Keystone Pipeline Issue - A Complex Issue

     To the casual observer of news reports about the Keystone pipeline proposal it would seem the issue is about building a pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The interconnected pieces associated with the pipeline make this issue complex. The issues include the environment, jobs, US-china relations, lower dependence on Middle Eastern oil, and the infringement of native America property rights.

    Environmentally, President Obama’s ordering of a revised route was about re-routing the pipeline around the Sandyhills in Nebraska. Sandyhills is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska with wildlife. The pipelines possible impact on this natural preserve would be unthinkable; however, the revision of the pipeline route delays a decision, which could create thousands of jobs. Similarly, the delay provides China an opportunity to lobby Canada for the more commercial equity in the Keystone pipeline productions.  This comes at a time when US-China relations are competitive across the economic and military domains. As the United States has concerns about its competitiveness in the global market, the Keystone pipeline issue is crucial to reducing the United States dependency on Middle Eastern oil, especially with its continued reduction of itsmilitary presence in the region and the rise of other parties influence in the region. Finally, Native American leaders claim the pipeline would contaminate the Missouri river water pipeline bringing the issue full circle to the environmental impacts.

 This issue is more complex than it seems.