In January, the State Department released a report on the Keystone XL pipeline project that is expected to be a major influence in whether President Barack Obama will approve its creation. 

There is only one choice the president should make— build it, build it, build it.

The pipeline would begin in Canada, go through the middle of America and end in Texas. 

By 2030, the pipeline could carry 4 million barrels of oil a day along the estimated 1,700 mile pipeline. 

That is a lot of oil, so it would reduce the United States’s dependence on Middle Eastern countries.

Importing oil from a friendly country is much better than getting it from a frenemy.

Of course, another big draw to Keystone is that it is a job-creating project. It is estimated that it will create 20,000 jobs, according to TransCanada. That alone should have given this project the presidential approval it needs.

A job is a job. 

If Keystone helps the country with unemployment then this discussion is over; start building it.

Despite environmentalists’ protests against the pipeline, the oil that would be transported is still going to be drilled out of the ground even if the pipeline is not built. 

Their protests amount to basically nothing. 

Instead, we should build the pipeline, create jobs and reduce American dependence on less-friendly oil.

Without the pipeline, the oil will most likely be carried via railroad, and that is even more risky. 

The current state of railways cannot handle the increase of oil-related traffic, as this causes numerous accidents; one in Pennsylvania on Feb. 13 was the most recent.

If Obama decides for some reason not to make a decision on Keystone, then his successor will. 

It seems like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supports the project based on comments she made in 2010, and any Republican presidential hopeful will certainly approve the project. Regardless, the pipeline will be built eventually. 

The only difference is that someone else will reap the benefits instead of Obama.

Keystone will help the United States find a new source of energy by increasing the supply of oil and receiving it from an ally. It will let us focus on refining alternative sources of energy while also letting us stop worrying about running out of oil. 

It’s time for Obama to stop delaying the inevitable and approve the Keystone XL project.