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  In this project the goal was to show different perspectives about this environmental issue. Tar Sands oil and the XL Pipeline. My purpose was to have a typical citizen's point of view. Since this is a topic isn't known by most of America, I wanted my monologues to slowly form an opinion on this issue, assuming these people didn't have prior knowledge. This project is about the domestic concern for the XL Pipeline, that might cover six states. 

Monologues: 

Rich Loris:
All I saw were angry, concerned people outside my favorite window of the White House. My window had a clear view of all the action happening outside. *read slower* Picket signs….. Banners…. Police…. *pick up a bit more speed reading*I could barely hear the chants from my window, but they had a sense of confidence in each one. *talks slower* Canada….. *sound confused*Tar Sands…? Oil…. Nasty oil… Crude oil….. Foreign oil…. Oil…. Oil…. *gets angered* OIL! That’s all it ever is! *gets calm again* *takes a deep breath* That’s all I ever hear from my colleagues, I can’t do anything. I can’t say anything. If I do, I’ll seem like a threat. A threat to their self being. They only worry about themselves. I’m just the head of security. I don’t make any decisions. I just protect the man that does.

Hey, *shurgs*I even voted for him myself. The man had a dream I agreed with. It was different. I thought it was nice to have some color in the White House. This man’s dream opened my eyes to something more than what it should have been exaggerated to. I realized the place we live on won’t last forever. The way we live on this planet now, it’s destined to not be safe enough for our kin. Something needs to change. My actions may not make a dent in earth’s health, but it makes a dent in how I see things now.

It’s hard to hear men joke about this. They ultimately think it’s going to blow over and a 1700-mile pipe will cover six states of our domestic territory! The idea just doesn’t sit right with me. I cared too much for some unknown reason. I didn’t know the actual impact of this, in my heart it didn’t seem legit. It didn’t seem….moral.

I couldn’t help what I felt at the time, but I didn’t think twice about running out the door towards the dedicated protesters. I was about 200 meters from them. All I wanted to do was join then. Join a triumph waiting to happen. *clenches fists so veins show**takes a deep breath* I was tackled. I believe his name was Ben… Ben Hanks. I’m the one in charge of him, I should definitely know his name. I tried to pry his grip off me, but a sting in my left side *places his left hand on his left side* and I was out.

I woke up here. This jail cell. With a cold floor, a silver, metallic toilet and serious talking. *feels the floor and shivers* Then I looked up to a red haired girl blankly looking at me. 

Laury Ellis:

*Sits in a cornet near the bars of her cell

I woke up this morning with a purpose. I woke up to march… March for a relevant cause to my president. *fixes shirt* He is the one who can stop it all. He’s the man I have all my hopes in right now. I tied my hair back for a serious persona and dressed in a simple pair of nice of jeans and a Obama shirt I got at the beginning of his election. I bought an extra shirt just in case I was displeased at the president for a moment. I knew I was going to out there for awhile, but I didn’t think I’d end up in a jail cell at the end of the day. All I Americans were allowed to express what their opinions were. Right or wrong, it can still be said. But I guess when it goes up against the White House, it’s always going to be wrong. I realized that today.

            *Speaks in a “matter-of-fact voice* I’ve seen that the no one had denied a permit for the pipeline. All permission was given. Canada wants to get rid of it and the U.S. is willing to take it, since it’s an ally’s oil. I also checked out what TransCanada is doing about the land their taking from domestic owners. In addition to the government getting millions of dollars in revenue, around 600 million to be exact, their giving a small portion of the profits to the landholders their taking away property from. I couldn’t argue with that. I mean… I’ve my land was taken, I’d probably take up the offer of getting some type of compensation. But I’m seriously worried about what it’d to the environment. Plowing through acres and acres of lands that houses animals, plants, and freshwater. It’s a shame to see what could be lost with this pipe. It there any other way this could be done? Instead of a pipeline, maybe thousands of truck drivers and money to be put in oil transportation? I don’t know. That might be worse… A lot is at jeopardy, but I’m just a citizen. I can’t do anything. I can only stand for something.

            Now, I stare at this man. Dressed in a suit and tie with ear piece that you usually see officials. I don’t know who he is. He seems interested. Maybe he knows something about it all. 

Ben Hanks:

*Ben sits at the bottom of a tree trunk with his head in his hands.*

I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know he had more authority than me. I didn’t know anything about this man. I didn’t know what my boss looked like. *Slowly lifts his head out his hands.* He could have been Indian for all I cared.

            I was told to watch for anyone making trouble. That’s my job. That’s what I’m paid to do. The protesters were pretty much under control. The picket signs were all too offensive, so I wasn’t worried about today. Things seems relatively fine. I stood there, at my guard and I was prepared for anything.

            I kept hearing things about this “crude” oil. I couldn’t look it up on my blackberry at the time, but it didn’t seem bad. These people seemed to be against what I thought is   exactly what we need. Oil from a place close by. Right? It’s better than getting overseas in that terrorist country. We fight for all of what we have and why not take a chance and get something we deserve. It’s said that the pipeline won’t leak and that’s good enough for me. Hey, it’s not going to impact me in D.C. so why should I worry about it? I sorry for those who live out there, but my living arrangements aren’t at all going to be ruined.

            As I was contemplating about this issue a man runs across the White House field. I couldn’t tell who he was, nor where he came from. My first instinct was to tackle him. He tried to struggle out of my grip so I tazed him. I cuffed him and gave to the others. I was then informed later on… He was the big boss. 

When I wrote these monologues I wanted to show the pros and cons of this pipeline. My different monologues talked about reasons to do it and reasons to not build it. 

Earth Less:

Does no one care anymore? Is the earth worth less than this tar sands? I believe the world is at a breaking point and it is getting closer and closer to breaking, and this will be the straw that broke the camels back. When I look at my children I think of all the countless injustices that we are doing to them. I do my part to not pollute, but not everybody is doing the right thing. These companies are trying to get as much money as possible while the earth goes up in flames. Is that fair to the animals? Is that fair to the planet? As a native american I believe that the earth is important. I ask you, is that fair to your children, your own flesh and blood? If we just stopped now and take all the money that we are putting into this, and put it into making wind farms we could make enough energy to power 175,000 house holds. This energy would be continuously renewable and would never run out. It would even create jobs for many people in production and to keep them working. This is the kind of energy people can feel good about. Its the kind of energy that could help keep this plant of ours from reaching its breaking point. I’m not asking everyone to live like me or my tribe, but if we all just did our part and invested our money in responsible companies that would work towards a brighter future. A future that I can feel good about leaving to my family when I leave the world to them.

Regrets from a president:

When I was the 43 president of America, and like 42 presidents before me, I would have never let anything like this happen. If it were still up to me, we would not get involved. While I was president, I signed legislation that said that tar sands are to dirty for the American government. This law was made just to stop the use of tar sands. It is my belief this type of fuel is not in our best interests. I know some people say that this is hypocritical. My answer to this is that I have learned from my mistakes in the past and that even though I say this, I still believe that we should drill for as much crude oil as we possibly can. This is because it can benefit our economy and give us the push we need to put us back on top of the world. Also that now that I am not in the oval office, I am free to say what I want without any fear of who will support me after I say it. It is my belief that if we use this tar sands oil, then we will be dealing a harsh blow to the environment. This oil is one of the dirtiest forms of energy that we can get. It causes dirty water and causes dirty pollutants. When I look at my family ranch and think of the problems that this generation can cause for the next. I feel terrible that my ranch might not be in existence in a couple generations, because of the tar sands.

New country for old men:

Growing up as a little boy in Texas, y’all know to recognize ai good thing when it happens. When I heard about the tar sands projects, I jumped for joy! I could finally be able to support my children, so they could go to college and have the life that I never had. They could go from college and get a better more worth while job than me and be able to support me when I get older and can’t work. It was tough for them growing, with their mother dying of cancer when they were only 2 and all. Poor Sara, and Violet. They are only 17 now, and can’t get really jobs here in Texas. The only jobs a person with out a college degree can get down here are the jobs working on oil refineries, and they are to dangerous for my precious girls to work at. Just like the ones that are opening up to refine the tar sands. The other day I talk to the man in charge of the plant. He done gave me a job. With the money from this job, I can fix that leak in the roof, or fix our old broken truck. These tar sands are your way of giving us a break for all the tough times that you has given us in the past few years. I prayed every night for a job like this, and you finally answered, you finally did it. My only question is why didn’t do it sooner? From what I understand the pipeline will create 20,000 jobs. Why are people so hesitate on this? It is perfect for a time when American needs jobs. I don’t want to seem ungrateful or something. So any way thank you god and please watch over my family and friends. Amen

​ For this project, we had to create monologues talking about the TransCanada Pipeline. I did my three monologues from the point of view of a farmer, an unemployed woman, and a child. I wanted to show the different points of view, so both the farmer and the child don't want the pipeline to be created and the unemployed woman wants it created. The issues that I mostly brought up where that there is a good chance that the pipeline could leak and that there will be more jobs and money for the United States.

A Man in Trouble

Setting: Talking in front of a crowd of people in a town meeting. He’s standing up in front of a table.

H-hello everyone. My name is Robert Friend… I- I am a Nebraskan Farmer. I have a wife and a premature, newborn, baby. I’m scared. I’m scared that because of the TransCanada Pipeline, my farm will be ruined. Wh-what if there becomes a leak? What if I lose my farm? His voice starts to shake What if I can’t take care of my family?

Everyone in favor of the pipeline is saying that it will open up more job opportunities, but nobody thinks about how many jobs it could also harm. There are a lot of farmer’s and land workers where this pipeline is going though, and its creating, what? About twenty thousand jobs at the most? When there s-springs a leak, it’s going to wipe out the farms from Canada to Texas. If you take the time to think about it, running this pipeline could lose more jobs then create.

Picks up picture of his baby from the table This is my baby, Charlie. Puts photo onto table. Charlie was born t-two months premature. My wife and I are always going to have to look after Charlie, to make sure he develops properly and is all right. If my farm is ruined how am I going to be able to take care of him? How is a-a-anybody going to be able to take care of their families?  I love my family; they mean the world to me. This pipeline cannot go though, we can’t put hundred of families in danger. I can’t make this decision for you, but I can hope you make the right decision. Th-thank you for your time.

Unemployment can be saved

Setting: Outside the White House talking to protesters, attempting to change their side about the pipeline. She is going to be speaking very professionally and to be proud of what she is saying. Behind her will be the percentage of people unemployed to show why we need extra jobs. Standing in front of a pedestal.

Hello. My name is Betty U. Freeman, and I am an unemployed woman. I live on my own in a one-bedroom apartment in Washington DC, but I can hardy pay the rent. I scramble every month to get the money I need, and I collect pennies as if I’m on a treasure hunt to get a meal. Behind me, is the percentage of people unemployed, I am not alone. Points to the chart behind her. I know one way that I can change this, and that is only if the TransCanada Pipeline gets approved.

If they allow this pipeline then I might have a chance. I could be able to pay my rent and I could be able to have a decent meal every once in a while. There could be more job opportunities, also. There will be twenty thousand jobs open for the United States and the pipeline will create eight billion dollars to the economy. This could help me so much. I’ll move wherever they need me to go. I’ll do whatever they need me to do.

People will say this pipeline isn’t creating enough jobs but it could change not only mines, but also so many other people’s lives. It won’t only help people like me; it will help everybody in the United States by creating energy security. What do we need more of right now, America? We need jobs. We need money. We need to low that unemployed percentage. By creating the TransCanada Pipeline we can. We can have a chance. Please think. Please make the right decision. Thank you for listening and thank you for your time.

Setting: A little girl, Ashley is in her bedroom writing in her diary. While she is writing she is also reading out loud. She is lying down on her bed as she is writing and speaking. She speaks in a scared tone of voice.

Oh diary! Something is going on. Mommy tells me that everything will be okay, but Alexandra is running around, and-and she seems scared. I don’t know much about what is going on. Mommy won’t tell me anything. Alexandra is going behind mommy’s back by telling me things. She hasn’t said much other then the big mean men want to create a Tar Sands Pipeline that will go through our farm and that the men who won Nobel Prizes are writing to Mr. President. I don’t know what a Tar Sand Pipeline or a Nobel Prize is, they both sound fancy.

Alexandra also told me that in the mean men make the pipeline, then-then-then our family is in danger and we might not be able to be together. Crosses out the last sentence, throws diary onto the ground. Tears start to fall because she is so scared. Goes to pick up diary and continues writing and reading what she writes. I-I need to talk to Alexandra. Oh my, I’m so scared. I can’t let the three of us be separated. Mommy, mommy, mommy, these bad guys can’t let this happen to us. They can’t make this pipeline, they can’t risk it to becomes leaky and ruin my life.

This was the fifth time I was here. On the stage where I felt safest, yet again I was paralyzed just as before. With the toughest critics I actually knew, there they were. Waiting, watching.

“Jordan!” Joy whispered from backstage.

Damn! Why did I just get up here? I though to myself.

The audience waited for me to start and seen that something was wrong with me. They knew this was what I loved to do. Perform. Sing, dance, and play the piano. So what was the reason for the delay? The truth was because I was nervous about playing in front of them. Ever since my last performance, it took me a long time to perform in front of them again.

“Jordan, what are you waiting for? The microphone is on and the piano is tuned so start.”

“Okay.”

I turned towards everyone and spoke.

