Myths depression

Suicide rates start spiking in spring, this is why and how to get help

March 20, 2023 by www.newsweek.com Leave a Comment

Many people believe that suicide rates are at their highest during the winter months, specifically around Christmas, when many people struggle with loneliness, strains on their finances, and exacerbated family issues.

The truth in fact, is that the bulk of research consistently shows that the spring/summer months result in the highest number of suicides, a pattern that has remained consistent for many years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the highest number of suicides in the U.S in 2021 occurred in August. In fact, one study found that cardiac mortality is at its highest around Christmas and New Year’s than any other time of the year, making it far more of a risk factor than suicide at that time of year.

The Christmas suicide myth spreads the false idea that suicide rates increase during the holidays and while it is a positive to see cultural discussions of suicide and mental health, it’s important to recognize that suicide is a complex health issue, and can occur when a variety of biological, psychological and environmental factors come together, often triggered by stressful events.

A study from 2014 examining suicide rates in Queensland, Australia found that between 1990 and 2009 there were significantly more suicides reported on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day than other days. This time of year is the height of summer in Australia.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S, with 45,979 recorded suicides in 2020, and the number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2020 alone, 12.2 million Americans seriously considered killing themselves, 3.2 million planned a suicide and 1.2 million attempted it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Death by suicide accounts for more fatalities worldwide than accidents, homicides, and war combined.

Despite these shocking statistics and the evident threat of suicide, false and damaging myths about suicide are still prevalent within society, and one of the main ones is that suicide rates go up at Christmas. The Annenberg Public Policy Center regularly conducts research looking at the frequency with which the media falsely link the holidays with a rise in suicides. Between 2010 and 2014, 70 percent of U.S. media outlets supported the myth, while only 30 percent debunked it. Despite this, December 2017 had the lowest rate of suicide in the U.S. of every month in the year.

Are Suicide Rates Actually Higher at Christmas?

The short—and heavily supported by research—answer is no. Suicide by nature can be hard to quantify, with so many going unrecorded. However, the vast majority of global research shows that the holidays often report the lowest suicide rates of the entire year.

“The Holiday Suicide Myth is indeed a myth,” said Leila Azarbad, Ph.D., professor of psychology at North Central College, “in fact, suicide rates drop during the winter months and rise in the spring. November and December tend to have the lowest suicide rates, whereas April, May and June tend to have the highest rates.”

Doreen Marshall, Ph.D., vice president of mission engagement at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention agreed said, “While it is common to experience complex feelings of loneliness, grief and depression during the holiday season, the idea that suicide rates rise in December and on Christmas is not true. We do not typically see more suicide deaths in December than in other months of the year.”

Why Do We Think Suicide Rates Go Up at Christmas?

While suicide rates might be at their lowest, Christmas can often be a time of heightened stress for many . A 2021 poll by the American Psychiatric Association found that out of 2,100 people surveyed, 41 percent reported increased stress during the holidays. Similarly, a study from the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that 24 percent of people with a diagnosed mental illness reported that the holidays made their condition “a lot” worse and 40 percent reported it made it “somewhat” worse.”

Azarbad said that it’s possible the media perpetuates this myth in an effort to validate and normalize the “holiday blues” experienced by many and Dan Romer, Ph.D., research director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania agreed. He said, “We think it has to do with the goal of providing advice to people about dealing with holiday stress, which then merges into the idea that this time of the year is actually a time of greater suicide risk. It also meshes with other theories like shorter days and seasonal affective disorder.”

While it can be considered a good thing that this myth is in fact a myth, experts suggest that this misinformation can do damage.

“It goes against the reporting recommendations which encourage giving people accurate information about suicide and not encouraging contagion, which is the phenomenon of thinking that suicide is a solution to life problems that others are taking,” said Romer. Cynthia Vejar, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and program director of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lebanon Valley College suggested that a positive symptom of this myth may be that “this awareness might alert people to the fact that others are struggling, and people might be inclined to check-in on others during this time of year”.

Why Are Suicide Rates Lower at Christmas?

Despite heightened levels of stress over the holidays and the effects of the weather and Seasonal Affective Disorder , suicide rates are almost unanimously reported to be lower at Christmas globally than any other time of the year.

Despite this, experts agree that a possible reason that suicide rates are lower around the holidays is the tradition of forgiveness and family. Marshall said, “many people may think about the holiday season and connect to traditions which ground us in our histories, our feelings toward one another, and our hope for a new year. The holidays can be a time for introspection that inspires people to check in on ourselves and connect with our loved ones. Holiday festivities and gatherings might also serve to bolster protective factors, such as feeling connected to family and community support, that encourage help-seeking for those struggling.”

