Pipeline Project: Adam Feliciano

Introduction:

Within the last few weeks in World History class, we’ve been doing class discussions and researching about the Keystone Pipeline XL project. As individuals, we all had our own opinions on how we felt about the topic. To express how we felt about the topic, we had the opportunity to create three monologues. For the monologues, we had to become creative thinkers and act as an object, person, or thing that is being affected positively or negatively on the Keystone Pipeline XL project. For my monologues, I wanted to make each one original and at the same time make all them have a different view on the project and how they were being affected. For my first monologue I played in the perspective of mother nature feeling betrayed by her children. For my second monologue I played in the perspective of a Rufous Hummingbird seeking hope that the construction company will stop. For the last I chose to play in the perspective of an abandoned car who is thirsty and wants the new oil, specifically the one that the Keystone Pipeline is distributing. 

Learned Anything?

After researching and creating each of the monologues, I learned that people and things have very different perspectives based on their environment and the situation that they are in. I learned that in ways, some people could benefit and some people can’t based off their needs and predicament. I learned that people we tend advantage of the resources in Earth because animals and other things can’t voice their opinion.

(She's looking up at the clouds)

My kids are well behaved. They continue to do their regular routine, work, eat, sleep, clean, and reproduce. The cycle is going well and life feels good. 

What is that you say?

Oh no… the cars are just what they use for making life go fast and making things more convenient.

Yeah, what's the matter with life going fast? 

Well yeah, I'm sure they still see the beauty I have surrounding them everyday.

You said what about the factories?

(She thinks for an excuse)

Well I have to be understanding of the situation, they need ways to create new things and that all happens in those very special factories. Like the soil they make clean for me, it saves me a lot of work. Plus, I don't have to put so much pressure on the worms to work harder. Why are you asking me so many questions? Shouldn't you be doing your job, watering the lands that I create? Oh, so now you're saying you don't want to. The water you pick up isn't good anymore. Because there's a massive, robotic, worm, being created along the southern of America up into Canada. You say it's killing my trees? And hurting my air? You say that it would be used for transferring the oils from the tar sands? 

(She is angry)

I don't get it. I allowed them to take oil from the deep roots of the ocean, and yet they still want more? The tar sands were forbidden from being used as a resource. That's why I buried it into the sands. The oil is very harmful and I hid it to protect my children's lives. 

(Pauses)

...I understand that you are the overseer of the lands and the oceans.

(Pauses)

 Say what? They are the ones killing the trees and the animals and the air? They want to burn the tar sand's oil into the air? Have they gone mad? My children are being so ungrateful. Everything that could have harmed them, I hid them away. Why must they invade my personal property. I gave them life and yet they try to kill me? Do they not understand that if I'm gone, they will not survive? 

(She shakes her head, disappears)

(He sits on top of the nest and talks to himself)

Nowadays, there isn't anymore peace! 

I can't hum in the mornings because, they, are making this unbreakable silver tube. They are knocking over our homes, the trees, in which we make our nests. 

My kids are scared as they look down from the nest… They ask me questions like, "what if they knock down our home? How are we going to escape daddy? We can't fly." Or like "daddy would we run out of food soon?" How do you expect me to reply to that? ...I can't!

As days go on, we are flying further and further just to find twigs, food, and even new homes. Day by day, they walk around below and continue to make this, this, this thing that Gaia never intend on making. I mean if Gaia wanted you two-legged, two-armed, two-eyed, furless creatures to make this silver tube, to transfer the oils from the tar sands in Canada she wouldn't have buried it and held it to protect us from its harmful chemicals. 

Oh but we, the ones who can't talk, understand why Gaia held things under the roots of the ocean and hid things under the sands and the lands that we fly over appreciates her. Unlike you guys (he looks down at the workers) we only use what she has placed in our environment surroundings to keep us alive. You guys went beyond your environment surroundings and dug deep into the lands and released toxicants into the air. 

(His eyes widen as he laughs)

You guys are stupid and yet you guys think you all are smart. Just because you all make cars, bridges, and buildings, from harmful toxicants, doesn't make you all smart at all. Matter of fact, the only thing that you all are showing to Gaia is that you don't appreciate what she does to help you all live and you all show that you don't appreciate the beauties that surrounds us (he looks at butterfly, a deer, and a beaver). 

