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Difficulty: Medium21st-Century Environmental Challenges and Energy Policy

“The Keystone XL pipeline is not just about moving oil; it is about energy security and American jobs. For too long, the United States has been dependent on volatile foreign regimes for our energy needs. By expanding our pipeline infrastructure to import oil from a stable ally like Canada, and by continuing to develop our own domestic oil and natural gas resources, we strengthen our economy and bolster our national security. Environmental concerns must be balanced against the immediate economic needs of American families and the strategic interests of our nation.”

— Representative Lee Terry (Nebraska), House of Representatives debate on the Northern Route Approval Act, May 2013

The argument expressed in the excerpt most directly reflects which of the following debates in the early twenty-first century?

  1. The tension between achieving national energy security and addressing environmental preservationAnswer
  2. B
    The consensus that supply-side tax cuts and deregulation alone would eliminate resource scarcity
  3. C
    The attempt to return to Gilded Age policies of complete non-intervention in the corporate sector
  4. D
    The belief that foreign policy should focus on containing traditional nation-states rather than countering non-state actors

Answer

The tension between achieving national energy security and addressing environmental preservation
The correct answer is correct because Representative Terry's statement illustrates the central conflict in contemporary energy policy: the pressure to secure domestic energy sources and support economic growth versus the pressure to regulate carbon emissions and mitigate environmental damage. The Keystone XL pipeline debate represented this exact tradeoff between economic/security priorities and ecological concerns.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus excerpt to identify its main subject and arguments.
The excerpt shows Representative Lee Terry advocating for the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, emphasizing energy security, job creation, and decreasing reliance on volatile foreign regimes.
This establishes the core conflict as balancing economic and national security benefits against environmental concerns.
2
Connect the specific argument (approving the Keystone XL pipeline) to broader early twenty-first-century historical themes.
This connects directly to the debate over domestic energy policy, energy independence, and the environmental impacts (such as carbon emissions and localized pollution) of continuing to rely on fossil fuels.
Understanding the context of Period 9 helps identify how the debate is framed between environmental regulation and economic interests.
3
Evaluate the answer choices to find the one that accurately synthesizes these themes.
The choice emphasizing the tension between achieving national energy security and addressing environmental preservation aligns perfectly with the author's argument that environmental concerns must be balanced against strategic and economic interests.
This matches historical consensus regarding 21st-century environmental and energy policies.

Key Concept

21st-Century Environmental Challenges and Energy Policy
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Topics

21st-Century Environmental Challenges and Energy Policy

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