COHA September 22nd, 2011 | Research Memorandum 11.3

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Tuesday, September 22nd, 2011 | Research Memorandum 11.3

Pumping Petroleum from Hardisty to Houston

Demonstrations outside the White House in Washington, D.C. are not uncommon. However, if the average tourist visited the President’s residence between August 19 and September 2, he or she would have encountered especially vocal and defiant protesters. Residents of the United States and Canada gathered in opposition to the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a 1,700 mile-long petroleum transit line extending from Hardisty, Alberta to several gulf cities in Texas. Well over 500 protesters were arrested while committing acts of civil disobedience in an extremely visible show of discontent with Washington’s pipeline construction inclinations. The protestors demanded that President Obama withhold his support for the project, citing the potential impact on mid-western states’ environmental welfare.

The U.S.-Canadian project has been touted as an act of trans-continental solidarity between longtime economic, political, and cultural allies. The Canadian energy company TransCanada proposed Keystone XL as a means to connect a unique form of “bituminous crude petroleum,” found in the “tar sands” of Alberta, with the multi-billion dollar Texan oil refinery business. The recent uproar over the pipeline was further energized when the U.S. Department of State released a report that “reaffirmed the environmental integrity of the project.” The report was released as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared to make a final recommendation on the pipeline’s construction to President Obama, attracting the attention of both opponents and proponents of the pipeline.
This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Zac Deibel.

To read the full article, click here.

Today's COHA Blog: Rousseff Needs to Take Proactive Stance Against Corruption

When Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took office on January 1 of this year she pledged to fulfill the demands of the Brazilian people to reform the political status quo. Her pledge against corruption was tested as allegations of misconduct arose in her ministry. She reacted to the allegations of venality by forcing three of her ministers to resign between the months of June and August. However, at the end of August, in an attempt to reunify her coalition government, Rousseff toned down her iron determination to confront the abuse of public office and vowed not to force any more resignations. Even this promise proved impossible when her Minister of Tourism was accused of misusing public funds. Rousseff reacted appropriately by forcing the Minster of Tourism to resign on September 24. To successfully combat corruption in her government, however, Rousseff must proactively root out misconduct in her administration. By hesitating to take an active position against corruption in an attempt to avert the fragmentation of her coalition government, she is ignoring the long-term benefits of an honest government for Brazilian society.
This blog was prepared by COHA Research Associate Katie Steefel.

To read the full blog, click here.

COHA on Latin America’s UN Role on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Wrenching political and economic forces are at play at the United Nations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Colombia, which currently holds a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC), is receiving a great deal of attention for harmoniously aligning its position on the issue with that of the U.S. On the other hand, there is a great divide between Brazil and Colombia, the two Latin American nations that currently have non-permanent seats on the UNSC, and which hold opposing views regarding Palestine’s admission into the UN as a sovereign state.
To read the full statement, click here.

The More or Less Daily Nugget

Brazil and the U.S. Launch Open Government Partnership
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