Peter Foster: Keystone vs. Religion (Climate change isn’t about policy as much as religion)

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman’s approval on Tuesday of the revised Keystone XL pipeline route provided some counterbalance to President Obama’s recommitment to the climate agenda in Monday’s inaugural speech, but the pipeline is still far from a shoo-in. Meanwhile, the renewed emphasis on climate change signals more comprehensive uncertainty for Canada/U.S. relations. The problem, as ever, is that climate change isn’t so much about policy as religion.

The ever-perceptive Adam Smith noted how political factions often recruit God to their cause. “Even to the great Judge of the universe,” wrote Smith, “they impute all their own prejudices, and often view that Divine Being as animated by all their own vindictive and implacable passions.” Mr. Obama left us in no doubt on Monday that God demanded action on climate. “That,” said Mr. Obama, “is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God.”

The speech confirms that Mr. Obama’s re-election — contrary to what an overwhelming majority of Canadians apparently think — is bad news for Canada, first in terms of what Mr. Obama’s rigid statism and fiscal fecklessness may do to the U.S. economy, and then in terms of policies that specifically affect Canada, primarily on energy and climate.