Imagine what the reaction would be if it were 2006 and President George W. Bush had an environmental report on his desk from government scientists and chose to ignore the data and stall in order to placate his entrenched constituencies.
Well, we do know, because that's exactly what happened. What is different in 2014 is the reaction from all of the people who insisted Bush - and all Republicans - must hate science. It is an ethical ghost town when President Obama does that same thing, just like there was scant reaction when President Obama edited science reports to match his agenda, about Deepwater Horizon.
There is no environmental reason to stall Keystone XL, because there is no environmental issue outside the kooky precautionary principle fringe that is against GMOs and vaccines. America has a chance to build the safest pipeline in the world - far safer than any other country could or would do it, and far less dangerous, both politically and environmentally, than giving more money to terrorist dictatorships.
The Washington Post editorial board, hardly shills for Big Oil, pulls no punches, they indict him in the same way I did three years ago while writing Science Left Behind.
The administration’s latest decision is not responsible; it is embarrassing. The United States continues to insult its Canadian allies by holding up what should have been a routine permitting decision amid a funhouse-mirror environmental debate that got way out of hand. The president should end this national psychodrama now, bow to reason, approve the pipeline and go do something more productive for the climate.
Accept science, Mr. President. Or accept economics. Or accept all those jobs for your loyal union supporters. Just stop sticking your head in the Tar Sands and pretending it is about the environment.
