A new study put out by the Stockholm Environment Institute shows the amount of carbon pollution from the Keystone XL pipeline much larger than the State Department’s estimates. It says greenhouse gas emissions would increase by as much as 121 million tons of carbon dioxide a year from Keystone XL. The State Department had estimated only 30 million tons. BOLD Nebraska’s Energy Director Ben Gotschall says the study shows the Trans Canada project is not good for the environment.
The American Petroleum Institute says the Stockholm study is irrelevant because regardless of the pipeline the tar sands will be developed and oil will be shipped by railroad if not by pipeline. Gotschall says that’s nothing other than false reasoning.
The study has been published in the Journal Nature Climate Change. Study Author Peter Erickson says his report implies that the pipeline could basically wipe out reductions from some potential pollution cutting policies that are being talked about.