“Today I’m going to be play “Fur Elise” on the piano. Yes I know you wanted me to sing but maybe next time. I said with a brief chuckle.

I turned back to the grand piano with a sudden shock of courage.

Throughout the song I heard comments of appreciation from my class and that made me even more courageous to continue to play. I was happy I was back here and knew that I could not stop my dream just because off the small errors and snickers from people. The opinions that people had of me stopped mattering to me the longer I played. This performance took place in eighth grade and the one that stopped me from playing was in sixth. Two years it took me to come back out of my shell of fear. That will never happen again. I love the things I do too much to stop again. I love music. I love my dream.

 

 

 

​ With the monologue project, I had to write three different monologues about the TransCanada XL pipeline. Each video had to include a different person, giving their point of view. I chose the point of view of an executive working there, who was for, an employed mother, who was for, and an unemployed father, who was in the middle. I want to make monologues that would show how people cope with the pipeline and the environment. 

It’s all good

He sits down

Hello my name is Ted Oils Spill

I am one of the executives at TransCanada working on the TransCanada XL pipeline

How can I be of service to you kind gentleman?

He has a smug smile on looking at the reporter

Let me guess, you’re here to find out all the juicy details of our beautiful project.

All we need is to approve to build it and construction will begin

This will be a magnificent pipeline. It will be about 1,700 miles long and stretch all the way from the tar sands in Canada to refineries in Port Arthur, Texas

 He sits back relaxed

It is estimated that 800,000 barrels of crude oil will be pumped through the pipeline per day. It would be great if it passed our expectations and reached passed the 1 million mark.

 I think the XL pipeline is a great idea!

 I know there are many people against it but its all fin. For starter, the amount of oil will be awesome. Also, with this new pipeline there will be thousands more jobs, which are really needed, in these harsh times where money is tight, people are losing their jobs, parents cannot afford a decent Christmas for their children, and people are losing their homes. Doesn’t this get you all excited? I know its all exciting so contain your exciting. Not to mention this pipeline be safer.

Well opposed to the previous pipelines, this one will be built in a different way with new technology

 He hears the reporters next question and looks nervous

And to touch on the fact that some other people think that our project is flawed. There are poorly mistaken … No other comments. 

Family Matters 

Hello my name is Deborah Harriott

 Thank you for taking time out of you very busy schedule to share my thoughts with everyone about the idiotic plan to build that stupid TransCanada XL pipeline that is in consideration of being built. It’s stupid.

 Puts on a stern look

I have my family to worry about, my three lovable children, Samantha, Nate, and Max, and my husband. This idiotic XL pipeline will go near my home and near our fresh water where me, my family and everyone else in my neighborhood depends on for their fresh water.

 Looks sad

I find this decision to be shows that the people working at TransCanada to be lacking compassion for the people that will be affected if things ever go wrong. The act as if things show good results, their desired results, that horrible repercussions will not arise later in life. It may not happen the day the XL pipeline is finished construction, maybe not the next week, month, or even that year, but good things must always come to an end. That pipeline will have a major problem one day. And do know who will suffer, probably not them, but most surely we will pay, for their mistake. I am scared for my family. What if it all goes wrong, what if we have nothing do drink. What if we cant even get clean drinking water? I built my entire life here. Too loose it all, would just be… … painful. I can’t afford to loose everything I fought so hard to keep.

 Looks pained, angry, and sad look all at the same time.

I do not know the actual details of what new tech they have for this new project, but I hear that it has shown that it is not totally reliable, and they cant even admit it.

 As for the issue with it creating jobs, I am I a very well paid doctor, as for my husband, he he’s teacher. We are doing well for ourselves without the pipeline. How does this pipeline help us.   

 

My name is Rick. I walk into the crowded room, sit on the couch and stare at the man with the tape recorder in his home, which is wearing an expensive looking suit and glasses. I think for a moment, then speak 

 Hey man, I am really glad that you came to interview me and like, get my point of view on things that be going on round here you know what I’m saying

 I pause, then adjust myself in my seat

 I think that, this trans Canada plan to make an oil pipeline is one crappy made plan. I mean like, me personally, it just don’t feel right. It seems like stuff like this has happened before. Like oil spills. I’ve heard on places like the news that like, these oil spills be getting in our water and that just ain’t cool. The fish be dying and the eco… echo… the umm environment has been suffering for stuff like that.

 It’s terrible, it aint even worth it, building such a long pipe that’s like a yard wide. It just don’t sit right with me. What if that thing like, breaks, or something like that. What happens to me? What happens to the small people? Are we all meant to be bugs under the rich mans new shiny boots? ‘Dats messed up bro.

 

I get a serious look on my face

 Do I even matter in dis equation? I ain’t good enough or something. Ain’t those executive type people stop to think, how does this crappy oil help me. I don’t even own a car, why do I need oil. I have to walk to where I need to get. We need to get a plan that helps us with our economy.

 

I give the man a sad look. My daughter walks in and sits next too me looks confused. I Sigh, then start again. I put my hand on her head.

 Even though I say that, I am a single father after all, without any job. The floorboards are messed up, the walls are stripping, and the door creaks. This is not the life I want. I need a job.  How am I gonna support my daughter. This oil thingy is gonna make jobs. It might kill the environment one day, but without a job I won’t live till that day. I don’t know what to do. Maybe I should put my pride and anger away, and get a job there, for my sweet little Melissa.

 

​Intro Paragraph: Within this project, my goal was to show each characters opinions' and perspectives' about the Keystone XL pipeline. I spoke through the characters to express real emotion and the emotions that would be expected. For example, when writing from water's perspective, I was able to imagine some of the properties. This was possible by acting as if water were a man.

Monologues:

The Beginning to Change

 

Bill Mckibben walks to the podium           

                                   

This is my first speech as an environmentalist. The white paper in my hand was folded into a square and had about one hundred fifty black words on it. It is shaking as if it was a table and my hand was an earthquake. I couldn’t help but think that this could be the beginning to our earth diminishing or it being saved.  The actual power is in the hands of President Obama but the people of the United States influences his decisions. I could influence theirs. After finally unfolding the paper, it looked as if the words were blurred. I couldn’t ready anything. This is just my imagination. Images of clear lakes and no pipeline signs were in front of me drawn onto cardboard in front of the white house. These people want change. I could be the voice of reason.  The nervousness left me.

I stood tall and said:

“It is the second largest pool of carbon on Earth. It is tar sands, which are oil sands. The main component of this oil would be bitumen. Bitumen is the most toxic form of petroleum, which is called tar. This is a form of crude oil. Last year alone, theses tar sands had 12 spills. This pipeline is predicted to go from Canada to Texas. What happens if another spill occurs and it goes into the ocean or another water supply area? Then what happens if we drink this water?”. “We have lost the battle for the last 10 years to for anything about greenhouse gasses. The process of refining this crude oil needs natural gas. In return, refining the tar sands oil apposed to regular conventional oil causes more greenhouse gas emissions. We shouldn’t use the pipeline. There are too many issues that could arise because of it. We have to take global warming seriously.” Finishing and feeling successful I folded my paper up and put it into the inside of my jacket pocket. The crowd cheered and clapped as I walked off the stage. This is the begging to change.

Future Leaders

Here I am, walking to another class full of students in the middle of the first quarter. My old class was a group of unwilling to learn students. They would sit in their chairs like zombies and say nothing. No one raised his or her hand. Instead they sat holding their phone underneath a desk texting someone across the room or writing notes about me and passing it to the person in front of them. My new room, 304, had my name carved into a wooden plate with gold lettering.  After opening the door, I was greeted with blank unwelcoming faces.

 

She grabs her lesson plan out of her purse

 

 “My name is Mrs. Lou. Today we are going to be discussing the Tar Sands pipeline. In Alberta, Canada, there are Tar Sands. These sands produce toxic and thick oil. The United States is trying to refine and clean the oil so that we can use it in things such as cars. To do this, they are sending a pipeline from Canada to Texas. The problem with this idea is that the oil that would go through the pipeline is too thick. Therefore, it would have to be heated up as it was going through. That just makes us more prone for danger such as the oil leaking. Also the oil is too acidic to transport safely in the pipelines. The same kind of oil that was spilled into the Kalamazoo River last year has the same viscosity of the Tar sands oil. The oil sunk to the bottom of the river and is no longer retrievable”.

The kids in front of me are actually starting to pay attention. Instead of slouching in their seats they were sitting up straight. I could also tell that some of them were trying to raise their hand ad voice their opinions like leaders.

“ The pros of the pipeline would be that it could create jobs for Americans, give us more oil, and allow us not to rely on other countries for oil”. I ended. “ I can see that some of you would like to voice your opinions, write your name on the board in one of the categories, for or against”. The kids immediately got up. Most of them were standing in line to write their names on the left side, against. I am glad that they agree with me.

If you don’t, I will

 

My name is Niagara. My children Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior are the people I care most about. We have our own type of family flow. We understand each other’s problems. I travel around the continent to visit their houses all the time. We support each other because we are a family. I would never leave them in the dust.

The United States is planning on putting a pipeline from Canada to Texas. It’s supposedly going to carry this toxic and crude oil so that they could refine it. Politicians talk about how we are going to be okay because the pipe is not supposed to leak. Do they not remember what happened to my cousin Kalamazoo? His whole house was covered in oil because of an oil leak that was “not supposed to happen” but did about twelve times. Now, he has oil in his basement that he can’t get out. Do they not remember my cousin Gulf? Last year she has approximately 4.9 million barrels of crude oil spilt into her home. It didn’t just affect her, but it affected the animals that lived with her.

What happens if the oil from these pipes leaks out? This could immediately affect my son Superior and daughter Michigan. It could also affect the people who use this water to drink and put into bottles. Why would they do something like this? President Obama can make the decision to put my family at risk or protect us. Just in case, I have to call my family and tell them to brace themselves for the worst and hope for the best.

This project is about exploring different points of view. This is centered on the XL/ tar sands pipeline. This is a controversial topic. And there are many opinions and many was to see what the right thing is. My goal for this project was to see if I could write as different people and still convey what I was thinking. I was hard to not write description. But it was more about the characters then what they looked like. Please enjoy the flowing monologues and video.

​My Point

 

Walks in. sits down and faces the crowd

 “Hello ladies and gentleman. I am Adam Riss.

 Looks over the crowd with only his eyes, does not move head.

Wow this a lot of people here today. Your eyes look like little lights. Flickering off and on as you blink. There are so many of you. But enough about you; to day I will be taking about the XL pipeline as so know as the Tar sands pipeline. The pipeline will be going from Alberta, Canada down to Texas. It will bring 500,000 barrels of crude oil a day to the U.S. This is a gift from our friends in Canada and we are going to cash in on it. It will open up thousands of jobs for Americans. This is a once and a lifetime opportunity. We have to take this oil.

Clinches first.

 Just think if we could get out from under other countries. We could stop fighting a war for oil. I could bring my brother home after three years.

 Begins to get up the sits back down

Ahem. Sorry for the break in my points. I know for a fact that if we don’t support this some one else will take this oil. We need to stick together and give President Obama the motivation to pass this bill. Yes we can build. I know that there are some points I may have missed. I would hate to take up anymore of your time. So I will take a few questions. Questions? Well, yes the pipeline will be running through the largest source of fresh water in the continent of North American. But I am telling you that there is a very low chance that it will leak or break. So we should not be concerned about that. Well, yes, there was another pipeline that did leak a few times…Twelve times? I can see what you are saying. But this pipe is going to be much stronger. I am sorry but we are out of time. I am Adam Riss and thank you.”

Gets up and wakes away.

 

 

The Talk

 

Chou picks up phone. She is at home when her aunt calls her.

“Hey aunt Sara. What is going on, are you going to come pick me up?

Looks at the phone

Where are you? At the North Run airport. What are you going somewhere? Texas.

Raises voice.

Your going to Texas. Why? Uncle Nick is going to work there. He is going to work in Texas. Why, he had a job here. He is going to work for an oil company. You mean the ones that are working with the Trans Canada people. That is going to destroy that world’s ecosystem even more then it all ready is. Do you know where they’re planning to put the pipe?

Gets up and starts to pace.

It’s going to be over the largest patch freshwater in the continent. Do you know what it means if it leaks? It means that we is have to start paying for water form other places. Water a basic human need. I would take that over oil. Why would you support this? I don’t care if it’s a good job opportunity. Do you care that if he dose this that there will not be a world to have jobs on. I this is not ok at all. What about the people in Canada? The Native Americans that live in Canada. There land will be taken way if you support this. He can find another job.” 

The rug seems to be getting a burn. She is moving so fast that her feet are red.

 “I don’t understand. You don’t understand. For someone how was born and raised in a country that is so developed your thinking really isn’t. Everything that you are saying is point less by.”

 

No Voice

 

A piece of then XL pipelines that is lying on the floor, speaking softly.

I’m there thinking of the words that I just heard. I have been here for so long. Just waiting. Waiting for something, or maybe someone. They where moving us. A lot at first but now we are still. I remember the dark room where we where the first time. I was damp we where moving fast. Then I felt the heat all over me. Then to the rocking car what brought use here. The words keep coming; Tar…Sand…Oil. Why do I keep hearing them together? They sound like gravel in a person’s mouth. As if they where trying to make sense of it. But what do they have to do with each other. Tar is hot it burns. Like that room I was in. Sand is at the beach. Cool and soft. And oil powers cars, and everything else in the U.S. They don’t mix.

