The State Department recently released a report that the Keystone XL Pipeline would not increase greenhouse gas emissions “exponentially;” however, exponentially is the key word here because greenhouse gas emissions would still increase.

Many conservatives in favor of the pipeline project are excited that the State Department has come to this conclusion, because it means that President Barack Obama may decide to approve the pipeline.

Despite the fact that some Americans still do not believe climate change is happening, and that many more are hungry for oil, there are still some key things to consider before going ahead and building a 1,700 mile pipeline.

The fuel and electricity used for constructing the pipeline, as well as the water pump stations that will run the pipeline, would contribute to carbon emissions. Even if the State Department said that it is not a significant amount of carbon emissions, the pipeline will still be contributing annually to greenhouse gases. We need to consider how this will affect future generations.

Another key element that needs to be considered is how the pipeline will affect the environment and the community around it. The pipeline would run through private property, including Native American and First Nation reservations. At a climate rally in February 2013, Chief Jacqueline Thomas of the Saik’uz First Nation tribe in Canada said her people and other First Nation tribes were against the pipeline. Thomas said the extraction of the tar sand oil is contaminating the water and they are worried for the health of their people. Not only that, but Thomas is also worried about oil spills.

From 2002 to 2012, there have been more than 3,000 crude oil incidents, according to the State Department’s Keystone XL Project Executive Summary. These incidents would include anything from a spill to an equipment malfunction.

Although TransCanada guarantees the pipeline is safe, how can we forget the major oil spills of Exxon or BP? Look up the BP oil spill right now. How does it not break your heart to see those birds covered in oil sludge?

People advocating for the pipeline believe it will create more jobs for the surrounding community. These jobs, however, will be gone once the pipeline is built. 

Before conservatives push for the construction of the pipeline, and before environmentalists hit the streets with their picket signs, the issues at hand should be thoroughly researched and thought out. Obama has put off the decision for good reason; we need to consider whether the benefits outweigh the consequences.