This community sense of togetherness during hard times directly feeds in to Durkheim’s theory that periods of external threat create group integration within society and lower the suicide rate through the impact on social cohesion.

This can be seen historically as one study from 2003 found that after the tragic events of September 11, suicide rates in England and Wales immediately afterwards were significantly lower than other months in the same year, and any other September for the past 22 years as people came together to support each other through the tragedy.

The CDC reported that suicide rates in the U.S had been steadily rising every year between 2004 and 2019, but after the COVID-19 restrictions took over the world, despite risk factors caused by the isolation increasing, suicide rates actually dropped from March 2020 . Experts believe that, as at Christmas, the sense of communal feeling led people to reach out more to loved ones, whether for help or to help, leading people to have increased communication and support than during regular times.

This theory is also supported by the CDC data showing that in 2021, when restrictions largely eased in the U.S., the suicide rate went up as people began to resume their normal lives, and the collective support system waned. Despite this rise, the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the average daily suicide rate during the holiday months remained among the lowest in the year.

Why Are Suicide Rates Higher in Spring?

Our experts all agree that suicide rates in the U.S. are higher in the spring and summer months than in the winter or around the holidays. The Annenberg Public Policy Center reported in 2017 that the average amount of suicides per day in December was 117.00, the lowest of the year compared to 137.71 in August, the highest.

In its latest report, the APPC reported that in 2021/2022, only 37 percent of stories that mentioned the link between the holidays and suicide debunked it, despite December 2021 seeing an average of 121.81 suicides per day, compared to 139.61 in August.

Vejar suggests that it may be that “there is an expectation that with the warmer weather, people will be happier and more inclined to be outdoors, participating in fun activities with family/friends. If people are struggling with mental health concerns, and/or if they have strained relationships with loved ones, a spotlight might be shined on the fact that they should be happy/doing fun things but they are not— in other words, their expectations and realities are incongruent with each other and this causes a sense of grief”.

Some experts have even made the link between increased risk factors such as allergies leading to a spike in suicides in the warmer months. Johns Hopkins HealthCare reports that “there is overwhelming evidence that inflammation from various sources including allergic reactions can cause or worsen depression”. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that there are approximately 52.9 million recorded people living with mental health issues in the U.S, while Johns Hopkins HealthCare reports that 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. They report that the chances of depression in people with rhinitis (both allergic and non-allergic) is 42 percent higher than those who don’t.

What Suicide Help Is Available?

Azarbad said that a key misconception about suicide is that talking about suicide or asking someone if they feel suicidal will encourage suicide attempts. “The research has shown that this is simply not true. In fact, asking someone if they are thinking about suicide is a crucial step toward offering support and obtaining proper treatment”.

“It’s important to know you’re not alone,” Marshall said, “If you are struggling with mental health and/or suicide, there are a number of suicide prevention resources , such as visiting your primary care provider or local walk-in clinic. Mental health professionals have education, tools, and resources to support someone that is struggling with their mental health and can help work through challenges they may be facing. In a crisis situation, text TALK to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line or call the National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline at 988.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

New dads need better mental health support so they can take ‘pressure’ off mums, NHS bosses say

March 20, 2023 by www.dailymail.co.uk Leave a Comment

New fathers should get better mental health support so they can help take the ‘pressure’ off mothers, NHS chiefs have said.

The NHS in England is expanding support services for partners of women who have had a baby, with options being trialled including face-to-face counselling, organised ‘dad-and-kids’ pram walks and Zoom games nights.

Research shows around one in four women experience mental health issues during pregnancy or in the postnatal period.

Up to half of partners of mothers with postnatal depression also have depression themselves.

In a blog post, NHS England’s associate national clinical director for perinatal mental health, Dr Giles Berrisford, and chief midwifery officer, Professor Jaqueline Dunkley-Bent, praised new services which were supporting ‘fathers who are scared and overwhelmed or unsure how to support their partners’.

They wrote: ‘Through [these] activities, new dads can gain confidence as parents and talk about their mental health – and this makes a real difference to how they can then support mothers.’

They also raised concerns the image of mothers as ‘our modern times superheroes’ was heaping pressure on pregnant women and new mothers.

‘Mothers are often seen as the pillars of family life. This comes with a lot of pressure and can negatively impact women,’ they wrote.

‘Pregnancy and becoming a mother can be extremely challenging…

‘We need to take the pressure off and support mothers, especially those who face depression, anxiety, psychosis and/or trauma.’