Moves to another area of the floor.

There hands wrap around my body, now I know what they’re talking about. As they place me in a line. I’m what is moving the tar, sand and oil. I don’t think that is safe. My thin aluminum frame will break. I here more words coming form the workers. New words that I haven’t hared before. Water…pipeline…over…Why would you put water over me. What if the sand gets into it, or the tar? What would happen to the fish? What would happen to the people? This can’t end well. Another worker. Why are they turning me over? A break…a break where… then don’t use me if there is a break. But they can’t hear me. I can’t talk. Then I am placed back in line. I wish I could save the water, the fish, and the people. But I don’t have a voice.

 

 

This project was about other people’s perspectives’ about the pipeline plan. My goals for this project changed a lot. I had many different ideas. I had thought about making a monologue of a kid that lives near the pipeline. Then I thought about animals, natives, and about a person that want to jail but then the idea of a newscaster came to mind. In the end I did what came to me. In the end my goals where to make the monologue what I think and others think is good.

(Newscaster on camera he’s sitting talking about McKibben on the news.)

McKibben and about 64 other protesters started a two-week sit in at the White House on Saturday to go against the $7 billion, 1,700-mile oil pipeline planned to cross the great plains of the nations.

U.S. Park Police had told the protesters that each one of them would be arrested and quickly released with a fee of $100 for trespassing. After the Police/authorities learn that more than 2,000 people from all of the 50 states plan to join the protest from August 21, 2011 until September 3, 2011 the jailed McKibben and his peers until a court hearing on Monday.

 This are comments by McKibben himself “This was a powerful day,” McKibben said in a written statement. “It’s not the easiest thing on earth for law-abiding folk to come risk arrest. It’s hot out here today, especially when you’re wearing a suit and tie. But it’s nowhere near as hot as it’s going to get if we lose this fight.”

“This pipeline has emerged as the single clear test of the president’s willingness to fight for the environment,” McKibben said in a weekend statement. “We’ve already succeeded in nationalizing this fight in a way no one thought was possible. It’s not just a group of people along the pipeline route who are opposing this project anymore. People from all 50 states will be joining us over the coming two weeks.”

After a Saturday rally at Lafayette Square Park, McKibben and other supporters move to a sit-in on the sidewalk in front of the White House. There where to large banners that read “Climate Change is Not in Our National Interest: Stop the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline” and “We Sit In Against the Keystone XL Pipeline. Obama Will You Stand Up to Big Oil?”

That is all have a good day.

(Camera’s off he gets up and walk to his dressing room.)

Again today’s news was about someone going to jail and about what hey think of this whole pipeline shit. Why won’t they just stop already having this pipeline will make more jobs and of all people I have to do this. Talk all fucking day about people that are against it and for it. I tiered of this topic. “Hey get me a water.”  

What happen to me on that day.

(Siting telling people about her d grandma)

Hello my name is Kini and this stories is about my granmather. Anevay Kuwanyauma is my name and I lived in North Dakota when the pipelines where build. I was just truing eight on the day that the pipelines broke and made us move. I remember the day like it was just yesterday.  It’s more of a nightmare then a memory to me. I was with my friends laughing and singing our favorite song. After sometime we started running. This land that once my ancestor had once run through. It was a very beautiful day that my friend and I wanted to go swimming. We went to the lake that was very near when we got there we saw a dark black hole the water wasn’t there it was swallowed by the tar-sand oil. I ran back to my house told my parents the moment I ended my mom fell to her knees and unknown tear fell from her eyes. Dad’s eye turned blood red with anger. “You see our parents were right the pipes were going to brake.” But what we had not known was that all the pipelines were barking as we were talking. Then the alarm burst though our though and made our body move by it’s self. We grabbed what ever we could and my dad want and got the car. My mom grabbed my hand I dropped my favorite toy I reached for it but my mom pulled harder. Tears fell from my face the cool tear had not stop for two years. I was thinking why did we leave so fast why wouldn’t they let me pick up my toy. Now I know why. My first day back after forty years. It’s still not so safe to be here but I just wanted to see it once more the land that I cannot chare with my kid or my grandkids. So why is all I want to know why would America build a pipeline.

The story from a wolf

I had lived here in this forest for the past ten years. When I was a pup my parents where killed by poachers. I now have my own pack. When I heard that the human wanted to take more of our land, it was created. It makes me very mad if something were to happen in my territory and my pack is hurt I will not fear death. This thing they call a pipeline that they will bring from a far way place with dirty oil. They also say if this pipelines brake that the oil can kill a lot of life, and also kill our food sores. Not only that, the water that we drink will get to a point that will be undrinkable. I really don’t want this. I will attack and kill if anything happens. The human leader is another person that doesn’t care about taking our homes, and killing us off. I will never forgive the humans. My wife is now pregnant and she will soon give berth. I don’t want my pups to come to this world to learn that the humans are killing it. I remember hearing stories from my grandparent that the world was once very different. Humans use to take care of the world but now look. Why can’t the world just go back to those times then maybe my parents would be alive right now?

Intro Paragraph: My goals in writing these monologues. Is to show how many views there are. Whether you are for or against the pipeline. I wanted to show all the different emotions of this situation, sadness, anxiety, rage, regret, confidence and many more. I want to show the government how much they are hurting their citizens.

 

Monologue #1: Are You Serious

Setting: outside of her house, showing the factories. In her hand is  

 

      I’ll tell you how hard it’s been to live here. My community has had illnesses like throat cancer, if they build the pipelines, what’s going to happen? When did they start building factories? They’ve been making different factories across the street from my house ever since I was in kindergarten. This isn’t worth losing more people. I would come home and smell this horrible smell that was deadly. Money is going to be wasted. They need to make wiser choices.  We have all these different factories that’s causing odors. I think about the pipeline situation from time to time and people will have jobs if we have pipelines. But while the pipelines are being made it’s damaging, and causing problems.

      What’s your final answer about this situation, should this happen or not? Do you see this newspaper in my hand? Almost every time I read the news it doesn’t say specifically if Obama is going to let this happen, and once he makes up his mind. Once 6 months pass, with change or no change, then I’ll make up my mind, but for right now I’m not too sure. This situation is bittersweet, it’s going to help people out financially because people will be provided jobs but then again they’re going to be wasting billions of dollars.

  

  

Monologue #2: You're So Greedy : by Morgan Taylor

*The goddess of the earth says this with a lot of passion and a little bit of rage.

I give and give and give! All I get in return is this crappy piece of nothingness. (these 2 sentences are said with a bunch of rage) Yes, I am a goddess but there is only so much that I can do. In the beginning it was ok. People respected my earth because they really acknowledged that it was all they had to survive.(Happiness/calm in these 2) All of a sudden my guests got extremely greedy and started destroying my work. Cutting down my beautiful forests, polluting my oceans, taking more than what is needed and killing my master pieces of animals.(anger and rage) I did a pretty good job making this little sphere of joy, but maybe I didn’t do such a good job of protecting it. That is going to change soon.

Then the government thinks there all tall and mighty and decides to ruin the last of my work with a pipeline that goes from Canada to Texas. In this pipeline there will be nasty black, gooey and just unclean oil. It is all about the money to you people. What are you going to do if you have nothing else left? Oh, that’s right you are going to die. The “Bad Guys” say “It will be good for the economy and we will be able to live better lives.” DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING! I made this earth to the best of my ability and you the greedy ones are destroying it.

Now you’re scared because I am finally taking a stand and getting angry. All of these natural disasters, all of the people dying are your doing. I am just showing you what you have been doing this entire time. I have tried to be understanding and loving, but there only so much that I can take. I demand respect! My earth needs to be respected!

Not only have you betrayed me by making this decision, you have betrayed all of the earth. For billions of years the Earth that has hosted you on this planet. You do have a chance to make it better. The first step is to not make this pipeline that will destroy what you have left of your world. I now leave it in your hands to make this huge decision. Hope you make the right one.

 

 

Monologue #3: Will This Be The Right Choice?

       

Setting: At school taking a test.

 

     Here I am twirling my lucky pencil in my hand, and holding a test in front of my face not rushing to do my test to be the first person to be finished but I’m…wondering… Re-playing the whole phone call I had with my dad yesterday

He said though I’m an a little young to really rap my head around the situation

He has to decide weather he should deny the permit for the oil Pipelines or not.

Pipelines – Transports goods through a pipe.

He also told me that people would be given jobs, if the pipeline happens.

Will my dad make the right choice?

     I know I’m only ten years old, and have no say in weather we should resume with pipelines or not… But I think that my father should pass it. People will be provided jobs, right? That would be great, because people have been getting laid for the past 3 years.  

     I did some research after talking to my dad…and it said that a pipeline is a network that delivers the nations crude oil such as gasoline, jet fuel and home heating oil, is that good or bad?

Will that be hurting the environment or improving the environment.

 

Will he make the right choice?

 

Monologue #4: by Morgan Taylor

*A man in a jail sell regrets his decision for standing up for what is right. He is anxious and debating weather or not he made the right choice protesting.

         Why did this happen to me? Why did I make such a bad decision. I have 2 kids and a wife at home I need to take care of. Right now they think i am on a business trip in Los Angeles. What is my wife going to say when she find out where I actually am. I am the man of the house I need to bring home the bacon for my family. I want to say I was being selfish but I am really just trying to protect my home. I grew up in South Dakota 2blocks from where they are going to rip up the earth and place that monstrous pipeline. All of my childhood memories will be destroyed. Where will my parents go? They are to old to handle this type of change.

This jail cell is so cold and damp. I am going to ruin my good work clothes. I didn’t know I was going to be arrested. I just wanted to do the right thing and defend our mother earth. Bad decisions, after bad decisions. Money in my family is really tight because of the economy. Now my family has to pay bail for me to get out. I don’t even want to tell them, I am scared that they will not trust me any more. I wasn’t thinking straight, I didn’t think about the consequences of protesting. Will i loose my job? How will this affect my reputation? I really hope that I am setting a good example for my kids. I don’t want them to end up like this. In a 6 by 6, cold, dirty and damp space regretting a decision that was made.

When I think about it i think I am being selfish, but also standing up in what I believe in and protecting my family. When my grand kids are born I want them to have a world to live in that isn’t a piece of crap. My generation and generations before have ruined our future generations home. I feel bad that they have to clean up our mess. Maybe I did do the right thing and my family will understand that I was fighting for them.

 

 

 

Monologue #5: It’s all about the workers and to heck with the Environment, I need a job!

 

 Setting: At the site of one of the pipelines. Getting interviewed

       Honestly I think that they need to pass this, I need a job, this will be providing for hundreds of unemployed people at the moment.  Even If it’s going to be polluting the earth. Right about now we need, no I NEED a job. For the past years thousands of people have been unemployed – I’ve been unemployed. And right here these pipelines are jobs that will be able to give to the thousands of people who are unemployed.  Are you trying say that the only thing that you care about right now is yourself? No, not exactly, I’m just saying that we’ve started with the pipeline and the construction and all of a sudden we had to stop, no money is flowing through! Obama wants a solution for these unemployed citizens and its right in front of our faces! So close that I can - we can all taste it. We will be one step closer to have a better economy, not environmentally. I’m all for the environment, but I’m ready to sacrifice this environment so I can have a job.

 If you already had a job, and was asked about the Pipeline situation, what would you say?

     To be honest I would be on the side to try to save the environment, because

if this happens, its hurting Mother Nature. These Pipelines aren’t healthy for this environment. But I need to provide for family-my children…

With these monologues I wanted to provide different viewpoints on the pipeline.  One of the things that is major about the pipeline are injured workers.  I wrote one as a person who just had an injury and one talking to his kids about the pipe line after his injury.  With the one of the guy talking to his family I wanted to get the view of somebody that is already home and how they would tell about the pipeline.  The last one is a person that is trying to get rid of the protesters.  I was trying to show how a guard would feel about the situation.  They are just doing there jobs but they might have different opinons on it.

Monologues

Merrik Saunders

Good Old Fashion Chaos

Just a week after the surgery Dave is sitting in a wheel chair alone in the hospital.  He is imagining the times before the accident.  He believes he can walk again but soon after falls to the ground.  Tim starts to relive the accident.

Just alone at the hospital I start to imagine the days before I was stuck in a wheel chair.  I begin to lift my self-up, hoping that I could walk again.  The same thing happens every time.  I start to remember the accident.  What people perceive as pain doesn’t even come close to this.  I start to fall.  I hold my self up with the bar in front of me.  The things attached at my hips no longer work.  The shiny white tiles turn into the tan dirt.  I am scared out of my mind realizing what was going to happen.  My hands drenched with sweat slip off the bar and I fall into the ditch below.  I gave the signal to go before I slipped.  My other people couldn’t see me from the massive crane and pipe it was holding.  In ten seconds the metal is on top of me crushing my legs.  Snapping all of the bones.  I let out a scream.  One of those screams that show true pain and suffering.  The rest of my men take what seems like an eternity to get the pipe off of me.  Why the hell was is so damn hard to get a pipe out of a ditch?  The searing pain turns into a numb feeling.  I start to see blackness.  Then just like that I am strapped down to what I think is a table of some sort.  The sharp knives start to tear open my legs exposing the damage that has been done.  Men and woman are rushing around me in blue masks and robes.  I start to convulse in pain.  Two seconds later the darkness is back to drag me down again.  The nurse is running towards me in great haste.  Am I back in the hospital now?  The white tiles are back and my legs are healed but not working.  They wheel me back to my room to lie down.  Damn it happened again. 

