Dakota Access Pipeline Essay

1142 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Pros and cons of dakota access pipeline

The Dakota Access Pipeline, already rejected once, is now causing uproar from people protesting its construction. What is so bad about this pipeline that it is on its way to getting rejected twice? The pipeline not only carries oil, but also brings risks to the land and the people living there. Keeping this in mind, the government moved the original route of the oil pipeline and passes the burden of the risks onto Native Americans living near the area.
Firstly, the Dakota Access Pipeline transfers oil between North Dakota and Illinois. “The Route” explains that the Dakota Access Pipeline will transport 470,000 barrels of oil from the Bakken and Three Forks areas in North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. On the other hand, this long pipeline will …show more content…

“No oil pipeline can 100% guarantee a leak- or spill free operation” says Matt Clarke. Granted that, no promise can be made that will assure the water will remain clean and not negatively affect the surrounding land and people consuming the water. Clarke also discusses that almost all pipelines are made out of cheap carbon steel and sealed with protectants. They rely on the protectants rather than using a more structurally sound stainless steel, thus proving that companies are more interested in saving money than they are making a safer pipeline. Next, in the article “On Pipelines, Oil, and Risk”, Matt Clarke also states that most pipeline companies depend on their crew to clean up the mess. Yet the spill in Kalamazoo River from 2010 is still being cleaned to this day. The companies are assuring a cleanup plan for a “just in-case”, but they aren’t concluding that it could take several of years, and it’s possible that their water will never be 100% …show more content…

An article titled “Native American Beliefs” on home.earthlink.net has concluded that Native American beliefs are rooted in their culture and strongly connected. “Everything is sacred from the largest mountain to the smallest plant and animal”. In the United States, people take pride in our constitution. We are known as being “free”. We have freedom of speech, freedom of press, and a more important one; freedom of religion. What if nature is your religion? Or the Earth is your higher power? Their religion is to have love, respect, and honor for Mother Earth and every little thing on it. Is destroying that person’s land with construction and unnatural transportation pipes a violation of the

Show More
Related

  • Pros And Cons Of The Keystone Pipeline

    628 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline are two pipeline projects that were suspended in the past. These pipelines were stopped because they could have a big impact of people and the environment. The making of these pipelines would cause a great amount of carbon pollution. Recently, President Trump signed the orders to approve the pipeline project. The projects have pros and cons, the people in favor of the pipelines think we would be able to rely less on foreign oil. The people against the pipeline believe that the pipelines would cause the release of gases into the air that could be harmful for other people.

    Read More

  • The Keystone XL Pipeline and Public Response

    2961 Words  | 6 Pages

    Stansbury, John. “Analysis of Frequency, Magnitude and Consequence of Worst-Case Spills From the Proposed Keystone XL Pipeline”. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Water Center. Web. 10 December 2015.

    Read More

  • Twin Pipeline Essay

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    Also what safety nets do we have in place in case of environmental catastrophe. The only real way to look at how safe it is is to examine the Trans Mountain pipelines history. The pipeline has been in use for 51 years and in that 51 years there has been 78 spills, (Trans Mountain.com 2013) most of these

    Read More

  • In The Light Of Reverence Religion

    443 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the Light of Reverence is a film about the destruction and exploitation of the sacred lands of the people who have worshipped them for years: the Native Americans. Freedom of religion is something Americans take pride in. However, many religions are still looked down upon for their practices which is displayed clearly in this film. It upsets me greatly to hear how ignorant many people are about the Native American religion. They call the prayer bundles “dirty laundry” and say nature has no “similarities with the church at all” (In the Light of Reverence). Religion has never had a specific definition. All religions have different practices and themes. It just so happens that Native Americans practice their religion in regard to nature. Nature is sacred land to Native Americans and as one women said in the film, “you can’t have a religion without the land” (In the Light of Reverence). Native Americans have always believed that natural world is holy. Destroying the Earth will never lead to world peace (Lyons 11). I agree with the Native Americans that we need to have more respect for the Earth we live on. Chief Oren Lyons said in his essay, “we need to learn how to respect nature” (Lyons 6). If we keep treating the

