[QUOTE=puckhog;3497406]It seems like many people forget or overlook the fact that this pipeline ultimately isn't about the economic benefits (which are significant), but energy. Energy that is required to produce and deliver food, water, and all the other necessities of life, not to mention all of the niceties that we enjoy. Alternative energy sources should be developed, but for now oil and gas are still desperately needed to meet the demand.
From the US's perspective I don't see how it makes more sense to import from the Middle East or South America than us, when we have a more stable political environment and a much stricter regulatory environment.
True that 70% of the oil that the US imports is to be used as a transportation fuel. Also true though that Obama said that within 10 years the US would not import any oil for the middle east. The US has been without an energy plan for 40 years. There is still the natural gas option that the US could be utilizing to a much greater extent as it is the biggest natural resource that they have. To put it into perspective the US natural gas reserves are three times that of the Saudis oil reserves and they are basically not utilizing this option. There are 12 million vehicles in the world today on natural gas and the US has 130,000 of them despite having the largest natural gas reserves in the world. It makes no sense to import oil when they could use their own resources more effectively.
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