Just Doing My Job

Greg is at the White House keeping guard.  He sees the protesters starting to swarm in.  He gets a call to rally up his men and take care of them.

Stupid tree huggers, they are always getting in the way.  No mater what this pipe is going to happen so they should just suck it up.  Do they realize the good that will come from all of this?  It will make it way easier to get oil to the states.  The oil prices will go significantly down.  I thought these people wanted the oil price down.

Get call to get rid of the protesters

  “Yes Sir. I’ll get right on it” I should probably get down there.  My men and I started down the stairs of the Whit House to confront the protesters.  They are instructed to leave the premises but of course they gave us a hard time.  Then there was this one guy who wouldn’t move.  No mater what we said he wasn’t budging.  We start to move towards the one person.  Then out of know were the guy pulls out a knife and starts to run towards me screaming.  “You will pay for killing the earth,” he said.  Then I reach into my suit jacket and pull out my gun.  “Freeze”, I said but he was still running.  I hesitate for a second.  I put the gun up to aim and look down the barrel.  Then just like that I pull the trigger.  Bang!  The bullet hit him and the guy falls to the ground tumbling towards us.  I feel my hand drop to look at the scene.  We start to walk over to him.  I shot the man in the leg.  The man is screaming and holding his leg.  The blood is staining the green grass.  I look at him thinking to my self did it really have to go down like this.  Then they start to take him away.  They really must feel strongly about this pipeline.  He knew the consequences for his action still he did it.  Maybe this pipeline really is bad.  I turn and start to walk away.  It can’t possibly be that bad, or can it? 

Playing With Fire 

After an explosion while working on a pipeline Dan decides to protest against the pipeline and thinks that working on it is a bad decision. 

I get home and I am just amazed at the things that could happen with this pipeline.  ”Hey kids come hear” I said, “Daddy is back.  Were is mommy?”  She is just getting ready for work as usual.  “Hey I have something to tell you all.  Remember daddy’s work, and what happened?  I just got a bunch of information from it.  Things like how the pipeline might pollute the water.  That’s not good for people to drink or for the fishes ether.  They look up at me in astonishment.  A lot the places that the pipe is going through disturbs places that animals and people lived.”  They are just kids but I think that they should at least know about it especially what happened with me.  They ask me why would anyone want to hurt people and plants? I tell them it’s to make a lot of money.  They will do it even if they hurt the word.  Then they ask why would I work to help that?  I say it’s to provide for the house.  With out the job they couldn’t have the things that they like.  I tell them that to not worry, good people are trying to stop it from happening and daddy is looking for a new job.  They go off and play for a bit.  My wife sees that I have told them and happy about it.  About a half a hour the kids come back to me with a drawing.  They say it’s for me.  It’s a picture of me breaking a pipe in half and stopping the construction.  “Daddy likes it a lot,” I said.  I really wish I could do that but for now I will just try to do what I can to stop this pipe from happening.

OPENING PARAGRAPH

To begin, I though this was a very fun and creative assignment. The reason being is that we were able to make up a story by standing in a fictional made up characters shoes in the mean time, we were learning. During the making of the assignment, we had to act as if we are a person that is being impacted by the Keystone XL Pipeline. And with that factor being played it gave us as the students to people creative in many possibly ways. So when creativity is a role in education rather than a direct assignment, it allows to the students express their selves in ways while still being educationally active.


​Woken From A Mistaken Earthquake

Chad is standing with his arms crossed with a focused expression on his face
Hello, my name is Chad Dickinson and I am a current household owner in the Steele City Area. I have many things to say against this fancy oil pipeline thing going one in my area. I am fully aware of the fact that I am not the only one being affected by this, but I am one of the million that is infuriated with this movement. It all began on August 22nd or August 23rd I was woken up by the sound of a truck engine at about 6:30 in the morning. I look out my window and see a white eighteen-wheeler truck with long pipes chained on top being driven across my neighbor Sally’s cornfield. To continue, I watched them drive across the cornfield and release the chains. Once released, the pipes rolled off of the truck and fell to the ground. That is only the beginning of my hatred. I’m hating so much because the stuff that people like Sally and I make, such as corn, is just destroyed because the ignoramus companies wanting their millions while others are becoming dirt poor. This is can no longer continue. I can assure you that we as a community can and will form a group and boycott this movement so that us people can live our lives with out obstructions in the way. The first person that I got to join this group was my neighbor Sally Duguid.

Ones Lifestyle Destroyed
Sally is sitting in a chair, legs crossed, wiping random tears, and has a depressed expression on her face
                   Hi there, my name is Sally Duguid, and I am also a current household owner in the Steele City Area. As you all shall know from the interview with Chad, a large portion of my cornfield has been destroyed.
Puts her face in her hands and weeps for 3 seconds. Uncover your face and wipe the tears away

I’m sorry about that, its just that this is such a devastation to me. Let me continue, so I would say that it was about 6:30 maybe 7:00 in the morning, and I am woken up by the sound of something snapping, and my house was shaking. Well the snapping noise was the corn stalks being run over, and I’m pretty sure my house was shaking because of the truck, but at first I thought it was an earthquake. As the house began to shake I quickly ran into my sons bedroom, grabbed him and we ran out the house. As we jolted out the back door I notice a big white truck driving right through my cornfield. I started screaming at the truck to stop, but the sound of the engine overpowered my scrawny voice. Since I couldn’t get the trucks attention, I ran over to my neighbor Chad’s house. I asked him what was going on and he was clueless, so we decide to take a walk down the path of squashed corn. Once we approached the truck, we asked the driver who he was and what he was doing. He told us his name was Rick McKnight and updated us on the information that an oil pipeline will be placed in my cornfield. After he went into further detail I just walked away in disappointment. From their, my neighbor told me about a group he was attempting to conjure up to go against this pipeline being placed in our area. But for now on there is nothing we can do about the situation, its all about money. If we had millions then we could possibly get our selves out of this, we would probably be able to bribe Keystone XL to not do this in Steele City. But unfortunately we don’t have millions; all we have is a cornfield.  

Pipeline Point Of View From An Employee

Rick is standing there with a slouch, wiping sweat off his forehead, and taking big breathes occasionally to catch his breath due to the heat. Now and then stumbles with sentences.
Howdy there, my name is Rick McKnight and I am a Truck Driver Delivery Man for Keystone XL. During the spring of 2011 I was laid off from my job as an auctioneer. So I went job hunting and found this. It may not be my favorite job, but it pays the bills. Anyways, there are a few reasons why I don’t like this job. First, I’m driving a truck up, down, and around the USA picking up pipes for this fancy pipeline that my employer is building. It becomes very much just getting the pipes on top of the truck. But then after that, I have to chain them and buckle them. It is a lot of work. The other reason I don’t enjoy this is job is the way that the pipes are going to be used that I have to deliver. The reason I don’t like the usage of these pipes is they are going to stretch across the USA vertically. And the way they are stretching, they are going right through my hometown in Texas. For all I know, I might wake up one morning and have giant pipes laid out in my back yard. If they do put them anywhere near my house I might just have to move. Because I live with my wife and two daughters, and my daughters occasionally go outside to play and these pipes can be put their life on the line. When I say, “Put their life on the line” it may sound dramatic, but I am being realistic. Whenever they go outside, I am going to have to worry about them running into a pipe and tripping, or even a pipe exploding. To finish up with my ranting, I must say that this pipeline project is possibly one of the most idiotic and horrifying things that the USA has ever allowed to happen to their country.

The things that I wanted too show were different point of views of how the Keystone XL pipeline can affect people in different ways. Such as in my 3 monologues one was about a single woman not wanting the pipeline too go through home because she couldn't afford to pay for damages. Another was an environmentalist not wanting the pipeline because it was affecting the earth, and last but not least a rich stingy lady not caring where they put the pipeline as long as it wasn't near her home. These were all against the pipeline but from different perspectives. 

Phone Rings,

Maria picks it up

 

Hello?

I am complaining about the Keystone XL pipeline.

 

My name?

 

Yes my name is Maria Lopez; I live in a small house with my two children and mother.

I have huge yard where I harvest vegetables and all sorts of crops. I have no job, which is why I depend on my crops that I harvest too sell too other people and too feed my family. I am complaining about the Keystone XL pipeline because they are trying to bring it through my yard, and if they bring it through my yard and a disaster occurs I would have no crops too sell or too feed my family. Since my house is in a deserted area we would have no help, meaning we will have too move somewhere further and leave our home. Which isn’t possible.

 

Man on the phone. Why can’t you leave your home?

 

Why can’t I leave my home? Well sir for starters I don’t have enough money to afford another home and my mother is too sick for us too move to another place.

 

Takes deep breathe.

 

Well that is all I have too say, but please before you decide too put this Keystone XL pipeline through my home think about my children, and what is going too happen too them, also think about my mother and what may happen too her. I don’t want them too suffer the consequences of this pipeline.

Thank you. Bye.

 

Hangs up phone.

 

 

 

 

Pulls out paper and pen and starts writing.

 

Dear, earth destroyers

 

Hi, my name is Susan Cooper I am an environmentalist.

I’m a single woman with no children. I live by myself in a condo, and the other day I was reading through the newspaper where I saw that Canada was trying too bring the Keystone XL pipeline through the U.S.

 

I am complaining about this because I don’t feel as though the environment should be endangered just because they want to save money and bring in more jobs.

Did you people forget that we are not the only things that live here? This isn’t cool and then you guys have guts too know that the pipeline can go through homes. Do you people think we can just grab our things and just migrate like nothing is going on?

 

Have some sense in yourselves, but I know one thing I’m not going too tolerate you guys destroyed the environment we live in. You people are destroying the earth, but when you people get the meaning through your heads then you will all thank me.

 

Until then you guys should be worrying about yourselves then ways to save money and destroying the earth.

 

Sincerely, Susan Cooper also known as tree hugger

 

Folds up letter and places it in envelope.

 

That out of teach them. Hmmm.

 

 

 

 

 

Pulls up face time on Iphone.

Lady speaks in British voice

 

Hello sir, my name is Lisa Anderson.

I am a rich, independent, hardworking woman.

I don’t depend on anybody for nothing except my maids, butler, and lawnmower. Their job is too have everything my way. I live in a 4-flour house.

I am complaining because these despicable people have sent me a letter warning me about the Keystone XL pipeline running around my home. Well let me warn you people about something if that pipe reaches anywhere near my home causing any sort of damage I will make sure every little penny is coming out of your pockets. Also making sure that you people buy me a whole knew house that tops this one. Because of course I wouldn’t want too live in a house that has been damaged. I don’t care if you people place this Keystone XL pipeline anywhere else as long as it isn’t anywhere near my home. I don’t want too have too repeat myself if not you people will have too face the consequences.

Well that is all I have too say today, thank you very much.

 

Cheerio.

 

Closes face time on Iphone.

 

Well now that, that is done, “ Carlos is my lawn mowed darling?”

 In history we had to write about the Keystone XL pipeline project and different peoples’ views on it. For my monologues, I chose Obama and a woman who lives in Nebraska to write as. I really wanted to put emphasis on how bad the pipeline was, but I didn’t think it was fair so I threw in some good points about the idea as well. I think the overall project idea was really creative. Learning about the people involved and learning about the pipeline project in general really makes you think about how we can make the world a better place.

 

 "What to do what to do." 

“Okay, I think there’s time for one more question”.

“Obama sir, as of right now what will your decision be on the Keystone XL pipeline project”?

Here it was. The question I’ve been avoiding for 3 years. Hmmm, What’s my decision on the pipeline project? For now, I am leaning towards approving it. We need cheap oil. This is very reliable, and will help our country greatly because our energy rates have gone up. This will give us thousands of jobs, even if they’re temporary. (Puts hand in head) But there are many downsides to this as well. Spills, it affects the water that these people drink. That I drink. Also, climate change is another horrific outcome. We already had an earthquake, and a recorded hurricane in other parts of the country. We need to act now on the bad things that are already happening, but this pipe plan makes it worse. Another thing I was thinking about was, this oil is extremely dirty. It will take us even more money to completely clean it so we can use it.

Either way, I will lose votes. I watched a video with my wife the other day. People were getting arrested right in front of my home, just to stop the pipeline plan. They say it will destroy their homes. This decision could make or break my presidency. For now, I can’t say anything. It will lead the wrong direction and just give me more problems. I’ll have to think about it.

“I’m sorry, there is no more time left in this interview. Thank you.”

 

 

 Farmer living in NEbraska. 

I woke up this morning, and turned on the news. They were talking about the Keystone XL pipeline project. Last week my husband took a plane to Washington D.C and protest this madness. He unfortunately got arrested and had to spend 24 hours in jail, but I’m glad he fought for us. I have been living here, in Nebraska for 32 years with my husband. We farm here, that’s how we survive. About a month ago, two large men in an expensive black suits came knocking on our door. They told us we had two options, have to pipeline go through our fields, or move. It’s worse enough now that it will pollute our air and create severe climate change, but to go through our fields. It’s a different story about our land, that is our life. That’s how we make money, and get our food. There must be some other way to get oil and not hurt us like this. Can’t they see it hurts innocent citizens? The ones who work hard for the little things they have. No, they pick on us the most. We need a voice. We need someone in a big black suit to stick up for us. The environment is so important and we need to preserve it. This damage will only make more problems. We could have more flooding, severe pollution, and oil leaks in my backyard. Even though I don’t want to leave, I can’t afford cleaning up an oil spill and risking health of my children. This plan needs to stop.

