This paper explores TransCanada’s proposal of the Keystone XL Pipeline. I will analyze the past problems which resulted in its defeat, along with possible solutions for future implementation. The case study is split in to three main parts: the identification of past issues, an examination of action plans and lastly, recommendations for upcoming development.
Identification of Issues
The Keystone XL Pipeline fight involved large economic and political issues. Some of the major issues included: Canada’s development of its oil sand resources, U.S. energy security, the American oil refining business, oil and gasoline prices in the United States, the environmental health of Nebraska’s Sandhills region, the Ogallala Aquifer and most significantly, global climate change. The divide between parties for and against the proposed pipeline was significant. There was a large group of national trade and energy groups vigorously supporting the construction of the Keystone XL, some of which included the American Petroleum Institute, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The point is that many large-scale companies were behind TransCanada in the fight for the pipeline to go through, with two main factors in mind: energy security and jobs.
1.1 Energy Security and Job Creation Energy security is an issue the United
On June 25th, 2014, a $3.5 billion project was revealed to the public; a 1,172-mile-long oil pipeline that is intended to pump more money into state and local economies. The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) was supported by a natural gas and propane company known as the Energy Transfer Partners. The pipeline’s construction would be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The people who preach pro-pipeline continue to hype the bountiful construction job opportunities this gives the people in the surrounding areas; however, many of these communities have different feelings towards this development. The Pipeline stretches from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota to the oil tank farm near Patoka, Illinois, hitting South Dakota and Iowa
The Keystone XL is a controversial oil pipeline extension that would travel from Alberta, Canada, to the United States Gulf Coast. The Keystone XL should not be built because of the damage it would cause to the environment. The oil would be found within tar sands that contain bitumen. The process of extracting the crude oil uses a lot of energy and causes a large amount of greenhouse gases. Many citizens, in Canada and the United States, are outraged because it can be detrimental to the surrounding land and wildlife. TransCanada, the company building the oil pipeline, has to receive permission from the United States government to begin construction. If the United States does not have the pipeline built and chooses to not use Canada’s oil, then TransCanada will have the pipeline built elsewhere and exported to other countries. There has been a divide between those in favor of the Keystone XL and those who are not. The Keystone XL would be able to provide the United States with a reliable source of oil, but it would also take the risk of faults in the oil pipeline and ruining parts of America’s resourceful soil. The Keystone XL will cause a negative effect on the environment and damage resourceful land; therefore, the oil pipeline should not be constructed.
Almost 95 million barrels of oil and fuel are produced each day in order to provide energy and fuel to people the world over. A major component of the oil industry is the transportation of oil through various means including oil pipelines. These pipelines are capable of transporting thousands of barrels of oil thousands of miles per day. In the United States one possible pipeline has caused a lot of controversy and discussion on the impact it will have on the United States. The difficulty in deciding if the Keystone XL Pipeline should be built is in whether the possibility of economic growth outweighs the possibility of environmental destruction. In order to make a decision, one must first look into the history of oil pipelines. It is crucial
“In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources, and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy, and peace (Nobel Peace Prize Medalist Maathai 2004).” A Canadian oil company that goes by TransCanada hopes to build an oil pipeline that would extend an enormous 1,200 miles onto an already gargantuan 2,600 mile long pipeline. Keystone XL represents just under a third of the entire Keystone project, and every other piece of pipe has been built and laid out. In fact, TransCanada 's pipeline system is already shipping hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil from the Canadian oil sands across the U.S. border -- and into Illinois (Diamond). The current proposal would take the pipeline on a journey all the way through to Texas. Extracting crude oil from oil sands would be enormously problematic for the environment as it causes the pumping of about 17% more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than standard crude oil extraction. Tar sand oil has levels of carbon dioxide emissions that are three to four times higher than those of conventional oil, due to more energy-intensive removal and refining processes (Friends of the Earth). The construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would stimulate employment, the effects would be temporary and the whole scheme would produce a negative long term outcome. The construction of the Keystone XL pipeline has caused
As a way to directly link the unrefined tar-sands oil from Alberta, Canada to the refineries in Texas, there is no doubt that the Keystone XL Pipeline remains a topic of controversy. As with many large projects, there are both positive and negative consequences that result from its construction. While there are potential economic benefits like the creation of infrastructure-related jobs and a potential shift from energy dependence, there are many dangers to the building of the pipeline. The notion of building a pipeline that connects Canada and the United States for economic reasons is neither completely unjustifiable nor unreasonable, but given the current circumstances, in which ecological damage and neglect on the part of TransCanada are likely, I cannot support the building of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Thesis Statement: In the U.S, the Keystone XL Pipeline is doing more harm than good.
Due to the evident climate change that is affecting the world and the ones who live in it negatively and the enormous contribution of human impact. The Keystone XL pipeline is not in the national interests of the United States. Cushman’s book strives to weigh what the U.S. stands to gain verses what it likely to lose by investing in the Keystone XL Pipeline. Constructing the pipeline is for instance likely to create thousands of jobs besides contributing billions of dollars to the exchequer. The project is in addition seen as way of satisfying the U.S. energy needs in a way that offers economic and social stability in a number of ways. Since the project also involves the Canadian government, it’s definitely seen as a major boost to the U.S.
