As I walk to
class, a large dump truck chugs by, its engine emitting a throaty roar. A
shadow comes over me, and I notice that the thick black smoke pouring from its
exhaust pipe has bellowed out in such a mass that it blocked out the sunlight
shining down on me. I immediately speed up my pace in order to avoid breathing
it in. Stepping into the sunlight, I watch the truck move down the street,
slowly pumping out a thick dark cloud into the fresh spring air, a grim sight
in the wonderful green that has begun to bloom on the surrounding trees.
Thinking to myself, I wonder how long it will be until trucks and cars like
that stop pumping out such harsh smoke into the air. I wonder how long until fossil
fuels as a whole are obsolete. And as I think about this planets resources
today, I can’t help but ask myself, “Why would anyone want to continue to use
these harmful fuels?”
Sadly, there are companies who want
to extend our use of harmful fossil fuels, and have no regard for their effects
on the environment. One of these projects is the Keystone XL pipeline. This
pipeline is a 1,700 mile expansion of current pipelines from Canada into the
United States. If this project is given the go ahead by the government,
millions of gallons of dirty tar sands oil will be easily transported to
refineries throughout America through an expansion pipeline from Canada to the
US. This may seem like a boon for the economy, but in the long run it won’t do
much besides cause people to rely on oil much more. As our country moves
towards renewable energy, the last thing we need is for oil to become cheap and
accessible. If this pipeline is approved and built, our country will suffer a
setback in advances made in climate change and sustainable development by
falling back to our old ways with the use of fossil fuels.
One of the most important plans
being made right now is the National Interest Determination, by Secretary of
State John Kerry. His determination will guide President Obama’s final say on
whether or not the Keystone XL pipeline will be approved and built. In his
decision, Secretary Kerry needs to be sure to address all of the harmful
impacts that this project has. Tar sands oil emits more greenhouse gas
emissions than other types, and this pipeline will be transporting it across
the country, through public and private land, and sometimes even over
groundwater supplies. A spill or leak could spell disaster for hundreds of
communities throughout the country. Aside from harmful environmental impacts,
this pipeline is outdated in any promise of providing energy security for the
USA. Fuel efficient, hybrid, and fully electric cars are big now, and will be
in the future. We don’t need oil anymore, and we are actively straying away
from it.
If we want to reduce our carbon
footprint, promote efficient energy development, and live in a sustainable and
environmentally conscious country, this project must not be approved. And of
course, the laundry list of negative impacts needs to be taken into account
before we even consider its small monetary and negligible employment gains. As
citizens of this country, we must look to the future of energy and the
environment when we consider a project like this. The next time you pass a road,
look at the dirty haze emitted from some car’s exhaust pipes as they drive by,
then ask yourself, “Do I really want to continue polluting my air with that?”
The answer should be no.
Spread the word about the harsh reality of the Keystone XL
pipeline. There is no need for it to be built in this country. As a collective
voice, we can influence Kerry’s decision, and educating ourselves on making
this country and this world a better place to live should be our main goal. The
Keystone XL pipeline must not be approved and should not be allowed to hinder
our sustainability goals.
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