What goes on out side the white house-

  Talking to the news reporter about how she’s been arresting people all day. Just awkwardly sitting there keeping an eye on the protesters. 

How do I feel about arresting all these people? Well of course I feel bad, I mean because I agree with them.  Also, my family is going to be effected by it. The keystone pipeline XL will be going through my mothers yard in Nebraska. It would just be horrible if there were a leak because she really can’t afford to have it cleaned. Not to mention all the other things that the spill could cause, for example pollution. This pipeline is nothing but bad news to us. I would love to be protesting out here, but I much rather have this job then get fired. I mean one more person isn’t really going to make a difference. In the end they’re only making it harder for me to do my job. Excuse me one moment.

The pipeline will be carrying dirty oil from Canada to the United States, and it will be coming in at 900,000 barrels a day. The climate is bad already. This pipeline would just make things worst. The climate would be all mixed up. 

Can I think of any pros? Well, it’s cheap and reliable. But that’s only two compared to all the cons that I’ve just talked about. Another would be jobs, but there’s not that many and it’s really not worth all the damage this is going to cause. Excuse me again I have to leave now.

All against the Key Stone!

Just sitting in a chair, in an interview. She is sitting at a desk just explaining where she stands on the pipeline xl.

 Hi my name is Dana Miller, I am a person who is strongly against the Keystone Pipeline. I protested for a while but I didn’t get arrested, thankfully. There are so many reasons that the pipeline shouldn’t happen. “The pipeline would pump some of the dirtiest oil in the world. Not to mention we are putting our farms in risk of an oil spill.” Also, a lot of the fresh water sources. We’ve already seen an atrocious oil spill in the gulf, we can’t let that happen again or near the farms and put all those animals at risk. Did you know the tar sands is the second largest pool of carbon on the planet?

 The previous pipeline has leaked a dozen times in just the past year. Who’s to say that this one won’t do the same? People have claimed that this pipeline was only supposed to leak one time in every seven years. Now that’s something to make you question. This one could even be worst, we can never be sure and if it happens then it’s going to be too late. The fact is, the other one happened in the gulf but this one would happen on land. Who can afford to clean that up? Also, there lives are at risk.

People are saying jobs are a big upside. But is all this really worth it, for what could only be like 5,000 jobs. It’s not worth all these consequences. “This pipeline wouldn’t carry the common oil it would carry thick, toxic bitumen. This is pollution that is being transported from Canada to the United States.” Even though the oil is cheaper then normal, we could surely find another alternative. This pipeline could bring close to 900,000 barrels a day.

 

Inside Trans Canada-

In his car talking to a man who new at the Trans Canada Oil company. He is not sure what side he is standing for.

Hello my name is Nick Brosman. I've worked for the Trans Canada Oil company for a long time now and I drive the trucks. Have you heard about the Key Stone pipeline? Well, im completely for it! Now don’t get me wrong I can see where the protesters are coming from about how bad this pipeline is. But I can find way more upsides to this pipeline then downsides and I think when I’m done you will too. Lets look at the first three simple reasons, it’s cheap. This is obvious why its good but just incase you are wondering. So we can afford it for a long time and put that money toward other global problems.  There’s a lot of it. If we’ll be able to use this for a really long time, we wont have to pay for this and then when it runs out pay for something else. We can just stay with this for a long time. We know it’s good reliable oil. We are not the only people who need oil, so if we don’t take this someone else will definitely take it. We can’t risk that. There are so many people who are un-employed and a lot of jobs that need to be taken care of in order to get this pipeline working, and for a long time after. Aside from those jobs, more truck drivers like myself will also be needed. Energy consumption is getting higher and higher, we need this. This brings me back to the point I made earlier about how abundant it is. So as you can see there are plenty of upsides to Keystone pipeline Xl. 

 

In class we recently learned about and were informed about the keystone pipeline project. According to all of the videos we have seen and things we have read about in class there is still a big decision to make based on weather or not the pipeline will actually be built. Disagreements about this are mainly about the health of this environment if the pipeline is built, and the fact that we would be missing out on extra money and having more energy if the pipeline isn’t built. Our assignment was to create monologues based on different peoples opinions. My partner and I choose to base ours on an environmental protectionist, single parent, president Obama, an Exxon worker, and finally a man trying to decide if he wants to move his family. Only one of the people we wrote as was for the Keystone Pipeline and that was the Exxon worker. This project required further thinking and for us to think as someone other then ourselves. When preparing our monologues we made sure we put details and smaller stories into why or why not the people we decided to write as were for or against the Keystone pipeline.

 

 

 

 

The Decision of a Single Parent

 

   Raising four kids on my own and I can’t get a job. Their father is deadbeat, I can’t afford childcare and the kids are too young to stay home alone. So you want to run a pipeline through my yard. Well I don’t know what to say to that. I understand that if this change goes through more jobs will open up and maybe I could be able to support my family. Then again I hear all the bad things that will come along with this pipeline. What would happen to me? What would happen to my children? What would happen to this environment? I think its wrong for me to be selfish and just think about myself and how I wish to be employed. I believe the construction of a pipeline would be both dangerous and unhealthy for the environment. Better yet why would I do that to my children. Our backyard is the only safe place they have to play. If a pipeline is built through my yard then they have no free space to enjoy themselves and play outside. I did some research on the possible damages and bad things that could come with this pipeline and it has been brought to my attention that the oil isn’t even clean, If the oil isn’t clean we are better off without it. I also realized that we would be spending more money than we will actually be making, For the sake of the environment myself and my children I am against the tar sands act.

 

Keystone Pipeline Decision

Hello my name is Samuel Wickerson and I am an environmental protectionist. What I’m here to discuss with you today is production of the keystone XL pipeline. There’s no second guessing that I am against this and I feel this could be the big final piece to destruction. If one leak happens it could cause major harm to our environment, our wildlife, and us included. I mean for people who’s houses will be directly under the pipeline. Themselves and their family will be breathing in Co2 admission if a leak occurs and who wants there wife, there kids, the people they care for breathing in things you shouldn’t. My brother is actually working on this project as one of the constructers so I know mostly the full detail of there plan. He constantly tends to say how the technology we have is advanced to the point where it’s highly inaccurate that a leak will occur, sure there may be a low possibility that a leak will happen but there’s still the chance there taking and that 1 chance can affect the earth we live on today. I feel we should just stick to what were doing and get oil from our allies. It’s a lot safer and a lot more reliable.  Sure it will open job for thousands of people but what’s so good about jobs if u don’t have a earth to work on to do this job? I feel that if we don’t start taking better care of this place we live on its going to crumble right beneath our feets and were going to look back and ask what went wrong and my response to that would be The Keystone XL pipeline and many other issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Decision as the President..

 

  As of now my fellow Americans I understand that you feel I have a really big Decision to make. I totally understand your frustrations but I am doing the best I can to decide weather or not the tar sands pipeline will be good or bad for the country. I see you all protesting outside of the White House and just know all of the arrest were totally out of my hand and were not by my order. Back to the matter at hand I have equally listened to both sides of this disagreement about the pipelines. Yes I have looked into it. There are many benefits as well as bad things that would come along with the pipeline. Some Benefits that could come along with this situation are more jobs, better income, if we have better income we could have more schools. To those of you who are already wealthy and have good jobs this may not really mean anything to you or you may feel this wouldn’t affect you any differently. But, we cannot not neglect everyone else. In my eyes each and every one of you matter. I know I cant make everyone happy but I will do what is right. The down falls to this project are mainly environmental issues. Nothings perfect. A pipeline this huge possibly leaking oil would not be a good sight at all. Also this pipeline is planned to be built over our main source of water. That is a problem for both our health as a nation and the environment as well. This topic requires a lot of thinking. Until then God Bless America.

 

Family Matters

 

( goes to door and picks up mail. Reads through mail and receives a letter from keystone.” Hello Mr. Turner the letter you have now received is on the keystone XL pipeline. There is a proposal for it to be produced currently and if this is passed the pipeline shall be directly under your home. We are sorry for the inconvience but this pipeline shall not affect your daily life. If the proposal does go through we do appreciate your cooperation. Sincerely, Keystone )

 

I’m so confused about the decision of wether I should move me and my family to safety, or to stay here and put up with this pipelineI’ve lived in this god forsaken home for over 20 years and am raising my 8 yr old son and 11 yr old daughter here and I feel that moving them isn’t the best option but the safety of my wife and my children is what matters at this moment and having my kids coming  from school my wife coming from work breathing in Co2 admission every single day… I refuse to have my family suffer because of some idiotic oil. How do you think you can just put a pipeline right under my home. I am outraged by this proposal but at the same time I feel that there isn’t much I can do as one person so maybe the best is to just move..

 

 

Who wouldn’t take this offer !

Hello my name is Tom Jones and i am the president of Exxon. I am here to speak on the discussion of the keystone XL pipeline. I am for this pipeline due to the fact that it would be beneficial to the U.S. One good reason is this Pipeline will provide thousands of jobs for the people out of work. Also the U.S. needs oil and we cant always rely on our on Allies for oil because of the fact that if there was some type of conflict between the two of us they could stop transferring oil over to us and then we would basically be “screwed”  I admit i do see the downside to this, yes there is a possibility of a leak from the pipe and that can release Co2 admission into the air but the chances of a like are fairly  UNLIKELY due to the fact that by the technology we have today the chances are fairly low. Also this will open up thousands of jobs for the unemployed. And lots of people need jobs in the economy we live in today so this is highly beneficial. This also gives  us the ability of being independent when it comes to getting oil. We don’t have to constantly rely on allies to supply us with oil. I feel that not taking this oil is an idiotic move on our part because if we don’t snatch it up someone else will and then we’ll be the ones still having to get it from allies and who knows when that might cease. I feel lets take this opportunity while we still can the U.S can make money from this and God knows we need the money so Take it while its good!

 

By: Brent Scott/Ananda Knight

​Mr.Block assigned us this project and its all about the Key Stone pipeline xl and I have three monologues that show you the pros and cons. One from a police man who is arresting people outside of the White House. Another from a worker for the Trans Canada oil company who is all for the pipeline. The last person is a women who is extremely against the pipeline. When people watch my one monologue and read all three of them, I want them to realize all the bad things about the Key Stone pipeline xl.

What goes on out side the white house-

  Talking to the news reporter about how she’s been arresting people all day. Just awkwardly sitting there keeping an eye on the protesters. 

How do I feel about arresting all these people? Well of course I feel bad, I mean because I agree with them.  Also, my family is going to be effected by it. The keystone pipeline XL will be going through my mothers yard in Nebraska. It would just be horrible if there were a leak because she really can’t afford to have it cleaned. Not to mention all the other things that the spill could cause, for example pollution. This pipeline is nothing but bad news to us. I would love to be protesting out here, but I much rather have this job then get fired. I mean one more person isn’t really going to make a difference. In the end they’re only making it harder for me to do my job. Excuse me one moment.

The pipeline will be carrying dirty oil from Canada to the United States, and it will be coming in at 900,000 barrels a day. The climate is bad already. This pipeline would just make things worst. The climate would be all mixed up. 

Can I think of any pros? Well, it’s cheap and reliable. But that’s only two compared to all the cons that I’ve just talked about. Another would be jobs, but there’s not that many and it’s really not worth all the damage this is going to cause. Excuse me again I have to leave now.

All against the Key Stone!

Just sitting in a chair, in an interview. She is sitting at a desk just explaining where she stands on the pipeline xl.

 Hi my name is Dana Miller, I am a person who is strongly against the Keystone Pipeline. I  protested for a while but I didn’t get arrested, thankfully. There are so many reasons that the pipeline shouldn’t happen. “The pipeline would pump some of the dirtiest oil in the world. Not to mention we are putting our farms in risk of an oil spill.” Also, a lot of the fresh water sources. We’ve already seen an atrocious oil spill in the gulf, we can’t let that happen again or near the farms and put all those animals at risk. Did you know the tar sands is the second largest pool of carbon on the planet?

 The previous pipeline has leaked a dozen times in just the past year. Who’s to say that this one won’t do the same? People have claimed that this pipeline was only supposed to leak one time in every seven years. Now that’s something to make you question. This one could even be worst, we can never be sure and if it happens then it’s going to be too late. The fact is, the other one happened in the gulf but this one would happen on land. Who can afford to clean that up? Also, there lives are at risk.

People are saying jobs are a big upside. But is all this really worth it, for what could only be like 5,000 jobs. It’s not worth all these consequences. “This pipeline wouldn’t carry the common oil it would carry thick, toxic bitumen. This is pollution that is being transported from Canada to the United States.” Even though the oil is cheaper then normal, we could surely find another alternative. This pipeline could bring close to 900,000 barrels a day.

 

Inside Trans Canada-

In his car talking to a man who new at the Trans Canada Oil company. He is not sure what side he is standing for.

