A Letter to the President Barack Obama - Assignment Example

A Letter to the President Barack Obama

Dear Mr. President,
I write to you as a concerned citizen and a patriot to our great country concerning the Keystone IX pipeline project. I wish to express my deep concerns against this project and to ask you not approve it for the good of this country.
Mr. President, as you await the State Department's recommendations on whether or not the project is good for our country, anxiety over your final say fills a vast majority of the many lovers of this country, those who mean good for it, and those who care for the future generations of this country. In this group of Americans, the general view is that this project will not be in the best of interests for this country. Several concerns inform this view.
The pipeline's construction is to facilitate transportation of high carbon content tar sands oil across America's heartland to Texas from Alberta in Canada, the final products of which will be exported after processing. This leaves our country to bear the most of risks involved in the whole process. Our agriculture and water will suffer deadly blows from spills if they occur. Many living things and human beings in this country and beyond would be affected if you approve this carbon project. Thus, Mr. President, it is within your capacity to save us.
The project will stimulate Canadian tar sands industry expansion. As you are aware, this will have a direct contribution to global warming. I am concerned that it is not tenable for us to continue implementing carbon intensive projects as the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are already approaching dangerous levels. Tar sands oil is especially dangerous as it contains a bigger percentage of carbon than conventional oil. This project would thus contribute in a big time way to global warming, all to our detriment. Further, your approval will come by as a strong signal to the whole world of America's non-commitment to carbon dioxide reduction as you have claimed severally.
It may be argued that stopping Keystone XL may not altogether stop exploitation of the Alberta tar sands deposits which I view as a threat to the environment globally. However, its construction would offer a critical link to the best refineries in the world. As such, if not signed, this would avert expansion of the deposits as lesser of the oil would get to be transported. Use of trucks and rail would also make the exploitation expensive and as such not viable. This would greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases to be released to the atmosphere. Your approval of the project, Mr. President, will directly determine the amount of carbon in our atmosphere.
I am also concerned that despite the many harmful effects the pipeline project would come with, the number of permanent jobs it would create is too small. The project would only provide a few thousand jobs to the people during construction and after which only fifty permanent jobs. This makes it not a good investment considering job creation. Instead, the country can benefit greatly by creating more jobs through exploration of wind power and electricity projects at the same time enjoying clean energy.
It is also evident that the pipeline will be one through our country and not to it. The project is a plan to find tar sands oil markets outside our country. We would thus be risking our water, land and communities for a not equivalent gain.
In view of the above concerns, it is my deepest prayer that you will look into the harm the project will have to the nation and to the globe at large. I believe you are going to defend our environment as you have always vowed to and done.

Sincerely
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