    Read More

  • Keystone XL Pipeline Research Paper

    1942 Words  | 4 Pages

    "In terms of the production outlook for the oil sands over the next 10 years, it doesn't seem like that extra capacity is actually needed. " Nothing is going to happen right away or very soon. So, in the instance that the pipeline doesn’t work, the other companies will still be running. This means both things will still be used. This will cause competition for attention and/or tasks between the pipeline and existing companies.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The Keystone Pipeline

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Keystone XL pipeline continues dividing the opinion of the people and being a controversial issue. The precious “black gold”, represents one of the main factors that moves the economy, nationally and globally. This extra-long pipeline will transport oil all the way from Canada to Texas. Some experts and the private oil corporation, who is the one in charge of this project, point to the benefits of this project, for example, will make the USA more independent from foreign oil, will create thousands of jobs and improve the economy. Nevertheless, are experts revealing how the pipeline is an unnecessary risk and will be negative for the environment, dangerous for the population living close to the big pipes, and long-term negative for the

    Read More

  • The Keystone Pipeline Controversy

    1467 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Keystone Pipeline started construction in 2008 for the main purpose of connecting Canadian and American oil refineries to transport crude oil from the oil sands of Canada faster and more efficient. So far the first three phases of the pipeline have been completed but the proposed and most controversial is Phase IV. It connects Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Oklahoma which requires a presidential permit and it also connects the 485-mile southern leg known as the Gulf Coast Project between Steele City and Port Arthur, Texas, which is now operating (Eilperin). The benefits of the pipeline include an increase in jobs, contribute $3.4 billion to the U.S economy and also save time and money from transporting the oil by pipeline instead of tanks and rails. At the same time it would be a great harm to the environment, making the climate unstable, and could cause possible future oil spills. The articles covering the Keystone Pipeline generally list out the same points, covering the same benefits and consequences of building the pipeline. Sources like Fox News and CNS have more of an opposition towards the pipeline and narrow in on the risks and of the effects it would have on the people. Whereas news stations such as CNN and The Washington Post address both sides of the controversy but are subtle about being in favor of the pipeline. The international sources such as Al Jazeera and Reuters oppose the pipeline and are more open with supporting the environmentalists.

    Read More

  • Religion and Spirituality in Native American Culture

    1603 Words  | 4 Pages

    Clearly religion and spirituality in the Native American culture is a very important aspect of their society and culture and taken very seriously. Throughout history, Native Americans have been severely persecuted for their beliefs and have endured some serious hardships, including death, but have continued to remain strong in their faith despite what they have been put through by the “white man”. I think that culture as a whole is a very strong and determined culture and I’m proud to be part of it.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Fracking

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, is a widespread practice in the United States. Fracking is a method used to extract oil and natural gas. Scientists and citizens report detrimental side effects of hydraulic drilling. New York and Vermont have banned fracking statewide. Maryland has set a two year moratorium on fracking, so that more research can be done to show the impacts of fracking on the environment. Nationwide, many other cities and counties have banned fracking as well. All states should look into finding alternative sources of energy, instead of using devastating practices like fracking to extract non-renewable resources.

