On Tuesday, the Senate voted down a bill that would have moved forward with plans to build the Keystone XL pipeline. When Republicans officially take control of the Senate next year, they should push the legislation through to the White House in order to put pressure on the president.

President Barack Obama has repeatedly said that he is against legislation that moves forward with theKeystone XL pipeline. If the bill reaches Obama’s desk, he needs to sign it into law despite its environmental influence and due to its great potential for job growth and energy security.

The Keystone XL pipeline is an extension of existing oil pipelines built by TransCanada Corporation. The new pipeline would run from Alberta, Canada through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it will be joined to existing pipelines that extend to the Gulf Coast.

The main concern about this project is the affect is has on the environment. Potential oil spills could pollute the air, contaminate the Ogallala Aquifer — a large reserve of freshwater in the Great Plains — and harm wildlife. Additionally, concern is being raised over its greenhouse gas emissions. The pipeline would allow for an increase in the extraction of oil sands — loose particles of sand saturated with oil — which would result in 17 percent higher greenhouse gas emissions than extraction of conventional oil.

Obama’s environmental base supports these views. I understand that his legacy as a clean energy president is at stake and that he wants to play to his base. But when considering the whole picture, other factors should come into view.

The potential for oil spills is low. Research hydrogeologist James Goeke, who has been studying the Ogallala Aquifer for over 40 years, wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times in October 2011 in which he explained why he had little concern about oil spills. He believes that a spill would not penetrate into the aquifer and that if it did, the effect would be localized and minimal. The concern over greenhouse gas emissions is legitimate, but overstated.

In a speech to the Canadian Club in Toronto in September of 2011, Joe Oliver, Canada’s minister of Natural Resources, said oil sands only account for 0.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the coal-powered electricity plants in the state of Wisconsin produce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the oil sands.

Regardless of if the pipeline is built or not, it is likely that the oil sands will be transported across our northern border by tankers. This method of transportation produces higher amounts of greenhouse gas emissions than the pipeline would. Additionally, TransCanada has said that the development of oil sands will expand regardless of if it is exported to the U.S. or to other markets, such as Asia.

Environmental considerations are not the only part of this debate. The economic influence of theKeystone XL pipeline should be considered. The U.S. State Department predicted in March 2013 that the project could result in the creation of as many as 42,000 new jobs. In a sluggish economy, these jobs are crucial for struggling Americans.

In addition to thousands of U.S. jobs, theKeystone XL pipeline would increase the energy security of the U.S. The Gulf Coast is home to many refineries that can process very heavy crude oil. These are used to process imported oil from Venezuela. The number of imports from Venezuela has decreased by half in the past seven years according to an energy issue brief published by the University of Texas at Austin. The Keystone XL pipeline would help to replace this loss of oil imports.

Taking all aspects into account, it is clear that the influence on energy and the economy greatly outweighs any potential environmental impact considering that alternatives could be even more harmful to the planet. Obama is rightfully worried about his legacy. However, he should consider a legacy of working with Republicans in the name of putting the U.S. back to work. Playing to the base is fine, but it takes true leadership to make the right decision despite outside political pressure.

Chris Pulliam is a sophomore policy studies and political science major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at [email protected].

Published on November 19, 2014 at 12:01 am