Source: Business Insider
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to revive and expedite two multibillion-dollar underground pipelines that would snake oil through US states to centers of the petroleum industry.
One is the contentious $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline, which would shuttle petroleum more than 1,100 miles, from North Dakota's Bakkan oil fields to holding tanks in Patoka, Illinois.
The other is the Keystone XL pipeline — a new segment of the existing Keystone Pipeline system, which begins in the Alberta, Canada, oil sands, also called tar sands (use of either term is controversial), and ends in Patoka as well as points in Texas along the Gulf of Mexico. The XL segment, which could cost its builders as much as $10 billion, is partially built and would move larger volumes of oil in less time by shortening the route and burying larger-diameter pipes.
Proponents of the pipeline say it will lessen dependence on foreign oil while creating jobs and growing domestic industry. But many Americans, and primarily Native Americans, are furious about Trump's latest executive order.
Barack Obama killed the Keystone XL pipeline in November 2015, saying it wouldn't have helped lower gas prices or create that many jobs. He also said the long-term contribution to climate change — possibly more than 22 billion metric tons of carbon pollution, according to Scientific American — wasn't worth the loss of America's global leadership on fighting emissions that exacerbate global warming.
"If we're going to prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, we're going to have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground," Obama said.
Trump's televised revival of Keystone XL didn't mention its steep environmental costs, including the 54,000 square miles (140,000 square kilometers) of pristine Alberta wilderness that may be industrialized to feed it.
"We're not saying the project is good or bad. We're just saying the scale and severity of what's happening in Alberta will make your spine tingle," Robert Johnson, a former Business Insider correspondent, wrote after flying over the Canadian oil sands in May 2012.
Keep scrolling to see an updated version of Johnson's photo essay, which shows Canadian oil mining — a process in which tar-laden sand is dug from the ground and the oil is separated through a lengthy and messy process.
This story has been updated to include details about in situ extraction, which is different from the mining method and makes up about half of Canada oil sands production.
Click here (or the pic above) to go to the photo gallery of 76 additional photos (with captions) >>
9 Responses
Dane, most excellent interview with Natural News. I am so grateful to you and your team.
I am reasonably new to learning about Geoengineering after noticing incredibly worrying sights in the sky above my city sparked my interest. Now i just cant believe that i have been asleep to this for so long. There are aerosol events every second day and there is a growing group of us trying to get the word out.
Thank you thank you thank you
Great radio show last night, thanks for sharing. Let's not underestimate the power of gracious planet earth and its neighbors.
I am from Alberta & tired of this Madness! They are doing "Everything" they can to Destroy this Province. The amount of Trees alone taken down each day. How much longer will this go on ? Until every single tree has been harvested ? Until every drop of Oil removed in every psychotic means they can come up with ? How is it possible to have so much Evil in one Province? It is Shameful ! Our Animals, Birds,& Fish along with all other creatures that rely on these forested areas are Plummeting. Having now 7 months of Snow, I doubt many Bats are left either. The Calgary Stampede should be Boycotted. So much is Hidden. Wake Up Alberta !!!
Gail , I feel your pain . Unfortunately for the world its too late . The only thing that will stop the madness is a revolution . Not gonna happen – People are too cough up with American idol , Porn, Jersey shore and the rest of the fi;lth on the internet and TV . Growth is what the world is gauged on — as a good thing . Consumerism is here to stay , We see the destruction but no one really does anything to stop it . I hope im still alive when it all collapses around us .
As long as there is a $ to be made, the corporatists don't care how many of us die. I suggest people quit voting for politicians owned by corporations.
u4riah , I would assume you did not support bankster-owned nobama, then . . .
We have to hurry and get leaky pipelines ran through the largest natural aquifer in the country, the ogallala. Nwo depopulation at work, poison everything that the useless eaters depend on. Yes, the pipelines WILL LEAK
Great Point -No COMMENTS needed!! Human MONSTROSITY Is destroying itself from within… in a great speed. But no one would ask – why is that I need so much "energy", for brainless entertainment? poisonous jobs? hellish games? "travel"? deadly "healthcare"? stupid new gadgets that cannot help people understand one another any better than millennia ago? UNIQUE INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABILITY MUST BE LEARNED AND BUILT IN EVERY SMALL COMMUNITY – no INDUSTRIAL "PRODUCTION" shall ever prevail !!! only shall be kept in minimum for assisting in
cases of crisis…
It Takes 2.5 TONS OF TAR SANDS FOR (1) Barrel Of Oil, am I missing something. The shovels are computerized, the amount of truck 8, Refining is in Canada, I see about 100 jobs maybe, I may have over stated +/- 5% But, we're talking about Millions of Square American Miles, Possibly Destroyed Land, is it worth destroying the entire area's(every state that pipeline runs through) for 2.5 tons of sand for 1 barrel. Is it me or does this Sound Ludacris? I think even President Trump can do the math on this one, he is a business man after all, right?? We voted for him because he's a good business MAN, I don't think people realize that it's all the states this pipe line runs through would be destroyed, or did they say that couldn't happen. Have we forgotten the Gulf of Mexico already, how about Japan and that Nuclear Disaster that couldn't happen, are we that forgetful ??? ah by the way, it is still happening while we read this…I had High Hopes when I thought that pipeline was being stopped, and I Thought Folks were coming to their senses, and did the math on the risk, like insurance probability, weighing future outcomes, who insuring this pipeline? AIG? I don't get this, really, I'm not kidding, I don't get it?? really.