Anti energy left dirties the environment

Nicolas Loris:
For all of President Obama’s talk Tuesday night of boosting US energy production, he has a huge problem: The American left — a vital part of his political base — seems determined to force us down the opposite path. Indeed, the “Big Green Extreme” fights energy even when it means harming the environment. 
Take Obama’s decision last week to halt the Keystone XL pipeline. It defied common sense. Letting the oil flow from Canada to refineries in Texas would have generated thousands of high-paying US jobs (hence the unions’ anger with the president), given our nation’s flagging economy a big boost and reduced our energy dependence on less-friendly and less-reliable suppliers. 
Plus, killing the pipeline is a clear loser for the environment. The oil from Canadian tar sands isn’t staying in the ground. It’s heading overseas via tanker to China, where it will be refined under regulations far looser than ours. Every step of the way, the process is less “green” than the Keystone route. 
Oh, and we’ll have to import more oil via tankers from overseas, or carry crude oil from Canada in trucks or on rails. 
The assault on energy is relentless. Last year, the US Chamber of Commerce identified 351 energy projects stalled by “not in my backyard” suits, regulatory red tape and, of course, endless challenges from greens. Almost half these projects (140) are renewable-energy ones. 
In Alaska and Idaho, for instance, environmental groups are challenging hydroelectric projects, claiming they could threaten fish habitats, water quality or tourism. Wind and solar projects, meanwhile, face opposition because they might threaten desert tortoises or migratory birds.

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Why do Democrats pay attention to these people?  Perhaps they are just as unintelligent when it comes to energy.  The rejection of the Keystone project may go down in history as one of the least intelligent decisions by a president.  If the Obama administration thought it could get in front of the criticism of this decision, it has stepped in front of the freight train that will have to be carrying the oil at four or five times the cost of the pipeline.  That is only good news for Warren Buffett who is an owner of the train.

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