Hello my name is Nick Brosman. I've worked for the Trans Canada Oil company for a long time now and I drive the trucks. Have you heard about the Key Stone pipeline? Well, im completely for it! Now don’t get me wrong I can see where the protesters are coming from about how bad this pipeline is. But I can find way more upsides to this pipeline then downsides and I think when I’m done you will too. Lets look at the first three simple reasons, it’s cheap. This is obvious why its good but just incase you are wondering. So we can afford it for a long time and put that money toward other global problems.  There’s a lot of it. If we’ll be able to use this for a really long time, we wont have to pay for this and then when it runs out pay for something else. We can just stay with this for a long time. We know it’s good reliable oil. We are not the only people who need oil, so if we don’t take this someone else will definitely take it. We can’t risk that. There are so many people who are un-employed and a lot of jobs that need to be taken care of in order to get this pipeline working, and for a long time after. Aside from those jobs, more truck drivers like myself will also be needed. Energy consumption is getting higher and higher, we need this. This brings me back to the point I made earlier about how abundant it is. So as you can see there are plenty of upsides to Keystone pipeline Xl.

In Obama’s head

  Sitting in a conference room while being interviewed and he’s just staring at the wall and thinking in his head.

 Okay, I think there’s time for one more question”.

“Obama sir, as of right now what will your decision be on the Keystone XL pipeline project”?

Here it was. The question I’ve been avoiding for 3 years. Hmmm, What’s my decision on the pipeline project? For now, I am leaning towards approving it. We need cheap oil. This is very reliable, and will help our country greatly because our energy rates have gone up. This will give us thousands of jobs, even if they’re temporary. (Puts hand in head) But there are many downsides to this as well. Spills, it affects the water that these people drink. That I drink. Also, climate change is another horrific outcome. We already had an earthquake, and a recorded hurricane in other parts of the country. We need to act now on the bad things that are already happening, but this pipe plan makes it worse. Another thing I was thinking about was, this oil is extremely dirty. It will take us even more money to completely clean it so we can use it.

Either way, I will lose votes. I watched a video with my wife the other day. People were getting arrested right in front of my home, just to stop the pipeline plan. They say it will destroy their homes. This decision could make or break my presidency. For now, I can’t say anything. It will lead the wrong direction and just give me more problems. I’ll have to think about it.

“I’m sorry, there is no more time left in this interview. Thank you.”

A farmer’s life

Just woke up and is going to watch the news.

I woke up this morning, and turned on the news. They were talking about the Keystone XL pipeline project. Last week my husband took a plane to Washington D.C and protest this madness. He unfortunately got arrested and had to spend 24 hours in jail, but I’m glad he fought for us. I have been living here, in Nebraska for 32 years with my husband. We farm here, that’s how we survive. About a month ago, two large men in an expensive black suits came knocking on our door. They told us we had two options, have to pipeline go through our fields, or move. It’s worse enough now that it will pollute our air and create severe climate change, but to go through our fields. It’s a different story about our land, that is our life. That’s how we make money, and get our food. There must be some other way to get oil and not hurt us like this. Can’t they see it hurts innocent citizens? The ones who work hard for the little things they have. No, they pick on us the most. We need a voice. We need someone in a big black suit to stick up for us. The environment is so important and we need to preserve it. This damage will only make more problems. We could have more flooding, severe pollution, and oil leaks in my backyard. Even though I don’t want to leave, I can’t afford cleaning up an oil spill and risking health of my children. This plan needs to stop.

 

 

         

In my project I wanted to show different views from different kinds of people. I showed a pipeline worker, that would normally be for the pipeline. I made it so he didn't like working there and he was against the pipeline. I also made one of my monologs in the view of someone for the pipeline. I wanted to raise the issues of the pipeline having spills and being really dirty oil.

A Protestor’s Speech

You are talking quietly to yourself as you are standing on the stage about to a crowd of protesters at the protest in front of the White House. 

Thinking to yourself:

My name is Amelia and I am one of the protesters against the Keystone XL Pipeline. I’m standing here in a crowd of people who are trying to get Obama to stop this pipeline.  I am on a stage, about to tell people what I have to say. 

Your hands shaking with excitement and fear. You start speaking in the microphone.

“I’m Amelia. I live in Oklahoma and this pipeline will be going right through my backyard. I have a message for the government from the people of The United States. Yes, it would create jobs, but is it really worth worth what it would cost to clean up the amount of oil leaks and spills per a year? The first Keystone pipeline caused twelve spills in the first year. Remember the BP oil spill of 2010? Well there could be a lot more of that. Wild life would be in danger. Fish would die and there could be a short supply of food. It would be a catastrophe if a spill happened. Tar Sands oil is among the dirtiest carbon-intensive fuels on earth. As you probably know, there was a tar sands oil spill in July in the Kalamazoo River. You can’t build this. Its not worth it. There are other ways to create jobs. And even more ways if you keep the money you would need to clean up spills. I just hope you are listening.”

You step down from the stage, giving the mic to the next person as the sound of roaring cheers for your speech fill your ears.

Video Diary of a Pipeline Worker

Your sitting in a bulldozer holding your camera in front of your face. You are recording a video so you can show people how awful it is to work at the pipeline. You start recording the video and speak in a nervous, whispery voice because you are scared you will be caught not working. 

“Hi everyone. I am sitting here in a bulldozer, working on the Keystone XL Pipeline. I have no idea why I’m working here because I’m fully against the pipeline. Let me tell you a bit about me. I grew up in the US, got married happily, and had three beautiful children. We were living in peace and happiness but then I lost my job and we went broke. The only job I could get was in Canada working on the pipeline. My family had to move to Canada. Now, I’m sitting here thinking about how its such a horrible place. Ugh! Theres the feeling is again. It comes about five minutes after I get here and never leaves. Its the feeling of pure dirt like you need a shower right away. You work here with the messiest kind of oil there is. Its made of clay, sand, water, and bitumen. Bitumen is this horrible heavy black viscous oil. This is one of the worst jobs you could ever imagine. When I’m working, I never stop wanting another job, preferably back in the United States. I have to hide the fact that I don’t agree with who I am working for. I don’t want to be fired, at least not before I can find another job. I hate the fact that I’m destroying the earth. I just want to be back in California where I grew up. I gotta go, the boss is coming”

You quickly turn the camera off.

Police Officer at the Protest

Puts handcuffs on a young man.

Why are these stupid protestors bothering everyone? I should be having a relaxing day at work, but instead I’m putting handcuffs on, oh I don’t know, maybe the tenth person I’ve arrested today? Why couldn’t I just be relaxing by the edge of the highway, waiting for some speeding car or something like that? These people are smiling as they get arrested. Who do they think they are? I don’t get it.

Starts shouting at a guy who is trying to take your picture.

“Now theres a camera in my face? Are you trying to take my picture, or the picture of the person I’m arresting? Stop pointing that camera at me!” 

Tries to cover face and put another set of handcuffs on someone at the same time. 

I have no idea why they are protesting this pipeline. I think it is a great idea. The U.S. needs more oil, and more jobs. My cousin is unemployed and is close to homelessness. This pipeline would give him a chance at work. If these people are really going to protest this, why can’t they do it somewhere thats actually legal? Why do it in front of the White House? 

Your friend comes over and takes the guy you about to put in the cop car. You start handcuffing someone else. All of a sudden the guy your arresting says your name. You realize its your old friend Sam. 

Oh great, my old friend Sam is being arrested now, by me. And now he’s talking about the pipeline. Now he's asking what I think about it? I remember why I stopped being this guy’s friend in the first place. 

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7b-4bqRrz03ZmM4Y2ZjNjMtOWQwYi00MWZkLTgyMWQtM2JjYjc3M2VmNmM2&hl=en_US

​What we did was learn about the Tar Sands oil Pipeline project and We were told to make 3 monologues writing in three different peoples point of views and see what its like to be other people and see what they are thinking like. We also had to record one

                                                What is the Pipeline?

Today the US is debating on whether to drill the crude oil in the tar sands of Alberta, Canada. Although I’m not for the pipeline but I need this job because my wife and I are running on a tight budget right now. They claim to provide jobs but they exclude people because of their of their relationship with the pipeline and how it runs. I can’t tell the audience is but it feels wrong to not tell them, and now its time to do my presentation. The Tar Sands oil from Canada could bring many jobs for a certain length of time for the construction of the pipeline that will run through at least 4 to 5 states and maybe an Indian reserve. It will run through many residences and an aqua firer having a great risk for people who have the pipeline running through there backyards. It also creates a big risk for the residences that get water from the aqua firer nearby. Another problem could be that TransCanada could be trying to evade some minor safety issues to save money. It will bring money and jobs to the United states as well as the fact that we don’t have to go to a foreign country to drill oil and ship it over here, but with the crude oil from the tar sands it takes 3 barrels of water to have 1 barrel of oil for us. The risk of having a massive pipeline under residences creates a possible risk of having an oil spill in backyards.

 

                                                The Dene

 

The Dene is a Native American tribe that lives a long the pathway of the Tar sands crude oil pipeline. Even if the Keystone XL Pipeline does create jobs, TransCanada could exclude hiring people from the Dene. They could try to drive the Dene out of their homes because of the Crude Oil that could harm the environment. It could create a untrusting relationship between the Dene Native American tribe, and the Government because they are there legally. Many Indian tribes contribute to the environment and always take care of it, but if we drill the crude oil we have a chance of destroying some of the environment as a by product. It could possibly harm the wild life living in the nearby areas. It can affect the homes of the residences with the pipeline running through their home. It will make it more dangerous and riskier for the children to go outside and enjoy the fresh air. The oil can affect the homes and make certain household objects smell odd. It can have a safety hazard because you could smell the gasses in the house if it leaks out. The Dene tribe could be angered because they were left out of the jobs that the companies claim to hire people. They could sue the companies because its going threw their reservation. The Dene could become very sick because of the chemicals that could possibly leak out of the pipeline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                            My kids

As I drove home today I was thinking what would happen if the President allowed the keystone pipeline that usually averages about 25 years as a life span. I was driving home thinking if I would have to move away because of the possibility of the pipeline being drilled under my backyard and house. My kids might not be able to play some sports in our backyard with their friends. They won’t be able to enjoy the great outdoors like I did. My wife and I won’t be able to have the backyard pool parties me and the neighbors come over for a couple hours to eat and talk about recent events. As I was driving home I happened to drive by a school and I wondered were would all the kids play if the pipeline ran under their neighborhoods and parks and surrounding areas. Where would these kids go if the pipeline ran under the playgrounds?  How would the joggers be safe with the massive pipeline running through their pathway? I turned on the radio to see if any of the local news networks were talking about this massive pipeline that could change the United States. When I reached my house I came in and turned on the TV to see if there were any developments. I reached for the controller as the initial channel was something my kids were watching last night. I pressed on the channel+ button furiously until I found a local new channel that was talking about the Keystone XL Pipeline.

 

 

Jalisa Smith

Pipeline Monologues

            This unit was different for me. We had to write three polished monologues about the Keystone XL Pipeline, in someone else’s perspective. For my three monologues I chose to write as Michelle Obama, a single mother with no job and the prime minister of Canada. I wanted the reader to feel as though they were capturing the emotions that were going through the character, along with that I wanted the audience to understand the situation, that Michelle Obama probably doesn’t agree with it either but because her husband is president, she would have to agree with whatever he says just like the rest of us. I wanted the audience to understand how single parents would react and how the prime minister of Canada would be frustrated with the stir-up of issues because Canada doesn’t really put themselves in bad positions.

 

Michelle Obama: Good Morning America

  The news lady announces that Michelle Obama will be a guest on the show speaking on the Keystone XL Pipeline. Michelle Obama comes on the TV and makes her announcement.

Some of you watching are in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline and others of you are not. Some people do not know what the Keystone XL pipeline is. In short, it is a pipeline that would carry oil from the Canadian tar sands to Texas, which would serve as a port for the oil. I remember standing in my room, looking out the window to see you all those protesters in their frustration and joy, the environmentalists, the unemployed, the impressive citizens who actually care about their environment and those people who are afraid to be affected by the drilling. I want you all to understand that there is a better side to all of this madness; it makes America a stronger country.

As many of you know, I am a strong health spokeswoman. Some of you think that the pipelines can cause health issues, but in all honesty, once we have money health problems can be solved easily, which brings me to my second thought. Think about the large amount of unemployed people that will have jobs. That amazes me. Another thing to be happy about is that it will give us homeland oil and we would not be in the position to be worried about offshore drilling, which is more expensive. This will be a major accomplishment for those who understand where our economy is headed.

            I’m speaking to you all today in hopes that you can accept that I will try my best to be the best for you. I want America to be a better place. If that includes having to drill tar sands oil in Canada, then I will endorse it. Thank you and god bless.

 

 

 

Letter Of Change

            The mother sits down and begins writing a letter to her mom while reading every line out loud. She is by herself and is frantic but holding it in,

Dear Mom,

            Do you remember watching the news two days ago, about the people protesting the… Keystone XL pipelines? When Tracy was in her room, talking to the sock dolls we made? You must remember that. But you also have to know that I love my daughter, I hope you can understand that she is whom I live for and I will go to the ends of the earth for her. My child needs to live a happy, healthy life and in order for her to do that, I need to make some big decisions.

            My friend called me a few days ago about the jobs that I can have working on the construction site of that same pipeline. I know how much I need this job. I know that at some point my little Kayla is going to need something more than baby food and diapers. Sometimes I wish I had some help but now that I’m unemployed, living in your home, I now know that I need to do something with my life. I am legit broke. If I get a job working on the pipelines, I hope I won’t be in harm. But I am capable and willing to push my self to work.

