“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
– George Santayana

To put in perspective the importance of the Keystone Pipeline, we need to remember the shock the U.S. suffered some 40 years ago from the Arab oil embargo. In brief, Arab oil producers cut off exports to America because of our support for Israel, which had suffered a near catastrophic surprise attack by Egypt and Syria.

The embargo caused soaring gas prices and long lines at filling stations, and contributed to stagflation–high inflation, coupled with high unemployment.

We have made energy independence a priority since, yet last year we imported about 35 percent of our petroleum needs. Approving the Keystone project would be part of the solution.

The 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil from the oil sands of Alberta, Canada, to refineries near Houston, Texas. House Speaker John Boehner urged President Barack Obama to grant Keystone’s approval, arguing that the only reason the president is involved is because the pipeline would cross an international boundary. He also pointed out that 200,000 miles of pipeline already cross the United States.

And it’s not just Republicans backing the project.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said: “It’s time to build. This single project will inject billions of dollars into Louisiana and national economies and reduce our dependence on oil from hostile countries.”

The Keystone Pipeline got a major boost when the State Department raised no major environmental concerns in its review of the project. It concluded that:

Can ada would continue to develop and ship tar- sands crude even without the pipeline.

The project would contribute $3.4 billion to the U.S. GDP.

The project would create 42,100 jobs throughout America, with wages of some $2 billion.

The expansion of tar-sand production would not worsen climate change.

Supporters of the Keystone Pipeline argue that it would be the safest pipeline ever built in the United States. Among other safety measures, it will use satellite technology to monitor 20,000 sensors reporting the pipeline’s condition.

The State Department draft report concluded that “the incorporation of 57 special conditions would result in a project that would have a degree of safety over any other typically constructed domestic oil pipeline system under the current code.”

It also concluded that transporting oil by rail or truck would generate more greenhouse emissions and be more prone to accidents.

Keystone’s detractors and proponents have engaged scientists to support their positions. Supporters argue that approving the Keystone Pipeline will not in itself cause climate change. Detractors decry the added emissions of carbon pollution to the atmosphere. But most of this would be caused by exploiting the Canadian tar sands and, as we’ve seen, the State Department concluded that will happen even without the pipeline.

Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, strongly supports the Keystone project and has expressed a strong desire to begin exporting Canadian oil and gas to Asia.

Keystone has experienced a twisted history. TransCanada first applied for a permit in 2008. In January 2012, the Obama administration rejected the application. The company reapplied in May 2012, after proposing to reroute the line to avoid an environmentally sensitive part of Nebraska. The change was significant in gaining State Department approval.

Like many Americans, I am fed up with our government’s inability to tackle tough issues. A January Rasmussen Reports survey found that only 8 percent of likely U.S. voters think Congress is doing a good or excellent job.

My frustration extends to the Executive Branch. President Obama needs to show leadership by setting aside politics and resolving this issue. The State Department’s latest study confirms the conclusions of previous assessments that the project would not effect climate change significantly. Furthermore, it secures a long-term oil source from an ally and reduces America’s dependence on Venezuelan and Middle Eastern sources.

We should never forget the Arab oil embargo.

Originally published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune