Keystone Pipeline Runs Afoul of Leading Scientists

A massive project that would secure transmission of crude oil from Alberta to the Gulf Coast isn't making many friends in the U.S.

It looks like that whole EthicalOil.org campaign has its work cut out for it in the United States: Scientists from top-flight universities (Harvard, Princeton, Columbia) and institutions have written an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama urging him to block the development of the Keystone XL pipeline. TransCanada Pipeline's proposed $7-billion project would take crude oil from the Alberta oil sands to the Gulf Coast, but it's run into intense opposition from environmentalists and native leaders in the U.S. over concerns about the pipeline's environmental impact. The 19 leading researchers have now added their voices to that chorus, saying it's best to leave “the tarsands” in the ground while looking for alternative fuel sources (but scientists would say that, wouldn't they?). The State Department is currently reviewing TransCanada's proposal.