No Keystone XL: rank-and-file unionists should talk to the A.F.L.-C.I.O. suits

Yesterday, AKSARBENT noticed that as Cornhuskers were getting arrested outside the White House defending their land, livelihood and future from Big Oil, pro-goo lobbyists were busy working the phones:

     As the protest was under way, Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute and Sean McGarvey president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. Building and Construction Trades Department, were on a conference call telling reporters that Mr. Obama should approve the pipeline. “It will create thousands of jobs, expand access to secure supplies of Canadian crude oil and represent an investment in America’s economy and energy future consistent with president’s vision in the State of the Union last night,” Mr. Gerard said.
     He said that the petroleum lobby, unions and other pipeline supporters planned a nationwide campaign in favor of the project...

     Exactly why should the A.F.L.-C.I.O. be angling to be a temp service for a fly-by-night job creator, TransCanada, which buys half its Keystone XL steel pipe from outside the USA — pipe found to have, shall we say, "quality issues"?
     Does the A.F.L.-C.I.O. have secret offices and a constituency in India of which AKSARBENT is unaware?
     Four days ago, ThinkProgress informed its readers that in Australia, wind energy is already cheaper than fossil fuels, even without the $23 per metric ton carbon tax. And solar energy is right behind.
     If unions want to get ahead, their leaders should dismount the rust belt nag.
     Nebraska is pathetically behind its neighbors in wind energy construction and exploitation, despite the fact that the state is fourth in wind energy potential.
     Below are a few stark facts, in case some union members want to send a memo to their fearless leaders. By the way, if you noticed that every single state targeted by TransCanada for its pipeline is in the Top Ten of states with an embarrassment of free, wind energy riches, we can only say that we noticed it too, and wonder when union leaders will stop running interference for TransCanada.

Click map to enlarge.

• Texas: 6,527,850 GWh/yr
• Kansas: 3,646,590
• Montana: 3,228,620
• Nebraska: 3,540,370
• South Dakota: 3,411,690
• North Dakota: 2,983,750
• Iowa: 2,026,340
• Wyoming: 1,944,340
• Oklahoma: 1,788,910
• New Mexico: 1,644,970