Before even defining and explaining the keystone XL pipeline, I remarked that when I first typed in Google the name of the project the name of “TransCanada” popped out in almost every website. AS far as I’m concerned, I believe that there is a connection between the two terms mentioned earlier. So, what is the TransCanada? What is the relationship between Keystone XL Pipeline and the company? Does the project have any pros/cons?
The Canadian company “TransCanada” is mostly a pipeline company. It has been a leader in the safe and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure, including a growing array of natural gas and oil pipelines, along with natural gas storage facilities. According to the official blog (blog.transcanada.com) of the company, TransCanada transports 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in North America. I desired to provide you with some information about the company since it has a lot to do with sustainability, energy, and technology.
The Keystone XL Pipeline Project is a proposed 1,179-mile (1,897 km), 36-inch-diameter crude oil pipeline (keystone-xl.com). The Canadian company TransCanada hopes to begin constructing the northern section of an oil pipeline that would trek close to 2,000 miles from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf coast of Texas. The map below clearly illustrates the path of the project.
The project consists of four phases; two are in operation, one (from Oklahoma to the Texas Gulf coast) is under construction and the last phase is waiting for an approval from the American government. I believe the government is analyzing closely the rest of the project and desiring to know its pros and cons before lunching it. So, The whole project is like every proposal related to energy and sustainability. It has its pros and cons. I believe that the best way to illustrate the negative and positive sides of the program is to combine them in a chart.
Pros |
Cons |
– Pipelines are safe and environmentally favorable:TransCanada has one of the best safety records in the industry. The pipelines are safe and reliable.– Creating jobs during pipeline construction and encourage skilled Americans to work:It will include positions for equipment operators, welders, mechanics, truck drivers, and laborers.– Pipeline construction will create demand for local goods and services and strengthen the economy:Such as cleaning, gravel supply, construction equipment supply and maintenance, lodging and accommodation.– Annual tax revenue and investment in local communities– Reduce the U.S dependence on oil from Venezuela and the Middle East by 40 percent.– Canada is one of the most secure sources of oil supply in the world and has long been a secure source of supply for the United States. |
– Dirty tar sands oil:It causes pollution during its production. Levels of carbon dioxide emissions are three to four times higher than conventional oil.– Water waste and pollution:During the tar sands oil extraction process, tremendous amounts of heat, water and chemicals are needed to separate different substances.It takes 3 barrels of water to extract 1 barrel of oil.– Forest destruction:The tar sands oil are located underneath the world’s largest intact ecosystem, the Boreal forests of Alberta. The forests are important to reduce the levels of carbon.– Indigenous populations:Cultural traditions are coming under attack because of tar sands operations. People have been forced off of their land.– Refining tar sands oil:Refining tar sands oil is dirtier than refining conventional oil. It will emit high amounts of toxic sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide. The emissions contribute to respiratory diseases like asthma. |
http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline
http://keystone-xl.com/about/the-project/
http://blog.transcanada.com/about-us/
http://keystone-xl.com/about/jobs-and-economic-benefits/
It is very important to know the pros and cons of a project.