            I need you to know that you taught me to be the best I can be for my child. Just by the way you treat me. It’s time that I grow up Mom. Thank you. Wish me luck.

-Teresa

 

Canadian Decision

The prime minister, Stephen Harper is pacing around his room, recording his speech for later on in the day. He is very nervous and upset.

            Good afternoon to all of you. I gathered you all here today to proclaim the accusations of the possibility that we could have a tar sands pipeline going into the United States as true. The project, also known as Keystone XL pipelines are going to take tar sands oil from our grounds and, using a pipeline, will take oil to Alberta, Texas in America.

 I understand that some of you are not so happy with the decisions we have to make. But that is exactly it; we haven’t made the decision yet. As of now, I will allow the American people to have a pipeline of tar sands oil. You all should understand how great this would be for our relationship with the America.

            When we are in trouble, they will be there to help us out. And because we are reliable and honest people, we will help America. I hope that those of you out there will look at the Keystone XL pipeline as a building relationship and courteous deed.  Thank you and god bless.

 

Opening Paragraph: For my monologues I focused on being against the Keystone XL pipeline. It reflects my views on it from people around the U.S. and one from the middle east. For my first monologue I made a future situation of the pipeline breaking in Nebraska to a drastic level. He was moved to Manhattan and talks from the back staircase of his apartment building. (Hence why the video is in the back staircase.) For monologue number 2 I had a middle eastern man describing how he is disappointed with the U.S. Government being greedy with the oil and not sticking with the promise of helping the whole world. He believes with sharing and industrialization of his towns that they will thrive. For the final person I had a normal man who is about to get a job with the Keystone XL building. After much thought he slowly shows a change of heart.


Monologues:

History POV

 

Block, Iron

September 24^th, 2011

                                                            The Nebraskan View

            (Sitting on Fire Escape of Apartment, slight vocal tension) I just cannot believe this has happened, and that I was there to witness it. It’s been two years but it feels just like yesterday, it was bad enough they had to close down the hills and move all of the people and animals, but I still can’t believe they forced me to move, and why in the world did I comply? Maybe this will teach them not to cut corners and betray Mother Nature like that again though now that we have half a state evacuated just because they were to lazy and cheap to think of an alternate way. If it wasn’t for them I could still be my happy old Nebraskan born citizen as I was. But no, I am now forced to live over hear in New York with a bunch of my other Nebraskan citizens. I hate it hear! It smells, everybody is so rude, the streets are so cramped and I barely have time to talk to anybody. I miss my warm Nebraskan home; I miss my old neighborhood with all of the ones I love. I miss this smell and the fresh air and the familiar landscape. Too bad wishing won’t do me any good. I might as well keep trying to make the best out of what’s here, even though it isn’t all that much. It has been two years since the Keystone XL Spill, and America has taken a turn for the worse. I am a former Nebraskan citizen, and I want my Country back.

 

TWO

                       

                                    The World Needs A Hero

(Pacing Back and Forth rapidly, annoyance notable.)Why is America so screwed up? They say they want to help the world but what about us? I am a typical Middle Eastern citizen and has America forgotten about all of their help the world “promises” They aren’t even listening to their people over there. So many people over there don’t want it. The government says it’s completely safe and nothing will happen but they know they’re just lying so they don’t have to stop what they’re doing. The people don’t even seem to want the oil; they want something new for their world. They have the right idea. Too bad we don’t have as many choices over here. We would love to have the options that they have, hell we would love to have some oil. But no, America has to be greedy and take the oil straight from Canada with a largely oversized pipe that will wreck the land and destroy the few natural beauties found within the once marvelous Country known as the U.S.A. It would be a real shame to see this go through and the moment when the pipe breaks. The terror will be immeasurable.

 

THREE

                                                A Job on the Pipe

(While watching T.V. on the couch) Well, tomorrow’s the big day! I finally start my job of building the Keystone XL pipeline. I wonder what it’s going to be like? Nobody ever told me about what working there will be like, all I know is having some money, a job and getting all the cheap oil is going to be a godsend for my wife and I. we can sell some of the oil too! That is guaranteed to help get us out of debt. I can’t wait for this to start; I can feel the paychecks rolling in now. These people moaning and complaining about it though are getting on my nerves. So what if there’s an oil leak? We can just suck it back up with a truck, it’s just oil. If those nuts would just get on the winning side we could all work together and make this pipeline even better! They need to stop worrying, the president knows what to do, and we’re America! We have all the resources and power we need, right? Nothing to worry about, no problems at all. (Stand at this point)  Oh whom am I kidding this pipeline is terrible. My wife warned me of this. It’ll probably destroy my lungs as well. I have to be in at 5 a.m. every single morning and work until 9 o clock every freaking night! This isn’t worth it, what the hell am I getting myself into. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’ll find another way.

 

 

 

 

​Intro paragraph
The XL pipeline is a plan that's is supposed to help the United States lower fuel prices and decrease dependency on other nations. Since we have to build a massive pipeline from Canada to Texas more jobs will be available! With every type of plan there are downfalls. With massive Co2 emissions in the air the weather will be effected adversely. Also, the pipeline may break which would be devastating because its not regular oil; it's tar sand oil which is dirtier that regular oil. 

In our history class we had to write three monologues from the standpoints of different people involved in the XL pipeline. One monologue must be recorded. My first monologue is about a normal Canadian man who might have the pipeline built in his backyard. The second is an nerdy environmentalist blogger who is blogging about the new pipeline project. The last is about a Congressmen from Texas who must battle the decision between vetoing and supporting the pipeline. A portion of his family lives where the pipeline will be built but the other portion are always complaining about oil prices. 

My overall goal was to show the importance of this pipeline being built. Also, to show the grief and major decision making behind the scenes and in the limelight with the congressmen.  

Monologue 1  (Normal Canadian)

Character description- This is a Canadian average Joe who is going to have the XL pipeline built in his backyard if it is passed(Setting: In the home of a Canadian man who is scared that the pipeline might go through his backyard.)

(After a long day of work walks though door, sits and watch the news. Reporters are talking about XL pipeline. Tired look on face, which turns irritated)

I’m finally home from a long day of work and now this!  Now my mind really won’t be quite settled tonight. I just wanted to pop a squat in my futon and eat. Now I’m wondering how I will live with a giant pipeline going through my backyard. Now don’t get me wrong the USA benefits from this a lot, but what is in for us Canadians. Do our oil prices get lower do we get thousand of barrels a day? No! (slams remote) We have to worry about if the pipeline will hold and not burst into our yards. Also, this isn’t any regular oil, but it’s tar sand oil that is significantly dirtier than regular oil. If this dirty oil leaks it is a done deal for my home. (Stutters) W-w-what about the kids? Will they be safe with all the CO2 emissions in the air. (Pace back and forth facial expression as if many things are going through his mind.) I guess I need to calm down and go to bed hopefully the government makes the right decision not to do so.

             (Walks upstairs and goes to sleep soon to be awaken by wife) (laying down half sleep half awake eyes are half open) “Hi honey how was work?” (voice comes from background) “Okay, Did you hear about that XL pipeline thing there talking about! Aren’t you happy? People in America will have oil and won’t depend on other countries.” Why is she so excited over it and it’s like 4am. I jump up out of bed after being so irritable “HAPPY…HAPPY? There’s going to be a giant pipeline going thought our back yard! What if it breaks and kills our kids? We won’t have a home, we will die and LIFE WILL END!”  (wife in background while laughing she says) “Oh stop it honey, get some sleep and we will talk about this tomorrow!” (fades to black)

 

Things I did well:

-Conflict

-Provides a lot of details and info

-The background comes through

 

What I need to work on:

Monologue not dialogues!!

Monologue 2 (Environmentalist Blogger)

Character Description-  This is a nerdy blogger who is making a blog about the XL pipeline

 

(Setting: On a webcam, excited to be talking about this environmental issue, His face is extremely close to the camera)

 

Hello guys!! (breathes heavily) I can’t believe this is happening (breathes heavier) This new XL pipeline is the revolution for the united states. It’s also the answer to all of our oil price problems! (fixes glasses) Oh my goodness my resources are telling me that the US is planning on making a crazy “ginormous” pipeline that goes from Canada all the way to Texas. Why oh why would we need such a massive pipeline? For oil (moves in excitement.) Isn’t this great! So what if it may be a little dirty. We all our a little dirty that doesn’t make you any less than the next man. Of course there will be a couple problems. One of the problems are the Co2 emissions. (sarcastic voice) Aw man that’s such a bad problem. It’s simply going to get hotter and we can just shed clothes. (smiles and laughs slightly) I don’t see the problem with that! (thumbs up) Also, no matter how you put it oil can spill weither a pipe bursts or if bp hates our world again. (laughs into a serious face) Okay I know that was corny but I tried. My stand is totally for it. I don’t think our country would mind if we had lower fuel price. So tune in next time to and I will recap the results and see weither this pipeline is passed or not. See you next time my fellow blogger conrad muchachos !

Monologue 3

Character Description-  A Congressman from Texas who must make a decision to pass or veto the pipeline. He is confused because he has family in Texas who might have the pipeline in the backyard and family that is complaining about oil price!

(Setting: Sitting at the table in the white house by himself after the meeting to propose the XL pipeline. Thinking to himself after the meeting...confused trying to make a decision.)

 (having the XL Pipeline folder in front of him trying to make a decision)

Man, (slams folder and un-tucks shirt.)  This is crazy!! I don’t know weather I should support this or not. There are many upsides and downsides to this plan. Sometimes I think being a congressman is to hard. Doesn’t Barack know that by passing this there will be lives ruined and paranoia? What about all the families in Canada and even the United States with pipes in their backyards! Then again we American will get thousands of barrels a day. Cousin Louis is always complaining about fuel prices. This XL pipeline can shut him up (laughs then pauses to think) It’s too much to decide! What if the final vote comes to me! (grabs face and looks nervously) What will I do? Also, since most of my family is from Houston what if the pipe goes through my grandma’s yard! She would kill me if she knew I helped the process of getting that thing in the back of her house! Oh my gosh and imagine the embarrassment at the family reunion! Well, I can simply ask for Mr. Obama to move her out. But as for everyone else… (shakes head in despair) Just imagine if the pipes burst. That would be so tragic. Hopefully we make the right decision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBEP3mkAZno (here is a link to my performed monologue)

​Pipelining: Should we go through with it? 

In my monologues I wanted to make it powerful enough that people could feel the emotion of the papers flooding out and drowning them in it. I wanted to raise certain points of pipelining that attracted the reader and let them know a little bit more of how different people feel about pipelining and their opinions. In one of my monologues the pipelining is stated from a locked up protester point of view. In another one a person who has a pipeline through their yard is explaining how they feel about the situation. And for the final one, a person that supports pipelining is rehearsing for an interview on her views of pipelining. 


Protester’s letter: “You don’t know what your doing. If this continues…” Bam! The sound of cold icy dark bars made of silver slamming. In this hallow cage, I sat on what felt like snow. In there were more of my protester friends and group. I didn’t understand why the best way to solve our, the people of America problems on pipelines were to just lock us up and to throw us in jail. There’s a reason why we where making such a ruckus about our views on these pipelines, we where obliviously tired of the way the government has been ignoring the signs on a new pollution and a quicker way to kill the earth. It was said that we the people also have a say in how we feel about a certain issue and if it’s right or not. Leaders and pipeline workers always say that it’ll create more jobs and a better economy but only after we defile the clean pure water that we drink from and strive off of. Not only would it have an effect on us, but aquatic life as well. Did the U.S forget that we already had problems with our oceans and the litter in it? We still haven’t fixed that problem, and while racing towards a new problem that’ll create an even greater issue on the beautiful earth. All we want is for these clueless money zombies to get a hold of themselves and put an end to this. There has to be a different way to get cheap oil. I’m tired of living in guilt knowing that while we get easy cheap oil, in return we’re hurting the very thing that thrives and lives for us. I thought all of these things while I sat there. It slowly but surely angered me. And since I couldn’t do anything more until I got released, I sat quietly while my hard work, and frustration screamed through my body motions that I made.

Person close to pipeline: While I sat to be interviewed on my opinion about the pipeline I emptied a bottle of water into a glass for the reporter. Sadly because of the pipeline, my water was contaminated and I could no longer drink from it. This problem caused me to buy bottled water since I could not longer use mine from the tap. She later asked me why I had no ice when she wanted to bring a chill to her water. I told her I had no ice because every time I went to turn on the water from the sink, some black stuff would come out along with the water, and I couldn’t freeze water if it was contaminated. She gave me a pity look that spoke to me so clearly. Why did I have to suffer from this? I could no longer live like everyone else. I now had to waste more money then usual to have clean water. She asked how I was able to live like this, and how long has it been. I told her that it’s been about a month and that I’ve been learning to cope with the situation though all I really wanted was to have fresh water that would trickle down my back so I could have a reassuring shower. I’ve hadn’t had one of those in a while too. I have ask at least one of my friends daily if I could use their shower or bath so I can stay clean and so I’m able to go to work without any rumors. It’s becoming hard to live with, I wish there was something better they could do.

