House Approves Pipeline

To no one's surprise, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline by a vote of 252-161.  Every Rethug voted for the bill, which now goes to the Senate.  The pipeline has been hyped by the oil industry and some labor organizations as a boon to employment and energy supplies.  The pipeline would bring the dirtiest of tar sand and oil shale from Canada across the Great Plains of the U.S. in a 36-inch pipeline to the oil refineries in Texas and Louisiana, where it would be processed and shipped to the world market.

Just days after President Obama concluded a landmark agreement with China to restrict carbon emissions, the Rethuglican House has poked a finger in not only the President's eye, but also those of the (ironically) red states across which the pipeline would be constructed and who would be affected by a spill.  It's also a clear reminder that the Rethugs care nothing about the environment and clean energy, and everything about their patrons in the carbon industry.