If we think that a supply of tar sands oil from Canada will bring down the
cost of gas in the United States, we are sadly mistaken. Tar sands oil will be
sold on the world market to the highest bidder.
So far, we have not seen
a disruption of oil supplies since the Middle East revolutions. We have seen
speculation on Wall Street, betting that the price of oil will go
up.
Americans conveniently only look at the dollar amount of a commodity
- never the true cost. One barrel of tar sands oil requires digging up four tons
of Earth, uses three barrels of water to extract and produces two to three times
the amount of global warming pollution. This does not count the pollution
created by refining oil in this country.
Nebraskans should at least have a say in the route of the pipeline. U.S. Sen.
Mike Johanns of Nebraska has stated the best route would avoid the Sandhills and
the underlying Ogallala Aquifer.
The aquifer provides 80 percent of the
drinking water in Nebraska and 30 percent of irrigation water. Johanns states,
"We have only one Ogallala Aquifer, and we must take seriously our obligation to
protect it."
-- Patricia Fuller, Council
Bluffs