Supporter: When people ask me, Nina Coffer, “Is pipelining wrong?” I laugh. It is not a bad thing. I work for a pipelining company in the Canada and it’s actually a good economically way to get more people working and off the streets. Pipelining isn’t going to necessarily cause the world to end. We’ll have more money as a country and we’d be able to pay back our debt that we have to other countries. Plus gas would be way cheaper and more people would be driving and doing more exciting things. And because gas would be cheaper, people would have more money in their pocket because of the dramatic change in economic issues. Plus even if a pipeline where to break or leak with the extra money, we’d be able to clean it up in no time. No more worries or complaining. The earth would be fine and we’d be rolling in DOUGH! I don’t know why people are complaining so much; the whole process is simple to do. All we have to do is take a tube, drill a whole through the ground and feed the tube down to wear the cheap stuff is at, and use mini bombs to blow it up. Yes it may get into our water and contaminate our one way of living but at least we’ll have money. Wait, that’s not right. If I go through it slowly, using mini bombs and contaminating our drinking water can cost us big time. It’ll be even more money trying to fix the water than the money we would be making if those thousands of people did get that job. I need to rethink what I’m going to say in the interview.

Mr. Block assigned us a project to write 3 or 5 monologues, that had different opinions on the Keystone XL Pipeline. My project had 2 men, and a women. The women was living in Texas with her family. The pipeline, (if built) would be underneath her property, which caused her lots of worries. She doesn't want it to be built. The one man I wrote about, is an environmentalist that was just arrested in front of the White House and is mostly proud of what he did. The other man I wrote about was a blogger, who was a little selfish on his opinion, only thinking about himself, then soon realizes the major impacts. I wanted to put all the statistics out there about the pipeline, and get different views on it.

Annoyed Mother

(Sits down at her desk) Ah, I finally get to sit down! (Pulls out the newspaper) Let’s see what the news is today…(reading the newspaper and turns to the news section) Ugh, another pipeline? This is all they do; dig up the ground near my land! Why don’t they dig somewhere else? If this pipeline leaks, I’m in trouble. I don’t want that pipe right below us! It could create toxic wastes and make my kids and husband to get sick; I can’t risk that. We’ve been living here peacefully for over ten years, and have never had issues. I feel like most of the time, these oil companies only care about their businesses. They don’t even realize how this could affect people like us! I ought to go down there and give the president of this company a little piece of my mind. Their excuse will be, “Oh, it creates more jobs for those in need, and now we won’t have to get oil from other countries.\\ Well, to me, there are plenty more, safer, and better jobs out there these! If I were working for this company, I would feel guilty. Workers like these are risking other people’s lives just to make a living. I’m done with this! Where are the comics? (Flips through paper angrily)

Behind Bars

 

(Talking to himself, holding onto the jail bar) Why me? All I ever try to do is make the world a better place. It’s not fair. I feel proud of myself for standing up in what I believe in, and more people should. I woke up on September 3rd, 2011 hoping to make a change. After marching for hours, it seemed almost useless, since most of us were being walked out in handcuffs afterwards. But, I was proud of myself, and felt like I sent out a message to lots of people. Maybe more people will try to make a difference. Most of these oil companies, don’t realize, or don’t care, that this could contaminate our water, including theirs! It’s running underground through lots of homes, which is also risky. People who are up for the pipeline, use the only argument they have, it will create jobs. There are so many more reasons on why we shouldn’t do this. As I said before, it could contaminate our water in millions of people’s homes. It also creates lots of pollution in the air, which can be toxic. Along with pollution, the pipes can leak and destroy our towns. (Sigh) How come people don’t realize what we’re doing to this country? Year after year, our country builds all sorts of new pollution guzzlers. We as environmentalists need to stand up for what’s right, and after we build this pipeline, it’s game over for the

 

Clueless Blogger

            Posting video on blog, sitting at desk

Hi, I’m Steve Morrison! If you read my blog lately, a lot of people have been asking me about the XL pipeline that has gotten people’s attention lately. See, I don’t have a problem with it. Most of the people, who don’t want it built, are the one’s who are worried that when it’s built near their property, it will leak and cause problems. Others, are just environmentalists who just like to stop everything. Look, I don’t have a problem with the pipeline. I live in Orlando, Florida, so therefore it will not be running anywhere near me. Also, what about all the jobs it could provide? Many Americans have been struggling to find work lately, and this pipeline can provide many jobs. Hey, it’s also cheap and reliable. Even if I didn’t want this pipeline to be built, I wouldn’t go all the way to the Whitehouse, protest for days, just to get arrested. No thank you! I guess I could see why many people aren’t in favor of this. I mean yeah, there is a chance it could leak, but I’m sure these pipeline people know what they’re doing! Hm, I guess they do have to cut down lots of trees to make room… and even more carbon dioxide will be released into the air for this process. Oh, gosh. Maybe I should try to, nah I don’t want to go crazy, but I don’t want to be harmful to the environment. Bloggers, I’ll get back to you later!

  

Protester Pamela Wilkinson:

 

(Standing with a picket sign that is clearly against the pipeline. She is standing in the middle of a crowd of people out side of the white house. She is being pushed and shoved by other protesters but she shrugs it off.”

            I am Pamela Wilkinson a very determined protester; I am fully against the pipeline. This will run in people’s backyards, your kid could be playing on this dangerous gas line just so we can get cheaper gas! Wait, they said the gas won’t be cheaper it will actually be more! The pipeline workers tried to rush the paperwork and make it so they could use a pipe thinner than its supposed to be. All of the companies involved are liars! They say it will emit no C02 when indeed gas does emit c02 and we are already 42 parts per million over the average we are supposed to have. This pipeline brings no good to anyone. We should all be protesting this monstrosity, because who does this help? It will ruin the world by all the co2 it will emit, and it will ruin on of Canada’s beauties…the tar sands. There are many other resources to retrieve energy, algae is a good natural free source of energy. Why don’t we come up with technology to turn algae into energy instead? I swear they don’t think when they make critical decisions like this; our future generations will regret their stupid opinions. They should add everyone’s opinions into consideration. If more people would hear about it then maybe they would be out here too! Protesting for our rights to have free speech. I don’t understand how people know about this and are just sitting at home and not doing anything about it. As soon as I heard about this, I was out here helping the cause.  

 

 

News reporter Sienna D. Truth:

 

(Sits at the desk and is playing with papaers, voice is a calm and nurturing tone.)

Good Evening Philadelphia, Welcome to news 2 day at 7. I am your reporter Sienna D. Truth here to welcome you with a harsh story. Its about the Canadian Tar sands oil, we the American people are trying to take it. We want to drill down and reach this oil, thus contaminating fresh water. Then put a pipe from the tar sands all the way down to Texas. Then after we polluted fresh water we will also pollute the air when we clean it at the gas reservoir in Texas. Then we will use this gas to fuel our cars and heat our homes. What will Canada get? Do they even have a say? Is this a good choice? Well those are some questions that will never be answered by officials but you can make a decision. I’ll list some more facts from both sides. The pro’s are that there are no significant environmental problems, cheap, reliable and it’s Over 100 billion barrels of oil. Con’s are over one thousand people have been arrested for this cause, it’s a North American beauty, making problems, and they even tried to hurry up the paperwork to make the pipe thinner and more dangerous. They will try to do it again. (raises voice and gets angry.) THEY ARE NOT GOOD PEOPLE! These are your facts from the lovely people here in Philadelphia. Live from the News 2 day station Sienna D. Truth signing out, Good night Philadelphia!

 

 

 

 

David Burkman Ceo of Trans Canada

 

(The man sits at a news desk, he has a deep and unsteady voice. Constantly looks over at the host, Diane Sawyer, to “confirm his answers”. His hands are shaking.)

Hello Diane and thank you for having me on the show. I am here to answer some questions from some very concerned people, they have been sending us letters and I thought now would be an appropriate time to read the answers. This comes from Sarah who lives in Alberta Canada. “I am from Alberta Canada and I have recently found out that the pipeline will run right underneath our neighborhood park and my house. This worries me deeply, I just want to know if this can harm me or my children in any way?” No, the pipe will be very deep underground and there is a very low chance that it would break. This comes from Dennis from Philadelphia he asks, “I live in Philadelphia and I know the pipeline or the proposed extended pipeline wont be near Philadelphia, but I want to know if the co2 that the dirty tar sands oil will emit will be lethal? The co2 in the atmosphere is already passed the acceptable limit, so will this top it off?” Well Dennis, if we thoroughly clean the oil and distribute it carefully then no it will not. The next question comes from Barbara from New Orleans. “I’ve heard all of the negative reactions to this pipeline project, so what are the positives?” A few positive parts to this project are that the energy consumption of the United States have gone up so much so fast that if we don’t take this it would be crazy! (stale chuckle) It’s over 100 billion barrels of oil that we should use. That’s all the time we have today, and thank you again Diane for having me.

            The monologues are about the proposed Keystone Pipeline. There are three different points of views, environmentalist, vice president of TransCanada, and a resident living in Nebraska. There are three messages said by each point of view. My goal was to be on both sides of the Keystone Pipeline debate to describe both the positive and negative effects the pipeline has. I added emotion and feeling into the monologue depending on what role I am playing. Therefore, we can see why the pipeline has affected the character.

Our World

 

Hey, my name is Steve Dibs. Thank you all for coming and listening to what I have to say. I am an environmentalist and representing the Tar Sands Action. I have been affected from the pollution of factories and environmental problems. I was forced to move out of my area from where I lived for five years to somewhere new where there is less pollution. I am here to talk about the proposed Keystone Pipeline and Tar Sands gas. This pipe will start from Canada and extend to the center of the United States. This method of acquiring fuel is extremely dirty. It will release large amounts of carbon dioxide.

           

Start getting mad, aggressive

 

“Business groups say yes, arguing that environmental protection is simply too expensive for a battered economy” – NY Times. All businesses want is money, so they decide to remove areas where we can live for them to get cheap fuel. Let’s say a leak happened to happen and it destroys the capability of living in that area. It would make the government spend even more money on trying to fix the environmental problem. Businesses say it is expensive to protect the environment. We are protecting the environment, where the pipeline will be place, by doing nothing to it, so how are we spending large amounts of money for environmental protection?  

           

Slams hand on desk. Really mad!

 

“You have to destroy the world to get these fuels. You have to pollute the water. You have to pollute the air.” – Environmentalist: Tar Sands Action. Again, you have to destroy the areas where people are living just to make this pipeline for fuel. It is worse than other fuels. Tar Sands produce much carbon dioxide and is one of the dirtiest ways to get gas. “If we don’t change the way we see the world, if we don’t stop thinking of ourselves as superior, we’re not going to survive.” People have been affected by the pollution. People caught on diseases and have trouble breathing. People are going to die and it’s our fault if we don’t stop destroying the world.

 

 

Positives of the Keystone Pipeline

 

Hello, I am Ricky James. Thank you all for coming. I am the Vice President for operations of TransCanada. These Tar Sands oil are the most efficient oil we can achieve in the United States at this moment. It is cheap and right above our country. We are friends with Canada and buying oil from them would not only help us, but also help them. The pipeline would start from Canada and go to the United States. This will increase in a consistent amount of fuel for our country. There are many positive effects that the Keystone Pipeline could achieve.

 

“We are buying from an ally, we do not want to buy from foreign countries.” –Tar Sands Action Debate. We want to buy from an ally because we know them. If we buy from foreign countries, we won’t know what they will use the money for. War can happen, and we have been supplying them with firearms and equipment. We are well known with Canada and it is right above our country.

 

Points finger to audience

 

 “Cheap, reliable source for the United States.” – Tar Sands Action Debate. We need this to fuel our country. It will bring gas prices down and it will be affordable to most people. It is right from Canada and low cost for transportation makes it reliable. It is an abundant source of oil that will last us for good amount of years. We do not need to spend extra money on shipping oil back and fourth from country to another. We can get it directly through the pipelines.

 

It will supply thousands of people with jobs. With the state of the economy, many people are unemployed and are looking for a job. The Keystone pipeline will supply them with jobs, so that they can support themselves and their families. We are only helping our country.

 

 

Affected by the Pollution

Hey, I’m Johnny Young. I thank you guys for all coming and listening to my opinions about the proposed Keystone pipeline. I currently live in Nebraska. My family and I have been growing up in Nevada since we were young. Our family started there. We would always go fishing, picnics, and even camp out in the woods. It was amazing. Now I realize that TransCanada is going to put up a new pipeline to get fuels. Tar sands fuel. It is called the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

 

Voice gets weaker. You start getting sad

I do not support this pipeline. The environment is too beautiful to be destroyed. My family use to swim around the lakes near our homes, but now pollution has increased by such a large number; we can’t even swim in the water anymore. The government says we need the cheap oil? How about the people? We can’t even swim in the lakes anymore and you’re telling us that we need cheap oil? People are getting diseases from pollution. The respiratory systems of many people have been affected. Tar sand oil is one of the dirtiest oils. Imagine a beautiful forest be turned into a black wasteland with no life form in the area. How is that a good thing? It is not only an environmental issue for me, but also a personal issue.

 

Starts getting teary

I grew up in Nebraska. It was wonderful. I want my kids to experience the joy of swimming freely in lakes. I want them to have the same fun experience I did as a kid. I have to tell my kids no, whenever they ask to go swimming. They sit in the house all day and do nothing. Exercise is important for the youth; it keeps them stress-free and healthy. This is very serious for my family and even the people living near us. Think about the effects that the pipeline will cause. Families will be affected; the world will be affected.