Keystone? You mean the beer?

…No. From Today’s Balance Sheet:

The biggest environmental story you’ve probably ignored this week has been the protest surrounding the Keystone XL project. Here’s everything you need to know in one quick paragraph:

The Keystone XL project is a 1,661-mile pipline that, if approved by the State Department, would carry as much as 900,000 barrels of oil from Canada’s tar sands to refineries in Texas. The Keystone XL would supplement the already existing Keystone line, which has leaked a dozen times in the past year. The new pipes, which would be one of the longest ones in the United States, would cross more than 70 rivers and streams and wind through agricultural basins. The pipeline would create as many as 100,000 jobs in the United States, albeit mostly short-term work. Environmental activists against the Keystone XL have been protesting outside the White House; since Saturday, 212 people have been arrested. Obama has not yet weighed in on the project, but expect to hear from him when he returns from vacation. 

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Are We There Yet?

With the country mired in two major wars and millions of Americans unable to find work, improving rail lines, conducting road repairs, and building bike lanes might rank low on the list of national priorities.

But here’s the thing: Global climate change isn’t going to wait for the U.S. to get out of the recession, and the federal transportation bill, up for reauthorization this year, offers a prime way of tackling it.

The transportation bill matters way more than you might think. Find out why.