Obama Rejects Construction of Keystone XL Pipeline

President Obama on Friday rejected the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, bringing an end to a seven-year review process that had become a high-profile political battle and a stand-in for a larger debate about the climate and the economy.

President Obama’s decision to reject the pipeline is being celebrated by those concerned about climate change like former Vice President Al Gore, but heavily criticized by Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan who argues the president made a big mistake.

Dr. Perryman doesn’t think this decision regarding the XL Pipeline will have an impact on the oil flow in East Texas.

Notley said she was not surprised by the US decision.

For more than 40 years, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has been in effect and we have approved more than 25 cross-border infrastructure projects under this environmental law. “This is right in line with President Obama’s consistent anti-oil and gas agenda, his aggressive agenda against Louisiana energy”.

All the Democratic presidential candidates, including front runner Hillary Clinton, oppose the pipeline while most of the Republican candidates are in favour of it.

The almost 1,200-mile pipeline would have carried oil from Canada through the USA midsection to connect with existing pipelines that extend to Gulf Coast refineries.

The rejection of the pipeline comes three weeks before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

“We know that Canadians want a government that they can trust to protect the environment and grow the economy”, he said Friday.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, also a White House hopeful, accused Obama of giving in to “radical environmentalists”. Approving the pipeline, he said, would have “undercut America’s leadership on climate change”.

But pipeline supporters are making it clear that the fight isn’t over.

“This is a big win”, said Bill McKibben, co-founder of the environmental group 350.org which helped make Keystone a symbol of a movement to slow global oil output.