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The myth of Sarah Palin is that she is some kind of Energy Expert because:
- Alaska has oil & gas reserves and a large extraction industry to exploit those resources, and
- Sarah Palin became Governor by understanding that industry and showing a willingness to "fight" it on behalf of Alaskans, and
- that she pushed through the Alaskan Legislature a plan to build a pipeline to move more of these resources to market, despite the wishes of the oil & gas industry, and
- Sarah Palin's Pileline will deliver "clean" natural gas to the Lower 48, and as a result we will become energy independent and fight climate change at the same time.
The myth of her pipeline and "energy experience" is always mentioned whenever Palin's defenders list her top qualification to be a 72-year-old heartbeat away from the Presidency.
It is a strong myth that is also absolute nonsense. It is repeated and repeated and repeated as a fact. This is a standard tactic of the Bush/McCain/Rove/Gingrich Republican era of deceit and corruption. As a result, another lie is easily taken as gospel and repeated as fact by McCain's sycophants in the media. There are many examples, but this Editorial in the Washington Post is a typical regurgitation of the hype:
The result was a commitment by an experienced pipeline company, TransCanada, to build the project, which may take 10 years, in return for $500 million in state seed money derived from Alaska's recent oil windfall.
The oil companies still control the gas. So, if TransCanada actually gets all the necessary permits, assembles financing and builds the pipeline, the Big Three will have to be persuaded, years from now, to ship their gas through it on reasonable terms. Meanwhile, BP and Conoco Phillips have announced plans to build a pipeline of their own without the state's backing -- a sign that the political and economic wrangling over this immense and risky project is far from over. But it is also a sign that Ms. Palin's outflanking of the oil companies injected some competition and urgency into a process that was previously stalled. Perhaps her Democratic opponent for the governorship in 2006, who campaigned on similar ideas, would have achieved these results. Nevertheless, Ms. Palin actually did.
It all sounds so good, so reasonable: taking on the oil companies; fighting for the taxpayers; reforming the system; delivering "clean" natural gas to the Lower 48 from energy rich Alaska.
Governor Palin may be wrong about this or that; she may be on a learning curve here or there, but you can't knock her "energy experience" and the success of her pipeline.
So, it is not surprising that so many news organizations, reporters, pundits, bloggers, commentators and voters buy into the myth of Sarah Palin's energy credentials.
I mean, who could argue that this isn't a great record of accomplishment?
And it would be""if any of it was actually true, but it isn't.
This is a myth that would be totally busted by just about anybody who took the time to research the facts and double check the claims. At the core of these lies is a plan to build a pipeline to supply Alaskan natural gas to Canada for the extraction of oil from the tar sands in Alberta. According to Environmental Defence of Canada this is The Most Destructive Project on Earth. I've been looking into this and they are correct. The report is damning and there are plenty of other sources detailing the harm this project is inflicting on people and the planet. Here is a short list of resources for those who are concerned about their future and how this project puts it in jeopardy:
The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) has put out an excellent two part report on the negative environmental and social justice impacts of the Alberta tar sands. Here is Part One of Crude Awakening: Canada's oil sands...you've heard about the economic benefits...but what about the environmental costs? and this is Part Two.
The Environmental Integrity Project recently released a Report on U.S. Refinery Expansions to Process Dirty Oil from Canadian Tar Sands. Take a look; if one of these refineries is going to be near you, then Palin's Pipeline is a direct threat to your health and wellbeing.
Oil Sands Truth is a great source of information and links to track the environmental, social and economic impacts of Alberta's tar sands.
Oil and Sands Watched by The Pembina Institute of Canada is another great resource. For eight years they tried to work with the oil industry to stop the environmental damage and have just pulled out of that effort because the oil industry does not care about the damage they cause in the pursuit of profits.
The Polaris Institute's Energy Program maintains the Tar Sands Watch. This is another site with deep resources and information. They have a campaign calling for a MORATORIUM on expanding tar sands production until real safeguards are in place for people and the planet.
