Part 1: The theme of this quarter was how do we affect the environment. To discuss this better we learned about the Keystone XL pipeline.This proposal by Trans-Canda to bring oil from Canada to the US will create many construction jobs and help the economy. However the oil they plan to bring over is Tar Sand oil which is dirtier than regular oil. It would also be in danger of leaking and spilling into water supplies. Part 2:
It takes three barrels of water to extract one barrel of oil. 95% of the water used is so toxic it must be kept in human made pools called tailing pools. (http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline)
Several indigenous communities have been forced off there land for tar sand drilling. (http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline)
"The probability of spills from this pipeline is high and more threatening than conventional spills, because tar sands oil sinks rather than floats, making clean ups more difficult and costly". (http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline)
The pipeline will "result in climate-damaging emissions equal to adding more than 5.6 million new cars to U.S. roads".(http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline)
"The Keystone XL pipeline would traverse six U.S. states and cross major rivers, including the Missouri River, Yellowstone, and Red Rivers, as well as key sources of drinking and agricultural water, such as the Ogallala Aquifer which supplies water to more than one fourth of America’s irrigated land and provides drinking water for two million Americans".
(http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline)
Part 3:
View of the Birds
“Hello, I’m back”. “Yes, I have food. Open your mouths now”. “Don’t all fight theres plenty”. “Now that you're done eating let me tell you a story. A story of those two-legged mammals. As you know they build huge nests as large as this entire forests. Well today I saw them build something new. It was a giant grey tree. It was cold and smooth not like a tree in any way except for it’s shape. However the most strange thing about it was it was hollow. Also it wasn’t going up as most trees go it was lying horizontally. At first I thought they had cut it down but then I saw them adding pieces to it with their spark-makers. I think it might be a giant tree but Ari told me he saw more of the cold grey hollow trees all the way near water far away. He said they were making a path of the grey trees. However no one know why. Obie say it is to get the black water from the earth. He says he saw them do something similar with the grey trees far away. He had to leave his old home because the black water smelled like the beasts the two-legged mammals ride. He said they cut down trees where the grey pipes are. However some mammals sit in the trees so they don’t cut those down until the mammals leave the trees. Obie says that with the trees coming down we will all have to go to a different forest. However the two legged mammals are cutting down so many trees. Ari told me he had once lived in one of the mammal giant nest. It drove him crazy. They kept him in a small nest that he couldn’t get out as grey twigs went all around the nest. He was given food and a tiny amount of water. He says they refilled it everyday from this small sliver thing that had a stream inside it. He eventual escaped when one of the young ones opened a small door in the side and he flew right out. Still I don’t know what I’m going to do. We can’t move to one of there large nests where there stick us in the grey nests with the grey twinges around us. The only thing we can do is stay here and hope we don’t have to move”.
The person in the tree
“Get down from the tree.” “Look this has gone on for two hours just get down so these people can work.” “Of course I care about the environment but this pipeline won’t hurt it at all.” “If it leaks then there just stop the oil and clean it up. They run surveillance on each part of this pipeline you know. But the point is it won’t leak.” “Yeah, well that was it’s first pipeline this one won’t leak.” “It doesn’t matter how corrosive this oil is it won’t leak. Ok can you get down from there now.” “Do you know how much this will help the US. We can get our oil from a nation we trust and create thousands of jobs. It will also lower the price of oil and for the last time the pipeline WILL NOT LEAK. Ok can you get out of the tree now.” “Look I don’t know what to tell you. These people need to work and you're just being annoying. You see those people over there. Those people are getting pepper sprayed. You know why I’m not spraying you.” “Well yeah you would fall out the tree but it’s mostly because I’m a nice guy. Ok, I drive a hybrid I care about the environment. But not so much that I would sit in a tree just to stop some project that this economy need just because it has a small chance it will hurt the environment and then say no to the nice police officer who is trying to get you down.” “Alright look my brother works on this pipeline and he says it’s good it won’t leak and there not damaging the environment. Ok so you can sit there all you want but you're not helping the environment your just hurting the economy.” “Oh yeah well I’ll just go get someone else to get you out. I’m sick and tired of this you don’t get it. All you hear is “may harm the environment” and you go rushing in trying to stop it. You don’t understand and you probably never well. Have fun staying in there all day.”
A Phone Call
“Hello, I was calling to ask you about work.” “Oh that’s good but I don’t know about this pipeline your working on. I saw this show on the TV about it. It doesn’t look very good.” “Well it uses that tar sand oil which Robert Redford says is bad.” “You know he was in “All the Presidents Men” I watched it last night did you see it.” “Oh well it’s a good movie you should watch it. Well anyway I don’t like this tar sand business I don’t think it’s good. It looks like it’s very bad for the planet. I talked to some of the other people about the show and they didn’t like it either. Nobody in my retirement home liked the pipeline. In fact Mrs.Gonzan went to a rally to stand in a line so they block the path of the pipeline. She really did not like that pipeline they are building.” “Oh yes how is your brother. Is he alright. You know he never calls to say hello and I don’t know his number.” “He had to get someone out of a tree. Why were they in a tree?” “Oh it was to stop the pipeline. You know I just watched a show about that on TV. Robert Redford was in it. He said the pipeline was really bad.” “Oh you know about it did you watch it last night.” “Oh I already told you about it. Well it’s very good you should watch it. Now I don’t think it’s a good idea and I don’t want to tell all of my friends that my son is working on the pipeline.” “Oh you have to go. Ok, well you think about it and say hi to your brother for me and tell him to call me.” “Alright goodbye son.”
Part 4
