Pipeline Monologue Project

[construction worker is about to enter gate; son runs up to him]

Oh my god, where is he? Dad? Dad! Hey. I’m fine. Listen, I need you to do me a huge favor. You absolutely have to quit your job. No, really. You need to stop working on this pipeline. It’s not going to help the world. It’s going to pollute everything. Dad! Dad! Look, you need to listen to me. This is important. I did research at home, (yes. Yes, I did research) and I need to tell you what the pipeline will do to us.

Don’t walk away from your own son! I’m serious. Look, just listen. There are a lot of consequences, and I mean a LOT, that’s going to affect the economy. What happens if the pipeline spills? Don’t laugh at me! I am serious about this. You could be part of the construction that’s going to ruin the US. The pipeline is going over, like, 70 streams of drinking water. What happens if it spills? There goes our water! Plus, some researcher in Nebraska estimated that there’s going to be about 90 more spills in the next 50 years, depending on how you construct this monster. Also, (Dad, shut up) the pipeline’s going over the Ogallala Aquifer. Do you understand what’s going to happen there? It spills, and that large amount of water supply is polluted. You need to listen to this information. If this is going to be one of the most longest pipelines in the US, then the oil will probably pollute, like, a hundred fresh water streams. 180,000 oil barrels….into the water supplies.

Oh yeah! You know how there’s going to be 20,000 new construction and manufacturing jobs once the pipeline is finished? Well think again, dad! Those “new jobs” are only for short terms. They’re not going to help anybody. What do you think about that?!

Now, I think I am done here. The tables have turned, dad. You need to listen to me. See those protestors gathering right now? Well, I’m joining them. That’s right. I’m protesting against this pipeline. Your own wife could be out there. And you know what? I don’t care if I get arrested, because that’s going to be me proving a point. Think about it!

Listen, officer. I’m not gonna fight, I’m not gonna argue, but you need to listen to me...can you just watch those handcuffs of yours, they’re scraping my arms. You see? Just taking my though the front doors is not gonna solve anything. More and more people are going to end up here, you know that, right?...not gonna listen to me?...Not at all? Fine, but this time, you don’t tell me to stop, I tell you. Yeah, that’s right. You! So, while you explain to the nice gentlemen up front why I’m here, I’ll explain my side.

Do you have any idea...any idea at all, what everybody was doing at the construction? The pipeline construction! That’s all I need to say. The pipeline construction. (okay now we’re walking) That new one that’s being built right now. The one that’s already surrounded by hundreds...maybe thousands of protesters! I suppose you don’t know what I’m talking about….I’m pretty sure that everyone in this neighborhood knows that the pipeline is totally bad for the environment. That keystone pipeline….how many times did it leak already? One, two, three, four, five, a DOZEN! a dozen times it has already leaked! And this one? It’s going over, like, 70 rivers, streams! Who knows how many times it’s gonna leak! Do you also know about the Ogallala Aquifer? Yeah, that’s right. The pipeline is going to go over that. The Aquifer has a large amount of water supply for about, I don’t know, about 2 million people? No, I will not be quiet. I don’t care if “anything I say can be used against me in a court of law.” The courts need to hear this. Let’s say that the pipeline is constructed over the Ogallala Aquifer. Then what? It leaks….and they lose their drinking water. Boom! gone! You know what else? some researcher from the University of Nebraska is saying that there’s going to be more than 90 spills in the next 50 years.

Oh look. Here we are. My jail cell. I hope you know what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if you put me in here. There’s going to be more people coming through those front doors. There’s going to be more. Just remember to what I said. Just wait and see what that pipeline of yours does to our country. Just wait and see.

[a man is sitting in the living room, going through tv channels]

Oh, lord. These channels are so boring. Honey! Did you see anything good on tv yesterday? No? Knew it. Hmm….Huh? What’s this? Hey, the keystone pipeline. Oh my god! They already started working on it. Wow! I’m am impressed. Honey, the pipeline is in progress. You know, I’ve been looking stuff up on the internet, and I actually found a lot of good things about this. You know what? I gotta call my friend.

[he takes his phone and dials a number]