    Read More

  • Letter From Birmingham Jail Transcendentalism Analysis

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    and Henry David Thoreau’s ideas of how government should not be followed if laws are morally unjust according to religion are reflected in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock, South Dakota. They are a form of independent action and nonconformity that are quite distinct in their nature because they truly mirror ideas of great transcendentalist thinkers, unlike other protests in this era that seem to be unorganized and without clear purpose. The protests at Standing Rock are over the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline that would have to run through Sioux territory. The nonconformity seen at the Standing Rock protests is due to a feeling of a greater purpose due to religion. As a part of the Sioux religion, the people “[attach] religious and cultural significance to properties with the area” (Bailey). Therefore, any changes to the land around them goes against their morals and their religion, so action must be taken. This applies the principles of Thoreau because people are protesting the naturally unjust government, and the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. can be seen because people are making their own decisions over whether or not the rule of government is just. Furthermore, it is not just the Sioux who are protesting, but also “religious communities such as the United Methodist Church and the Nation of Islam” (Bailey) This is because people of other religions also recognize the plight of unjust laws and act independently. They also

    Read More

  • Native American Pipe Ceremonies And Sweats

    1559 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States of America’s constitutional law promises protection of the religious beliefs and practices of citizens by way of the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Establishment Clause. Under these laws, people may practice their religion as they please and the government is forbidden from acting in any way that prevents free practice of their religious beliefs. However, the Native American community has historically found itself unprotected by these laws. They have found themselves in a struggle to justify their beliefs and attain the rights and protection supposedly afforded to them as citizens of the United States. Traditional Native American pipe ceremonies and sweats are rituals that unite the Native American people under one religious

    Read More

  • Culture Conflicts: Native Americans versus the White Man

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    However the Native Americans strongly regarded their way of live. In their culture the order of nature, was vastly important. It was understood that there was an order to which nature worked and because of this they were tied to the land. They could not comprehend how the whites could “wander far from the graves of [their] ancestors and seemingly without regret” (Chief Joseph 2). The white settlers came to America and immediately started to conquer the land, without feeling any shame. To the Native Americans that was shocking, for they believed that “even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead...[had] memories of stirring events connected with the lives of [their] people” (Chief Joseph 3). They did not understand how someone could forget their ancestors, and fight nature in such a way that there is room for nobody but themselves. All the same though the white settlers could not see that what they were doing as wrong. They had come to the West to begin a new chapter in life, and if the Native Americans could not accept this, then they had to be dealt with.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Fracking

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fracking is a highly controversial practice that utilizes the injection of water, chemicals and abrasives to extract relatively inaccessible pockets of natural resources. Although fracking has the potential to benefit the economy, it may also pose a significant impact on the environment, the ecosystem and safety.

    Read More

  • Pipeline Transportation Essay

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pipeline Transportation is a massive mode of transportation for over one hundred countries around the world. As of 2014, there is approximately 2,175,000 miles of pipeline, enough to wrap around the Earth 87 times. Of those millions of miles, 64% of the world’s pipeline is in the United States alone. Pipelines are mostly used for the transportation of both crude and refined petroleum, fuels such as oil, natural gas, and biofuels, and other fluids like water and sewage. Even alcohol is sometimes transported using pipelines. Pipelines are used all around us. Miles of them are running continuously below our feet on a daily basis. The creation of pipeline transportation has been an incredibly help to society both directly and indirectly.

    Read More

  • Canadian Natural Resources Case Study

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Luckily everyone is given a chance to change what they have done. One solution that CNR can attempt is, to manage their oil pipes better by checking them more frequently and notifying any complication immediately. They can also hire more employees to supervise the pipelines and use advanced technology such as detected sirens and cameras to keep a close eye the pipelines. This will create more job opportunities and if everything is well maintained then small leaks will be reported as soon as possible, stopping them from becoming big leaks. But some of the pipes are located underground which means it will be very hard to supervise underground pipelines. To supervise the underground pipelines they will need to create a pathway for the employees or they will need to plant cameras and sirens underground which will cost them thousands of dollars. Another attempt CNR can make is to invest in a research group that will investigate on new oil well technology and a different route for the pipeline where it is less probable to cause a leak. Once a successful investigation is through the company can plan and organize a new route for the pipelines. Having new technology will improve the protection of pipes. But it will take some years to collect enough money to construct new routes and accomplish a proper research. Our reliance on oil based products and services is

    Read More

More about Dakota Access Pipeline Essay

Open Document