Environmental Issues Of Global Warming

“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

From Canada down to Texas is an awful large amount of ground for a pipe to cover, but, organizations such as TransCanada insist that there is a wealth of benefits to be had with the construction of the pipeline, both during and after construction.

In June of 2010, a plan to construct a pipeline that would run from Alberta, Canada through the center of the United States, making its way to its final destinations in Nederland, Texas, and Pakota, Illinois were finally commissioned. As an energy management major at the University of Oklahoma, I was intrigued to research the Keystone Pipeline and the plans that hinge alongside it. The plan to construct the pipeline that would connect the two countries certainly began with good intentions, however many people would disagree. When viewing the plans for construction of what became known as the Keystone Pipeline, it’s apparent that there are numerous benefits that result from building the pipeline. On the other hand, some people argue that

The Keystone XL Pipeline is a pipe system that transports oil between the United States and Canada via a system of underground pipes. The pipeline begins in Alberta, Canada, and runs all the

The Keystone Pipeline already exists and runs from “oil sand fields in Alberta, Canada into the US, ending in Cushing, Oklahoma” (What is the Keystone XL Pipeline?). The current topic concerning this pipeline is the expansion of the pipeline to create the Keystone XL Pipeline, which will consist of “1,700 new miles of pipeline” (What is the Keystone XL Pipeline?). This project would offer expansion from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast of Texas, “where oil refineries abound”, and expansion from Alberta to Kansas, allowing for the pipeline to “pass through a region where oil extraction is …booming” (What is the Keystone XL Pipeline?).

Phase Two of the TransCanada Corporation Keystone Pipeline marked the start of the pipeline exclusively constructed in the United States. Phase Two stretches from Steele City, Nebraska to an oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, passing through parts of the state of Kansas along the way. The installation process of Phase Two began in 2010 under the Presidential Permit and was finished in 2011 when the newly completed section began use. (TransCanada Corporation) The completion of construction on Phase Two marked the end point of the Keystone Pipeline and the beginning of its expansion with the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline which was to be completed in Phases Three and Four.

The Keystone XL pipeline will be one of the largest pipelines in the United States if it is constructed. The pipeline will travel 1,702 miles from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico and will be built by TransCanada, a Canadian-based company (Song). The major pipeline will cross six states on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico, which would be carrying an impressive 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day (Molina and Xiaobi 170). Each barrel of oil is the equivalent to forty-two gallons, which is a more relatable measurement. The pipeline will also connect with the previous Keystone pipeline traveling through the heart of America. It will be carrying oil from the tar sands of Canada, which are also known as oil sands. These contain heavier crude oil than what the United States

The Keystone Pipeline XL initially included four phases, the first of which has been completed and is in operation. The completed phase reaches Cushing, Oklahoma. The current proposal is to complete the remaining three phases of the original Pipeline XL plan. Two of those phases would extend the pipeline from

The Keystone XL Pipeline Project is a proposal by TransCanada to expand the Keystone Pipeline by constructing a line from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele

Most of the Keystone pipeline has already been put in place. According to an image, from an article in an academic journal, the oil pipeline has already been built from Hardisty, Alberta to Patoka, Illinois and to Houston, Texas. If more than half of the Keystone

The Keystone XL pipeline is a proposed expansion of the current Keystone pipeline that would cover over 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas. The purpose of the pipeline is for the transport of extracted tar sands from Canada to the Gulf Coast refineries and ports for export. The proposed pipeline would cross 1,073 rivers, lakes, streams, and the Ogallala aquifer. The Ogallala aquifer is one of the largest in the world. It provides two million people with drinking water and more than a quarter of America’s agriculture with water for irrigation. There would be a large ecological impact, affecting communities and destroying habitats. Building Keystone XL would add 27.4 million metric tons of carbon pollution to the atmosphere per year, adding to the global climate change dilemma. Aside from the damage as a result of constructing the pipeline, oil spills cause contamination and are costly to cleanup. The company proposing the expansion, TransCanada, has stated that thousands of jobs would be created. In fact the project would only create thirty five permanent jobs with the remainder consisting of temporary or contract work (“Stop Keystone,” n.d.).

Probably the most antagonistic debate of President Obama’s secondary term, the Keystone pipeline system controversy has caused a major disturbance in the political regime due to its heavily disputed factual evidence. Ever since construction began in 2008 and it was commissioned in 2010, the Phase I portion of the pipeline has been haunted by talk of the possible expansion causing disorder among environmentalists and preservationists. While Phase II and Phase III have been completed since the current date, Phase IV, commonly referred to as the Keystone XL pipeline, has been put to startling halt due to the President’s veto on February 11, 2015, to a bill passed by the Senate advocating the pipeline. The President’s veto was placed forth due

The Keystone Pipeline XL project initially included four phases. The first phase has been completed and is currently in operation. The completed phase connects Hardisty, Alberta with Cushing, Oklahoma, where the tar sand oil reaches refineries. The proposed extension would complete the remaining three phases of the Keystone Pipeline XL. Two of the remaining phases would extend the pipeline that now reaches Cushing, Oklahoma to Nederland, Texas and to Houston, Texas. The final phase, the most controversial, would add an additional pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska. This part of the pipeline would run directly over significant portions of the Ogallala Aquifer, even with the proposed changes to the route.

Over the years, TransCanada has sought the approval of a pipeline that runs from Canada through the Midwest of The United States. Known as The Keystone XL pipeline, it has been plagued by both civilian and Political protests. In 2015, the Obama administration denied TransCanada’s permit application, effectively halting the construction (Rocco, 2017). The project has already completed manufacturing almost all components of the pipeline, which most are being stored in various warehouses across The United States (Rocco, 2017). Arkansas produced 700 miles of the pipe that would have been laid if the project went forward (Rocco, 2017). Earlier this month, newly elected President Donald Trump, signed an executive order that allowed

The issue of global warming should be on the list of our top priorities. Studies show that the average of global temperatures have risen since the Industrial Revolution began. Since the Industrial Revolution, human emissions has quadrupled the frequency of certain heat extremes and many scientists have warned that a failure to bring greenhouse gases under control could eventually lead to a 62-fold increase in extreme heat blasts (Gillis Justin A17). Most of the increase is due to human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These activities contribute to a build-up in carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere is made of gases like nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen. These gases act as a blanket that covers and gives us warmth, but once these gases such as carbon dioxide absorbs heat, but does not release it back into space in which causes the increase in global temperature. This is called the greenhouse effect because it only traps heat but does not release it.