https://youtube.com/watch?v=qVLsCiTNaSc
In his climate change speech this afternoon, President Obama showed tepid support for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada’s tar sands to Gulf Coast refineries. The pipeline’s environmental impact, he said, “will be absolutely critical” in its authorization, adding that addressing energy policy has “to be about more than just building one pipeline.”
“I do want to be clear: Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires finding doing so would be in our nation’s interest,” he said at Georgetown University. “Our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.”
The State Department is currently conducting an assessment of the pipeline’s likely environmental impact. Providing an example of the assessment’s criteria, President Obama noted an increase in greenhouse gas emissions would be grounds for rejecting the pipeline.
“What is true is that we can’t just drill our way out of the energy and climate challenge that we face,” Obama said, pushing alternative energy sources.
The president speech this afternoon laid out a new administration plan for America’s climate change and energy future.