Flanagan South Pipeline, the new Keystone XL?

I was delighted when President Obama rejected approval of the Keystone XL pipeline proposal.   Analysis by Cornell University demonstrated the insignificance of the job creation potential, and even the very Republican state of Nebraska opposed the potential destruction of aquifers and drinking water.

So last night (January 31) when I watched the local news in Hannibal, MO I felt kicked in the gut to see our Democratic Governor, Jay Nixon, sounding like a Republican in his enthusiastic support for a new oil pipeline, the Flanagan South Pipeline, running from Flanagan, Illinois to Cushing, Oklahoma, splitting the "Show Me" state of Missouri in two.   The Governor touted jobs, increased tax base for local government, reduced dependence on oil from the Middle East, and the ability to get oil from Alberta, Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast in Texas.   Let's see " oil from Canada to Texas " where have I heard of that before?

I did a bit of digging this morning and found that the Kansas City Star report states that " Some of that crude would come from oil sands." I fear that the Keystone XL proposal is rising from the dead.   Since this pipeline does not cross an international border, is does not require approval from the State Department or the White House.

In fairness to the company Enbridge that proposes to build this pipeline, and I have found on their website that they are heavily involved in various alternative energy projects, mostly in Canada, that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions.   Still, I would prefer that we not embark upon the "game over" scenario eloquently described by Dr. James E. Hansen, Director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the first scientist to measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (in 1970).   Dr. Hansen concludes that increasing our reliance on dirty (i.e. high carbon content) oil from these Canadian oil sands will doom efforts to address climate change and looming climate catastrophes.   I reply upon his expertise and judgment in this matter.

The sources I have researched in preparing this message are listed below.

David H. Klassen, Ph.D.

http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=713914#.TyiRcoHW7Kc

http://www.wgem.com/story/16642380/missouri-gov-nixon

http://www.enbridge.com/

http://ebridge.enbridge.com/eBridge/volume74/article2.php

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/31/3402840/missouri-governor-backs-plans.html