Crude Oil Pipelines: a Conduit for Compromise
The other day in class, I noticed a protest sign in the corner of the room that read “Stand Strong Against Enbridge”. I was taken aback. I have worked for Enbridge in the past and considered them “good guys” in the energy transportation world. My role was installing communication equipment that allowed Enbridge to open and close valves in their pipelines remotely from their control center in Edmonton, Alberta. I am an environmental science student and care deeply about respecting soil, water, and people. I found myself at a crossroads, representing two conflicting factions. How could I reconcile them?
From the news, to social media, to bumper stickers, we’ve all heard about the protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Emotions run high, and justifiably so, as multi-generational abuse and damage have occurred. At Standing Rock I see two immense forces colliding, something like an elephant against an ant colony, each fierce and powerful in its own way. The banks, investors, and energy partners are the elephant. Their strength lies in their money, political power, and demand for the energy that they control. Leveraging these factors gives energy transfer groups good footing to push their agenda. The ants, on the other hand, represent indigenous communities and environmental and human rights activists. The ants’ strength lies in their numbers and their immediate connection to the earth; it is their home and they are deeply rooted in it.
The two opponents are vastly different, and the issues surrounding their conflict are complex and nuanced. Let me give an example. The heavy equipment operators, the welders, the pipe-fitters, the inspectors, and the laborers are all working to feed their families and pay their bills. These men and women probably love to hunt, fish, and camp too. They don’t wake up each morning and scheme about how to destroy the planet and its inhabitants. They are using their skills to make a living. What’s more, they are responding to demand for their work.
The reality is that almost every one of us consumes crude oil products and petroleum products on the daily, and consequently the money we spend on those products votes ‘yes’ for their production and transportation. The result is the contradictory collision of protest and consumerism narratives.
There are not “good guys” and “bad guys” in this conflict, there are human beings — interdependent human beings with a lot in common. It’s antithetical to demonize one side other the other. I believe that the best way forward is through recognition of history, and through compromise and dialogue. I do not have all the answers, and I recognize the immense amount of work that will need to happen on both sides to reach a place of dialogue and agreement. I hope, however, that my limited experience on both sides will allow me to bridge the two and catalyze change. I see pipelines as sort of necessary evil that can be successfully managed in a way that is environmentally conscious and respectful to the people that it affects.
This piece is part of a series written by college undergraduates enrolled in off-campus study programs through the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA). HECUA programs offer students a chance to think deeply about the issues that matter most, and we’d like to share a piece of that experience with you. Every student post on the HECUA Medium page considers a theory or reading that intersects with that student’s lived experience. For more information about HECUA programs, click here.
