Game-over scenario

President Obama has said many times he understands the threat climate change poses to the United States and the world, and the need for U.S. leadership in addressing the issue. Now, he needs to stand behind those words and reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

Building the 1,179-mile conduit from Canada’s Alberta tar sands to Steele City, Neb., with extensions to refineries on the Gulf Coast, would fast-track the exploitation of a potential 1.7 trillion barrels of some of the world’s dirtiest oil. The resulting emissions would mean “game over” for the fight against climate change, as NASA climate scientist James E. Hansen has warned.

Proponents argue that the pipeline will produce jobs, but in reality, it would create fewer than 50 permanent positions. They claim it will provide the nation with energy security, but most of the oil would be exported. Most discouragingly, they hold that the oil will be sold regardless of whether the pipeline is approved, essentially conceding that catastrophic climate change is inevitable.

There is still time to avoid the worst potential impacts of global warming. By denying approval of the pipeline, Obama can delay and perhaps prevent development of the tar sands oil, reject continued dependence on fossil fuels, and show the world America is committed to developing energy alternatives. That’s the decision we should expect from a president who promised hope and change.