In a March 8 letter to the Leader penned by Sen. John Proos, of St. Joseph, the public is once again subjected to the false propaganda associated with the Keystone Pipeline.
The usual suspects are presented, which include the reduction of energy dependence, job creation, the reduction of gas prices and increased national security. The latter being an emotional buzz phrase designed to manipulate emotional opinions.
Many times over, the pros linked to the building of the pipeline have been discounted and debunked.
The numbers associated with job creation have been grossly inflated.
The real possibility of environment contamination via spills of tar sands, the substance to be transported through the pipeline and an extremely dirty substance, has been all but ignored.
Also, the claims of decreased dependence on foreign oil importation verge on the ridiculous.
Since the tar sands transported into the United States originate from Canada, I fail to see how the importation of Canadian tar sands would decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
Canada may be our neighbor, but they still qualify as a foreign entity.
My thought is that Sen. Proos, whose resolution to the federal government to allow construction of the Keystone Pipeline, is nothing more than a thinly veiled admission of how and by whom is bread is buttered and yet another successful attempt to place his name in front of his constituents.
My contention is that rather than relying on older carbon-based energy, the United States should invest more in renewable energy.
Other countries have initiated successful green programs and it is my belief that with genuine American know how and determination, we can move forward in reducing our oil consumption, decreasing our energy dependence from foreign countries and create long- term job growth that leads to true increased national security.
For those interested, the following website address provides valuable information on the Keystone Pipeline whereby readers can reach their own conclusions: http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/02/14/5-myths-about-keystone-xl-debunked/192668

Robert Parrish
Edwardsburg