As I fly around this unbreakable silver tube I send droppings on you guys' bright yellow helmets, and yet you guys won't respond. Here's another dropping for you, the one who is sitting near the tree smoking that bright white stick.

(His eyes widen)

Is it me that you look up at? ...Why are your eyes beginning to turn red and watery? ...Is that a normal thing you guys do? What is this emotion that you make, shaking your head and wiping your face?

(He puts his wing on his head)

If he responded to me, then that must mean that you guys are different. Then if all you guys are different, then that must mean that one of you guys must care about Gaia.

(He gets happy)

Quick! I must call the others and bring this to their attention. Together, we will all send droppings onto them and make them stop this work…

(He flies off)

Monologue #3: Hey, I Want Some New Oil!

(Sitting in the vacant parking lot thinking. He is very mad.)

Oh so it's like that huh? You guys just abandoned me and let me sit here in this big vacant parking lot? Ever since those hybrids and those more efficient cars were and still are being invented, you guys think that I'm not good enough. I mean, what's so wrong with just releasing a little smoke into the air? The world is a huge place and by me releasing a little smoke won't make a difference at all. 

(Newspaper falls on windshield and he reads)

The all new 2012 hybrids! Update from your old car to the the most efficient car today.  Hurry... before the sale ends!

(He laughs)

Those cars are no different then my generations of cars. They claim that it is more healthier for the air. Who cares, we release a little smoke into Earth's huge atmosphere; there's no way that we are accountable for rising the CO2 levels. That other article i read the other day tells me that it's just the normal cycle with the Earth. The levels of CO2 bounces up and down. Right now it's up and I believe that it will soon go down. 

(Sighs)

I am so thirsty! I haven't tasted oil in so long. My throat is dry. The last time I tasted some fresh new oil was on January 4, 2003, it is now October 9, 2012. I can actually start to see myself rust. How insane is that? 

Those hybrids think that they are all that because they run on more mileage and they are "good" because they have more sophisticated technology built in. 

I tell you what, I can get you guys anywhere just as well as they can.

What is it that I hear now? Oh yeah something about new oil. I hear that that  new oil is from the Tar sands and that it is more thicker. Man, those new cars are so lucky. I bet it taste so fresh and better than the original. 

If only my owner would return day to give me something to drink. I'd be so appreciative to her and I'd scream less when she uses me. I always had a problem screaming when she had hit the brakes. Plus, she really hated the fact that I would leave trails of smoke when she rode me. She always complained on how her friends were always making fun of her because I was an old raggedy car. 

I feel so bad for not meeting expectations like those new cars nowadays. If only she would come back and give me some of that tar sands oil to drink. With the new taste of that oil, I'd promise her to never scream when she drives me nor try to release so much smoke into the air.

Video:

https://vimeo.com/51643156

In the past 50 years, humans have consumed more resources than in all previous history.

The U.S. buried or burned more than 166 million tons of resources—paper, plastic, metals, glass and organic materials—in landfills and incinerators in 2008.

Between 1950 and 2005, worldwide metals production grew sixfold, oil consumption eightfold, and natural gas consumption 14-fold. In total, 60 billion tons of resources are now extracted annually—about 50% more than just 30 years ago. Today the average European uses 43 kilograms of resources daily, and the average American uses 88 kilograms.

TransCanada claims that the 1,661-mile project would “carry 700,000 barrels of crude a day from Alberta’s oil sands to refineries on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast, crossing six states and creating an estimated 20,000 jobs.”

Cornell University study estimated that the project will create “only 2,500 to 4,650 temporary construction jobs,” according to CNBC.

Though the Keystone Pipeline is capable of transporting large quantities of oil -- up to 590,000 barrels per day -- and tar sand oil is more polluting than conventional crude, this pipeline is not the climate end game.

Bibliography:

Jones, Christopher. "Keystone Pipeline: Facts and Fictions." 03 22, 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-f-jones/keystone-pipeline_b_1370787.html (accessed October 18, 2012).

" Global Warming Fast Facts." National Geographic News (blog), 06 14, 2007. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html (accessed October 18, 2012).

"Recycling and Environmental Facts." http://ecocycle.org/ecofacts (accessed October 18, 2012).

Cohen, Peter. "Keystone Pipeline: Winners and Losers." 01 19, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2012/01/19/keystone-pipeline-winners-and-losers/ (accessed October 18, 2012).