One of the most controversial issues faced nowadays is the way we deal with the transport of oil. One of the proposed methods is The Keystone XL Pipeline. Although there are some pros associated with building the pipeline, the risk outweighs the benefits by far. Building the Keystone XL pipeline would negatively affect the environment, jeopardize the public health and is to no benefit to the American people.
The Keystone XL proposal is fascinating in both its complexity and controversy. As the pipeline would go through Canada and the United States, approval from the government of each country is required for the project to proceed. Political, economic, and environmental issues in both countries have put pressure on the governments with advocates and opponents for the proposal vying to have their voices heard. Even the Canadian federal political parties do not all agree on whether or not the pipeline should be built. The Conservatives, for instance support the proposal, citing its potential economic benefits while the Greens are against the project, arguing that the environmental impact is far greater than the economic gains it might produce. First Nations groups also have an important stake in the outcome of the project. The approaches taken towards aboriginal issues by the two parties have differed greatly from one another, further dividing the Greens and the Conservatives. Indeed, both parties seem so firmly entrenched in their own stances that it seems highly unlikely that they will ever reach an agreement on the project. Unless the Green Party and the Conservative Party can come to a consensus on the Keystone XL proposal’s effects on the economy, environment, and First Nations, they will be unable to reconcile their positions.
The Keystone XL Pipeline Project has many pros and cons just as any project does, but this project has way bigger cons than most projects this country will face today. “The Keystone XL Pipeline is an environmental crime in progress.” “It’s also been called the most destructive project on the planet.” The major issues with the Keystone XL Pipeline are “the dirty tar sands oil, the water waste, indigenous populations, refining tar sands oil and don’t forget the inevitable; pipeline spills.” And these are just some of the environmental issues, not too mention how building this thing from Canada to Texas; 2,100 miles to be exact, is affecting the people and their land, as stated “this isn’t a little tiny pipeline,
With an increasing global population and ever industrializing society 's, environmental concern is rarely given priority over economic incentive. But what people fail to realize is that our environmental failures, and relative apathy about it set up a plethora of problems for future generations to deal with. One of the most important decisions president Obama will face in the next year will be whether or not to approve the building of the Keystone XL pipeline, a massively sized, and massively controversial oil pipeline that would stretch all the way from Alberta Canada, to American oil refineries along the Gulf Of Mexico. Despite the economic incentive present, the building of the Keystone XL pipeline should not happen because of the
People out for a fun night together and everyone looking down at their phones. Everyone shooting texts, updating social media and answering calls. Cell phones have truly changed the way how people connect to other people. Thirty years ago you would have to walk up to the cute guy at the bar, but with modern technology you can just shoot him a text instead. When many people think of the dangers of cell phones they think of all the accidents that they cause by distracted drivers. Many people don’t realize that not only distracted driving makes cell phones dangerous but with just modern day use can cause health problems and put people at risk with pedophiles. When people think of cell phones they think that they’re nothing but beneficial and
An interesting topic which we have yet to discuss in class is the relative development of China's technology, naval, and agricultural industries, at the time, in comparison with the west, and how it affected China’s position in the world throughout the 19th and early 20th century. Why didn’t China’s technological achievements propel it to become a global power in the later half of the millennia (before 1950). One interesting example is the comparison between Christopher Columbus's expedition vessel versus the Chinese Navies Zheng He “treasures ships”. For many centuries, the Chinese had had reached, and were operating at the pinnacle of technological achievement at the time. This leads the question - if Zheng He/s exploration efforts had not
The first group we will outline is the Sioux peoples of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The outermost layer, the positions of these people, are that that the proposed pipeline trespasses on their land that is believed to have been illegally taken in 1868, and furthermore that they were completely left out of the initial decisions to move forward with the pipeline plans. Going deeper, we can look at the interests of the Sioux people and see that what they wish to achieve out of the conflict negotiation is to gain back rights on their land, receive respect, and to have their voice heard through democracy. Lastly, at the core we may find their needs. Most likely, the Sioux peoples would say they require clean drinking water (which could be affected by the placement of the pipeline), their land, and their livelihoods. The second stakeholder to look at are concerned environmentalists. As a spectator interest group, their onion speaks for the health of the land, water, and life near or on the proposed site. The environmentalists’ position is that they are against a pipeline structure that could result in environmental damage, and demand awareness of environmental health, as well as a thoroughly accurate environmental impact statement. Their interests are respect for the land, water and wildlife, accurate public information, and environmental protection. Lastly, if we look at the
Capital Punishment is still used in the United States, and there has been 152 people that has been released from death row since 1973. There has been many more people that were not released but executed and possibly innocent. Kantian ethics is the theory that says the moral actions are not determined by the consequences but by the right nature of the action. Capital punishment may be questionable with some cases of innocents, with that being said the use of capital punishment should only be used with cases to be absolute guilt.