Rejecting Pipeline Proposal, Obama Blames Congress

January 18, 2012 by www.nytimes.com Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday rejected, for now, the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, saying the $7 billion project could not be adequately reviewed within the 60-day deadline set by Congress. While the president’s action does not preclude later approval of the project, it sets up a baldly partisan fight over energy, jobs and regulation that will most likely persist through the November election.

The president said his hand had been forced by Republicans in Congress, who inserted a provision in the temporary payroll tax cut bill passed in December giving the administration only until Feb. 21 to decide the fate of the 1,700-mile pipeline, which would stretch from oil sands formations in Alberta to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

The State Department, which has authority over the project because it crosses an international border, said there was not enough time to draw a new route for the pipeline and assess the potential environmental harm to sensitive grasslands and aquifers along its path. The agency recommended that the permit be denied, and Mr. Obama concurred.

“As the State Department made clear last month,” the president said in a statement , “the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment.”

Mr. Obama said that his action was not a final judgment on the merits of the project, which the administration had been on a slow track to approving.

“I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil,” he said.

He added that he would work with the oil industry to increase domestic production and perhaps build additional pipelines within the United States.

The trans-border pipeline has become a political flashpoint, with proponents saying it will create thousands of jobs and help wean the nation off of Middle Eastern oil, while opponents charge that it furthers dependence on dirty fuels, contributes to global warming and threatens ecological disaster.

Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, who has been a strong advocate of the pipeline, told Mr. Obama in a telephone conversation on Wednesday that he was profoundly disappointed in the decision.

The White House spokesman, Jay Carney, at a briefing with reporters on Wednesday before the State Department released its announcement, was sharply critical of the Republican-sponsored legislation that he said had forced a decision before the project could be fully studied and might have unwittingly delayed it.

Brendan Buck, the spokesman for Speaker John A. Boehner said: “President Obama is about to destroy tens of thousands of American jobs and sell American energy security to the Chinese. The president won’t stand up to his political base even to create American jobs. This is not the end of this fight.”

The Republican presidential candidates have already made clear that they intend to use the Keystone issue to portray the Obama administration as an enemy of business that is doing the bidding of extreme environmentalists. The pipeline issue has also become part of a broader narrative that the Republican candidates are trying to develop about Mr. Obama, one that argues that his administration is vastly expanding regulation in ways that prevent private industries from expanding and hiring.

Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, criticized the decision in a statement.

“President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline is as shocking as it is revealing,” Mr. Romney said. “If Americans want to understand why unemployment in the United States has been stuck above 8 percent for the longest stretch since the Great Depression, decisions like this one are the place to begin.

“By declaring that the Keystone pipeline is not in the ‘national interest,’ the president demonstrates a lack of seriousness about bringing down unemployment, restoring economic growth and achieving energy independence.”

On the stump and in debates, the Republican candidates have been using the possibility that Mr. Obama would block the pipeline construction as a reliable applause line about what they view as overregulation that is strangling the economic recovery.

At an event in Ottumwa, Iowa, on Dec. 31, Rick Santorum mocked the idea that the pipeline posed the threat of environmental damage, noting that there were already many other pipelines in the area it would go through. “This is just, again, pandering to radical environmentalists who don’t want energy production, who don’t want us to burn more carbon,” Mr. Santorum said.

TransCanada, the company proposing to build the pipeline, said that it would quickly apply for a new permit to build along a similar route.

“While we are disappointed, TransCanada remains fully committed to the construction of Keystone XL,” said Russ K. Girling, the company’s chief executive. “Plans are already under way on a number of fronts to largely maintain the construction schedule of the project. We will reapply for a presidential permit and expect a new application would be processed in an expedited manner to allow for an in-service date of late 2014.”

Kerri-Ann Jones, the assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, said Wednesday that any new application filed by TransCanada would trigger an entirely fresh review process, no matter how similar the pipeline route, and that the process could not be “expedited” as TransCanada hoped.

The American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s main lobbying group, has begun a multimillion-dollar lobbying and advertising campaign promoting the pipeline.

Jack N. Gerard, the group’s president, was unusually harsh in his remarks on Mr. Obama’s decision.

“How can you say you are for jobs and reject the largest shovel-ready project in America today?” Mr. Gerard said at an energy forum on Wednesday afternoon. “Mr. President, what are you thinking?”

The pipeline extension was designed to increase Canadian oil exports to the United States by 700,000 barrels a day, or about 4 percent of current United States demand. By connecting the oil sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast, it would provide new supplies to big East Coast markets. The pipeline, at least theoretically, could also increase exports of refined gasoline and diesel for export, especially to Mexico.

Canada has the world’s second-largest proven oil reserves after Saudi Arabia, with 170 billion out of its 174 billion barrels residing in oil sands in the West, according to the Canadian government.

