Hum 115 Oil Pipeline Research Paper

Thesis Statement: In the U.S, the Keystone XL Pipeline is doing more harm than good.

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.

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

The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project has brought forth many conflicting arguments, thus resulting in some parties being for it and some against it. I believe however, the risks are far greater than the rewards. The controversies surrounding the oil pipeline have brought up significant reports regarding environmental safety and concern with also safety and concern of the public. Due to the fact that presently, there is one operational pipeline running from Alberta to the Pacific Coast, I believe the introduction of a new pipeline would have disastrous consequences if something were to happen whether being an oil spill or a fire. The NEB (National Energy Board) failed to mention significant situations in which this pipeline could significantly

“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

Thesis: The U.S. should stop the production of the North Dakota Access Pipeline because it would break the contract made over a hundred years with the Native Americans, it violates the ninth amendment, and it is not environmentally safe.

The environmental risks that come with such a massive pipeline to transport “tar sands” pose a threat on many levels. As a matter of fact the tar sands they are trying to transport are required to

Oil has been an important resource of energy in America “since the discovery of the Spindletop geyser in 1901. It drove huge growth in the oil industry in America. Within a year, more than 1,500 oil companies had been chartered, and oil became the dominant fuel of the 20th century and an integral part of the American economy” (History.com Staff). This had developed the construction of pipelines to move the oil within the country and offshore in coastal waters. Recently, the federal government approved the construction of a new pipeline that would be transporting crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.

The Keystone XL pipeline is a pipeline that runs from Canada to the United States. It would travel from Alberta to the southeast part of Texas next to the Gulf of Mexico, so petroleum products can be transported around the world. This great project would supply petroleum demands and create many jobs. The only thing needed for this project to take off in 2015 is for President Obama to approve it.

Pipelines are often looked at as a very dangerous to the environment. This can be very true as an oil spill can cause tremendous issues of toxicity and cause death of wildlife. The companies who build pipelines are doing their best to insure the safety of the wildlife and the environment. Such as, leak detection systems and trenches that will keep oil from being carried away from the pipeline and contaminating the land surrounding if a leak were to occur (Congressional Digest, 2011). Pipelines are something that already exist and we do not even think about from day to day. The United States has more than 2.4 million miles of energy pipeline; seventy-two thousand of which are crude oil lines. In order to keep up with oil production, we need

The Keystone Pipeline oil spill has occurred at a crucial time for TransCanada, the company that owns and operates it. Nebraska’s Public Service Commission is expected to announce a decision on the company’s controversial Keystone Pipeline XL next Monday. With many citizens of Nebraska against the operation, this spill does nothing to enhance the prospects for Keystone Pipeline XL. Accompanied with such public sentiment, it would seem unusual to talk about the potential benefits of the Keystone Pipeline. However, with any situation, it is important to consider all of the risks in addition to benefits in order to make the best possible decision.

Spill, baby, spill: As Sierra Club’s Michael Brune puts it, "It's not a question if a pipeline will malfunction, but rather a question of when." And, though they spill less often than trains do, the International Energy Agency found that pipelines spill much more in terms of volume—three times as much between 2004 and 2012. The Bakken Pipeline's route takes it through active farmland, forests, and across the heartland's major rivers: The Big Sioux, the Missouri, and the Mississippi, some with multiple crossings, though the US Fish and Wildlife Service claims that no "critical habitat" is endangered. It also runs through sacred Native American lands (more on this below).

For every spill of oil or gas, it damages that ecosystem sometimes beyond repair or it takes it many many years to recover from it. That being said the North Dakota Pipeline is going to be one of the safest most technologically advanced pipelines in the world. Another controversy is that the Native Americans are claiming that the pipeline runs through some of their sacred lands and can possibly contaminate their water supply. The North Dakota Pipeline can be a very successful oil transporter but there also seems to be some drawbacks like it possibly running through sacred land, contaminating water, and the possibility of leaking or exploding and causing a major disaster for the people and animals that live

are very crucial right now, as pipelines have a stigma in the media because of the

Wisner 2011, states that pipeline carriers can only carry certain products, such as water, oil, natural gas and gasoline, there is little maintenance cost so in long term pipeline transportation is quite inexpensive.