President Obama has vetoed the Senate bill that would have approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Obama made an intelligent, scientifically-supported and, most importantly, the right decision.

This pipeline is not in the interest of the American people or the planet. It will transport filthy tar sands oil, the most destructive and energy-intensive oil source, from Alberta, Canada. Tar sands mining involves clear-cutting and discarding the boreal forests of Alberta, strip mining the top layers of soil to reach the oil-saturated sands, and injecting high-pressure steam into the sands to liquefy and extract the oil, known as bitumen due to its very low quality.

Each barrel of tar sands has an energy return on investment (EROI) of 2.9:1, compared to conventional oil which has an EROI of 25:1. Tar sands extraction is devastating the Canadian environment, and many in Canada oppose both tar sands mining and the Keystone pipeline.

A State Department report stated that the pipeline will have minimal environmental impact. This is not true. A recent study published in the scientific journal Nature estimated that the oil transported by the Keystone pipeline would increase global carbon dioxide emissions by 121 million tons per year, 91 million tons more than the State Department’s estimate of 30 million tons. Man-made climate change is a fact, and carbon dioxide is the chief culprit. The pipeline’s route will also cross the Ogallala aquifer, the largest underground aquifer in North America. The aquifer provides water for 30 percent of America’s farmlands and drinking water for more than 1.8 million people. If the pipeline were to rupture or explode over the aquifer, it would despoil America’s most critical water source for decades. The pipeline also will disrupt small glacial ponds, known as prairie potholes, that are used by dozens of species of migratory birds.

The Republican majority in the Senate, led by Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, vowed to get this pipeline built but they do not have the necessary 67 votes to override the president’s veto. The power to approve or deny construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is solely in the hands of Obama.

The facts support his decision, as do millions of Americans. It is time for clean, sustainable energy, not more polluting fossil fuels.