Transcript of President Obama’s Election Night Speech

November 7, 2012 by www.nytimes.com Leave a Comment

The following is the full text of President Obama’s victory speech on Wednesday (Transcript courtesy of the Federal News Service).

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. (Sustained cheers, applause.)

Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. (Cheers, applause.)

It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. (Cheers, applause.)

Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.

(Cheers, applause.) I want to thank every American who participated in this election. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you voted for the very first time — (cheers) — or waited in line for a very long time — (cheers) — by the way, we have to fix that. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone — (cheers, applause) — whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. (Cheers, applause.)

I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. (Cheers, applause.) We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service. And that is a legacy that we honor and applaud tonight. (Cheers, applause.) In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.

(Cheers, applause.)

I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. (Cheers, applause.)

And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. (Cheers, applause.) Let me say this publicly. Michelle, I have never loved you more. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation’s first lady. (Cheers, applause.)

Sasha and Malia — (cheers, applause) — before our very eyes, you’re growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. (Cheers, applause.) And I am so proud of you guys. But I will say that for now, one dog’s probably enough. (Laughter.)

To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics — (cheers, applause) — the best — the best ever — (cheers, applause) — some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning.

Politics Across the United States

From the halls of government to the campaign trail, here’s a look at the political landscape in America.

MAGA and Martinis: A combative young Republican group in New York, firmly on the right and Trump-friendly, is wary of the official G.O.P. establishment ’s more moderate path.
Kamala Harris: During her first trip to Iowa as vice president, Harris portrayed Republican attempts to impose a nationwide ban on abortion as immoral and extreme. She framed the issue as part of a broader struggle for health care and privacy .
In Florida: A national get-out-the-vote group and the N.A.A.C.P. challenged a state law that bars the use of digital signatures on voter registration forms, bringing a federal lawsuit against the state similar to ones pending in Texas and Georgia.
Phil Murphy: New Jersey’s top election-enforcement official sued the state’s governor and three aides for what the official said was a bid to oust him in retaliation for comments he had made about political fund-raising rules.

(Cheers, applause.) But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together. (Cheers, applause.) And you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way — (cheers, applause) — to every hill, to every valley. (Cheers, applause.) You lifted me up the whole day, and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you’ve put in. (Cheers, applause.)

I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym or — or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else.

You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. (Cheers, applause.) You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. (Cheers, applause.)

You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who’s working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home. (Cheers, applause.)

That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won’t change after tonight. And it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter — (cheers, applause) — the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.

But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future.

We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers — (cheers, applause) — a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation — (scattered cheers, applause) — with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow.

We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened up by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. (Cheers, applause.)

We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this — this world has ever known — (cheers, applause) — but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being.

We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag — (cheers, applause) — to the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner — (cheers, applause) — to the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president.

That’s the — (cheers, applause) — that’s the future we hope for.

(Cheers, applause.) That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go — forward. (Cheers, applause.) That’s where we need to go. (Cheers, applause.)

Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock, resolve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward.

But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. (Cheers, applause.) A long campaign is now over. (Cheers, applause.) And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. And you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. (Cheers, applause.)

Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. (Cheers, applause.) You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.

And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together — reducing our deficit, reforming out tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do. (Cheers, applause.)

But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us; it’s about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self- government. (Cheers, applause.) That’s the principle we were founded on.

This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared — (cheers, applause) — that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, so that the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great. (Cheers, applause.)

I am hopeful tonight because I have seen this spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. (Cheers, applause.) I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. (Cheers, applause.)

And I saw it just the other day in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. (Cheers, applause.) I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own.

And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president. (Cheers, applause.)

And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We got your back, Mr. President!

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. (Cheers, applause.)

America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love (ph). It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. (Cheers, applause.) You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.

(Cheers, applause.)

I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)

And together, with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, America. (Cheers, applause.) God bless you. God bless these United States. (Cheers, applause.)

U.S., in Reversal, Issues Permit for Keystone Oil Pipeline

March 24, 2017 by www.nytimes.com Leave a Comment

HOUSTON — During his presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump repeatedly hailed the Keystone XL pipeline as a vital jobs program and one that sharply contrasted his vision for the economy with that of Hillary Clinton.

“Today we begin to make things right,” President Trump said Friday morning shortly after the State Department granted the pipeline giant TransCanada a permit for Keystone construction, a reversal of Obama administration policy.

The pipeline would link oil producers in Canada and North Dakota with refiners and export terminals on the Gulf Coast. It has long been an object of contention, with environmentalists saying it would contribute to climate change and the project’s proponents — Republicans, some labor unions and the oil industry — contending that it would help guarantee national energy security for decades to come.

