Currently there is a debating going
on in the country whether or not the Keystone Xl pipeline should be approved
and allowed to transport tar sand oil across the country to Texas to be refined
and then sold abroad. Proponents of the pipeline argue that it will create jobs
for the country and will be safe and not cause any oil spills. But those
opposing the building of the pipeline argue that no pipeline is 100% safe and
that an oil spill in many of the areas the pipeline would pass through would be
detrimental to the ecosystems it will go through. Also the jobs that its proponent’s
claim it will create will be only temporary and it is not worth the damage it
would cause the environment just to create these jobs for a short period of
time. And the extraction and burning of this oil could be the tipping point for
global climate change some scientists have warned and should be avoided at all
costs.
In this course we have looked at how
ecosystems react to change and how for many ecosystems small changes in temperature or the
population of one of its members can throw it completely out of balance. The
changes to the atmosphere and also the possible changes an oil spill could
cause will destroy many ecosystems and throw them out of balance. The Keystone
pipeline and any other pipelines that looks to transport tar sands from Canada should
be stopped. The benefits of this pipeline are all only short term and will have
a detrimental impact on the environment going into the future.
We need to seriously explore
alternative ways to power our society from renewable sources instead of simply
developing finite sources to make a profit without regard for the effect it
will have on everyone on Earth. Ultimately it is the structure of the economy
and the values that it instills in its participants that drives the
exploitation of the planet and people living on it. Without a reshaping of how
we distribute goods and services issues such as climate change that demanded
action much sooner then our economy is willing to allow us will continue to
happen. This is because the profit motive, which is the basis of the economy,
causes us to focus only on the short term instead of what is good for all in
the long term.
Work Cited:
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2011/01/transcanada-keystone-pipeline-map
http://wire.kapitall.com/wp-content/image-import/pipeline-430x323.jpg
I agree with you that we need to go about other ways to create energy and fuel our nation. And when people are looking at this pipeline and thinking that this is a good idea, they really don't consider all of the environmental problems that will inevitably come along because of this. It really is something that I personally feel should be avoided as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, the pipeline would create many jobs but most would be temporary construction jobs. However, if the country was to oppose the building of the pipeline as well as the development of other oil extraction methods and instead stand behind renewable energy, the country could see a large boom in new jobs for an entirely different market niche that is forward thinking and very survivable/sustainable.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the pipeline probably won't create a significant amount of jobs in the long run but you say that you are worried about spills as a result of the pipeline. The reality is that trucking the same amount of oil across the country is far more environmentally damaging than any pipeline ever could be. The risk vs reward needs to be considered here before judgements about safety and environmental effects are made. A truck carrying 7500 gallons of crude oil down the highway at 75 is a far greater risk to life and the environment than a pipeline with all of its safety factors and shut offs.
ReplyDeleteI agreed. The Constitution Pipeline is more than 124 miles long and 100 feet wide,which will tear up the many native lands of New York. Contamination of water supply will tear up the natural preserves of NewYork States. This in turn will cause soil erosion, which can lead to flooding. The Constitution Pipeline will also lead to the deforestation of these preserves,which in turn will destroy the homes of many endangered species such asbrooktrout and canaries.
ReplyDelete