Thank you Wikileaks

Image via WikipediaWikileaks Reveals Hushed Concern Over Tar Sands Oil in US State Dept.

Not all of the cables aired in the latest Wikileaks focus on the tense, high-stakes diplomacy with China, Afghanistan, or the Middle East, though that stuff certainly grabs the headlines....

The cable makes it clear that both Canada and the United States are aware of the dreadful impact of the Alberta tar sands -- roundly dubbed the 'most destructive project on earth'. Yet, the public statements from both parties differ significantly from the private cables.

This revelation isn't exactly surprising -- the environmental impacts of the tar sands have been made pretty clear over the last few years, and it would be more surprising if the Obama administration wasn't aware of them. But rather, the cable reveals the tight spot the State Dept. has been put in -- and how it's not being entirely candid about the issue.
A year ago, Obama made a semi-admission that tar sands oil posed an environmental problem. And then he fell silent, almost certainly, as the cables reveal, to preserve positive diplomatic ties to Canada -- and the Keystone XL pipeline, which will pump oil from the Alberta tar sands to refineries in Texas, is still moving forward.

The truth is made public - those in power start to panic - hack the site - threaten legal action....
But truth will win out in the end.