What’s this DAPL fight all about?
By Hong “Carrie” Yang
Events and Communications Volunteer, McCourt E&E
The fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline (aka: DAPL) has recently been getting even more intense. Up to 2,000 veterans are planning to gather next week at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota to serve as “human shields” for protesters who have for months clashed with the police over the construction of the oil pipeline.
The effort, “Veterans Stand for Standing Rock,” is planned as a nonviolent intervention to defend the demonstrators from what the group calls “assault and intimidation at the hands of the militarized police force.”
For those who are still not clear what’s happening in North Dakota and why your Facebook friends are posting #NoDAPL — here’s a quick refresher.
The proposed Dakota Access Pipeline would transport crude oil 1,170-miles through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. The pipeline is also known as the Bakken Oil Pipeline, named for the oil-rich area in North Dakota. An estimated 7.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil is believed to be in the U.S. portion of the Bakken Formation. The DAPL would shuttle an estimated 470,000 barrels of crude oil every day from North Dakota to Illinois.
One of many major concerns with the proposed DAPL route, according to Standing Rock Sioux Native American Tribe, is that it “threatens the Tribe’s environmental and economic well-being, and would damage and destroy sites of great historic, religious, and cultural significance to the Tribe,” according to the formal complaint they filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in July. The Standing Rock Tribe also cites the potential threats to vital drinking water resources for the Tribe if the pipeline were to leak or burst. Read the full complaint here.
The DAPL has sparked outrage with many activists concerned about environmental protections, climate change, and the treatment of Native Americans and what they see as an infringement upon sovereign tribal lands. That catalyzed into a nation-wide movement in September and October after Democracy Now! released a video showing Dakota Access guard dogs attacking protesters.
Thanks to social media, millions tuned in and heard the local protester's cries. Celebrities like Leonardo Dicaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and more posted their support. Shailene Woodley (Divergent star) was even arrested while protesting — which was broadcast on Facebook Live.
“President Obama, it is immoral for you to keep drilling in our state lands, in our federal lands, off our federal waters, while at the same time calling yourself a climate change leader.” — Mark Ruffalo.
“Join me & stand with the Standing Rock by saying #NoDAPL & signing the petition.” Leonardo DiCaprio via Twitter.
“When the Dakota Access Pipeline breaks (and we know that too many pipelines do), millions of people will have crude-oil-contaminated water. I know it is easy to be apathetic or detached from the reality that fossil fuel contamination could actually affect you and the ones you love. But hear me loud and clear: If you are a human who requires water to survive, then this issue directly involves you.” — Shailene Woodley.
It is worth noting that the industry believes these cries for alarm to be unfounded. On the industry-run DAPL website, Daplpipelinefacts.com, there is a FAQ that seeks to addresses many of the protesters concerns. Here is one response they’ve posted under “How safe are crude oil pipelines?”:
Underground pipelines are the safest mode of transporting crude oil. Monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, including rigorous pipeline integrity planning and maintenance, federal statistics show that underground pipelines transport crude oil more safely than ships, rail, or trucks. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Transportation is responsible for ensuring safety of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of interstate pipelines
Energy Transfer has long standing commitments to the safety of people, the environment, and our property and assets. We do this because it makes good business sense, but more importantly, it is the right thing to do. These commitments are held as fundamental core values and are an integral part of us as a partnership and a corporate citizen. Learn more about our safety statement.
I think a big frustration of the protesters, and of many who care about environmental protection and climate change, is the feeling that we’re not being heard and that our elected “leaders” aren’t doing enough to ensure a sustainable future — which everyone agrees has to include deeply de-carbonizing the world economy. President Obama and Hillary Clinton both released non-committal statements seemingly hedging their bets on the DAPL pipeline. And there is so much uncertainty and anxiety about President-elect Trump’s future environmental policies. It is almost certain Trump will move fossil fuel pipeline proposals like these (and others) forward. This is a blow to all of us who believe climate change is the most important issue of our time and that the actions we take right now are going to be the critical deciding factor in whether or not we keep civilization on a sustainable path. We are worried and unsure about the future.
Do we really want to prioritize the short-term and limited economic gains this pipeline may bring over the long-term sustainability of our climate, over the potential disastrous environmental ramifications, and over the rights of indigenous peoples? It is true that many may see the DAPL fight as a proxy against increased dependence on fossil fuels. But why can’t we transition to clean energy now? The cost per kilowatt hour of utility-scale wind and solar has gotten so much cheaper and is now competitive with traditional fossil fuels. And so we protest, and fight, and stand up for the future we want to build. We have to.
Hong “Carrie” Yang is currently a first-year MPP student with an interest in energy & environmental policy. She is from Wuhu, China and graduated from Peking University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Hong is passionate about finding solutions to air pollution and has conducted research experiments to help solve air pollution issues in the agricultural sector since she was in high school. She is also an inventor and young entrepreneur who co-launched an environmental technology company. Hong improved a device for more effectively extracting straw to fiber which could be used to make clean energy and she obtained two invention patents for that. In her spare time, she swims, hikes, and enjoys traveling and photography.