When President Barack Obama rejected the project in late 2015, he said it would undermine American leadership in curbing reliance on carbon fuels.

The announcement on Friday said the State Department “considered a range of factors, including, but not limited to, foreign policy; energy security; environmental, cultural and economic impacts; and compliance with applicable law and policy.”

The new secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson, formerly the chief executive of Exxon Mobil, had recused himself from the decision. The announcement said the permit was signed by the under secretary of state for political affairs, Thomas A. Shannon Jr.

The pipeline still faces hurdles before it can be built. It needs the approval of the Nebraska Public Service Commission and local landowners who are concerned about their water and land rights. Protests are likely since the project has become an important symbol for the environmental movement, with the Canadian oil sands among the most carbon-intensive oil supplies. Mining the oil sands requires vast amounts of energy for extraction and processing.

In addition, interest among many oil companies in the oil sands is waning amid sluggish oil prices. Extraction from the oil sands, situated in the sub-Arctic boreal forest, is expensive. Statoil and Total, two European energy giants, have abandoned their production projects. In recent weeks, Royal Dutch Shell agreed to sell most of its oil sands assets for $8.5 billion. And Exxon Mobil wrote down 3.5 billion barrels of reserves, conceding the oil sands were not economically attractive enough to develop for the next few years at least.

Nevertheless, Canadian production continues to grow as projects that were conceived when prices were higher begin to operate. And the Keystone effort is central to the future of TransCanada, a major force in the Canadian oil patch.

The United States Chamber of Commerce and other business groups applauded the administration’s action. Jack Gerard, the president and chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute, the primary industry lobbying arm, said the decision was “welcome news” and was “critical to creating American jobs, growing the economy and making our nation more energy secure.’’

Opponents say the pipeline is unnecessary at a time when American oil production is soaring and future demand has been put in question by increasingly efficient cars, electric cars and growing concerns over climate change.

“The Keystone pipeline would be a straw running through the heart of America to transport the dirtiest oil in the world to the thirstiest foreign markets,” said Senator Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat.

Originally planned to open in 2012, the Keystone XL would transport up to 830,000 barrels a day of Canadian and North Dakota crude to Steele City, Neb., where it would connect with existing pipelines to deliver the sludgy oil to refineries in Texas and Louisiana for processing. Most of the refined product would probably be exported, or it might enable domestic producers to export more oil produced in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

When the project was in the planning stages, the United States was highly dependent on oil from the Middle East. The drilling boom in shale fields in Texas, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Colorado was still in its infancy.

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But in recent years, domestic production has nearly doubled, and the United States now exports increasing amounts of oil and natural gas. Oil prices have been slashed in half over the last three years, although many analysts predict that petroleum prices will rebound in the next decade, when the pipeline would begin to operate.

For Canada, and especially Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the pipeline represents a mixed blessing. The pipeline would most likely raise the price of Canadian oil, which is now even more depressed than other international grades.

Mr. Trudeau publicly supports the pipeline as a tool to give Canada’s economy a lift, but an increase in oil sands production could undercut his commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as promised in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

“We are pleased with the U.S. decision,” said the natural resources minister of Canada, Jim Carr. “Keystone XL will create thousands of good middle-class jobs for Canadians during construction.’’

Though Mr. Obama ultimately took a different stand, his State Department concluded in an environmental-impact statement that the pipeline project would not add to carbon pollution because the oil would find its way to market one way or another. Proponents have argued that rail or truck transport is more polluting and dangerous than pipelines.

That argument has been weakened somewhat with the fall in oil prices in recent years that has made oil sands production less attractive on oil markets.

Protests helped sway the Obama administration to reject the project, and environmentalists have been further emboldened by demonstrations last year in North Dakota, mostly by Native American groups, that have delayed another project, the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Environmental groups are already promising to aid local groups in blocking the Keystone pipeline’s construction. “We’ll use every tool in the kit to stop this dangerous tar sands oil pipeline project,” said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The project would provide for thousands of construction jobs, and it has attracted the support of several labor unions.

Mr. Trump has made infrastructure-building a centerpiece of his efforts to spur economic growth.

“The fact is that this $8 billion investment in American energy was delayed for so long demonstrates how the American government has failed the American people,” Mr. Trump said on Friday as he met with his National Economic Council at the White House.

At the beginning of his term, he instructed the Commerce Department to establish a plan requiring that new pipelines be constructed with American-made materials like steel. But the White House has since suggested that the Keystone project would not be subjected to those rules because it is not a new project.