Fifteen months later, the Keystone XL pipeline still hasn’t been built. The Canadian government is losing patience. Gas prices are once again soaring around $4 a gallon. And President Obama is actually finding it difficult to choose between tens of thousands of new jobs and a major boost to America’s energy independence on the one hand, and a bunch of environmental extremists on the other hand.
The extremists got some good press yesterday, as they engaged in a show of so-called “civil disobedience” – choreographed ahead of time in conjunction with the police, mind you – in which they handcuffed themselves to the gates of the White House demanding that the project be shut down entirely.
The protesters included actress Daryl Hannah, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and one-time NAACP president Julian Bond, who used to engage in activism on behalf of things that were actually worthwhile.
A president who was serious about energy independence would have approved the Keystone XL pipeline over a year ago. But that’s not the president we have. Remember when Obama said in the State of the Union address that if Congress didn’t act on climate change, he would just take executive actions to do it himself? This is the sort of thing he meant. He will use his power in areas like permitting to indefinitely delay projects that are perfectly good on the merits, and dare anyone to stop him.
And now he’s letting a bunch of celebrities give him cover by pulling publicity stunts.
Build the pipeline! The more of our own oil we can produce, the better, but we’re going to have to buy some from other countries. Would you rather buy it from Canada? Or from Hugo Chavez and the potentates of the Middle East? Or from Vladimir Putin?
Build the pipeline!
