S to make Canada its biggest supplier of oil; but the U.S should not increase the overall importation of oil. A growing importation rate from both Canada and the Middle East will lead to a superfluous influx of oil that will bury us in petroleum dependency for many decades. Instead, the U.S should decrease the amount of oil it gets from outside of America and offset the reduction by adequately increasing importation from Canada and investing in alternative forms of fuel. However, an increase in oil supply from Canada may mean an installation of a 1,700 mile pipeline. This would be a necessary measure to take if the U.S wants to continue its rate of oil consumption, but the installation poses an environmental threat. After examining the history of TransCanada, the company in charge of the construction and oversight of the project, it is safe to assume that spills will happen. TransCanada's Alberta pipeline has had 14 spills in the last year.(Springer, 2011). Also, the refining process of tar sands is the most environmentally harmful. Most conventional sources of fuel are now being depleted, which means that soon we will be relying on the unconventional, environmentally taxing sources. A way to limit the environmental impact of projects like the pipeline would be to implement a pollution charge or tax on any negative environmental problems that TransCanada creates. But even if the project itself was environmentally friendly, the construction of a new pipeline would engage the U.S in a long term commitment to oil form Canada. This is much better than any relationship with the Middle East, but it doesn't steer us toward an oil free age. For that we have to turn to alternative forms of energy.
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It is an undisputed fact that our fuel consumption has had a devastating impact on the environment. Even though many argue for an immediate cut in petroleum use, our overwhelming dependency on oil makes it unfeasible at the moment.