying to go toward cleaner energy. There is also the fact that not only will the land be severely affected, but so will people, animals, and plant life. The Keystone pipeline would take up a vast amount of land, which may displace a large number of those mentioned.

As for the side against Keystone, yes, the economy is important. The project would provide jobs, and in turn money for those around it, but does this necessarily make up for the cons and the risk involved? The fact that the designers say that it’s perfectly safe, and that there would be no chance of a leak is dubious to say the least. It’s almost like what they said about the “unsinkable” Titanic, and everyone knows how that turned out. The fact is, there is always a chance for something to fail, so the possibility shouldn’t be ruled out.

Overall, the Keystone Pipeline does present some opportunities and benefits, but they don’t seem to make up for the cons and risks that may occur.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/magazine/jane-kleeb-vs-the-keystone-pipeline.html

http://www.nrdc.org/energy/keystone-pipeline/

http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/17/the-keystone-xl-fight-is-highly-partisan-unless-you-live-near-the-proposed-pipeline-route/