The US should authorize the construction of the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline.

Since I already know Oromagi will be accepting, I'll just jump right into the argument. (First round is constructive only, 2nd round constructive and rebuttals, 3rd round rebuttals only, 4th round summary and impact weighing) My three main contentions are: 1. It will create more job opportunities. 2. It is necessary and is safer than other options. 3. It will reduce American dependence on foreign oil. 1. It will create more job opportunities. The XL Pipeline project has the potential to create a large number of jobs, both in its construction, & in refining & processing at its terminal points with in the United States. State Dept.: Produced a report which indicates that the Pipeline should create as many as 550,000 permanent jobs in total! The potential of over 550,000 jobs are at stake here! Should we really block the construction, as the Proposition side is arguing, of something that can potentially increase the amount of jobs our economy has to offer? 2. It is necessary and is safer than other options. We recognize that the Keystone XL Pipeline may have some environmental harms, but we have to realize something that if the U.S. doesn"t accept the Pipeline plan, Transcanada will simply transport it another way, to another country. They"re determined to sell their oil no matter what. However, what the bad part is that if we reject their pipeline, they will start transporting to a new business partner, China, & this will be done through fracking, which is offshore oil drilling. The potential for environmental harms are a lot higher than if we simply accepted it. According to Office of International Science & Engineering: Offshore oil rigs can be far worse to contain when it leaks. Fracking emits 72% more greenhouse gases than the Keystone XL Pipeline would. This may sound ironic, but by accepting the XL Pipeline, we are actually saving the environment & doing it some good. It"s either fracking or the XL Pipeline, & U.S. gets the oil, jobs, & oil dependency. You choose, voters. Also, to further prevent the likelihood of a spill, Transcanada has now added safety switches that shut down the pipeline immediately if there is a pressure change, & sensors every five ft that are backed up by watchtowers that are backed up by satellites. They can immediately sense when there is the slightest pressure, & professionals will be there on the spot. Judge, new technology will prevent the possibility of a leak. According to U.S. Congressional Budget Office: If there is no Keystone XL, U.S. gas prices will consequently likely be over $5 gallon no later than this summer, not simply because of the loss of the Canadian oil, but also because the permitting of wells in the Gulf, not allowing drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge & the global marketplace, who sets world oil prices based on world supply & demand. 3. Keystone XL will reduce American dependence on foreign oil. One of the main things about the U.S. that bugs all of us is how much we "borrow". Whether it"s money, ideas, or even oil! We should reduce the amount of oil we borrow from foreign countries. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration [EIA]: Currently, the U.S. imports nearly U32; of its Petroleum. Most of it comes from the leading suppliers including nations such as Nigeria, Venezuela & Saudi Arabia. Due to political instability & the difficult US relations with these nations, US supplies cannot be considered secure, & with the results of research into alternative sources of energy being decades away from fruition, the U.S. needs alternative sources of oil today. We need to stop importing from other countries! According to Consumer Energy Report [CER]: In 2007, the U.S. imported 60% of the oil we consumed. That is a LOT of oil imports. This matters because not only does the oil imports add to our debt, it brings our independence as a country down, and that"s not good for our economy.