It’s not jobs vs environment – it’s clean jobs vs dirty jobs

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Crappy, dirty, temporary jobs

And for what? According to the data TransCanada supplied the State Department, Keystone XL will create only 2,500 to 4,650 temporary construction jobs. The Cornell Global Labor Institute recently assessed the pipeline’s potential to generate manufacturing jobs in the United States and discovered half of the pipeline components for Keystone XL have already been manufactured outside of the U.S. Moreover, it is likely that the other half will also go to the same foreign contractors.

In the end, once Keystone XL’s impact on US oil markets are factored in, the pipeline may actually destroy more jobs than it creates. TransCanada itself has admitted that Keystone XL would increase the amount refiners in the United States pay for their crude by up to $4 billion a year. That’s $4 billion a year that is currently being used by U.S. industry and consumers to create economic growth.

The President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness presents some important solutions to create jobs and foster economic development in the United States. But Keystone XL would not be included in an intelligent U.S. energy infrastructure development program. It is an ill-conceived project that puts the communities, water and environmental resources of the United States at unnecessary risk while threatening the very industries that are vital to our long term economic development.

International Program in Washington, DC. “If the BP oil spill taught us anything, it’s that while hindsight may be easy, foresight is best. Next time, let’s ask the right questions before the next disaster happens.”