UMD360: Environment under Trump

This collection of stories was created by the talented students at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism during the spring semester of 2017 where they created immersive 360 video stories on the first 10 days of the Trump Administration.

Producer: Abby Wallisch
Writer: Joe Catapano
Shooter: Jay Cannon

An eight-year-old boy was walking home from school three years ago in Baltimore, Maryland, when a pipeline leaked gas and caused a brick wall to explode, killing the child. While the news was tragic, it also brought awareness to the dangers of pipelines.

Throughout Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, his main goals revolved around getting rid of Obamacare and protecting America’s borders, including building a wall between Mexico and the United States. But Trump also addressed an overshadowed environmental issue in his first 10 days as president.

On January 25 — less than two weeks into his presidency — Trump signed an executive order that will allow construction on the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines. Environmental agencies approved of the construction under the Obama administration, deeming it safe and environmentally friendly, but the former president shot down the idea.

Native Americans and environmental activist groups have since pushed back, protesting Trump and his administration both at Standing Rock and outside the White House. The construction of the pipeline will affect the Sioux Tribe, putting their land, water supply and burial grounds at risk. Native Americans clashed with police at Standing Rock, being refrained by clouds of tear gas.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the White House on March 10 to protest the executive order. During the rally, a man upon a podium led a rallying cry, chanting, “We cannot drink oil, so let’s keep it in the soil.”

Also in the nation’s capital is The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that advocates for free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Nick Loris, who has been a writer and economist at Heritage for nearly a decade, tries to help mitigate pipeline concerns.

“When you increase oil supplies you’re going to lower prices because oil is a global pot,” Loris said. “When you bring more supplies onto the market you’re going to have increased benefits to the consumer even if it’s just a few pennies per gallon every time you go to fill up your car.”

Not only does Loris believe the pipelines will help boost the economy, but he says pipelines are a safer way to transport oil throughout the country. Rather than delivering oil by truck or train, the pipelines will serve as a more efficient and safe way of travel, reducing deaths in the process.

While supporters include creating jobs in pipeline pros, even Loris concedes that’s not the main reason to advocate for the construction.

“There’s jobs during the construction phase but construction jobs by their very nature are temporary,” Loris said, adding that the state department only estimates 35 permanent jobs after the initial construction phase at Keystone XL. “That’s how efficient this pipeline will be.”

Even though Loris claims these pipelines are safer than ones before it, tragedies like the one in Baltimore in 2014 shows accidents are always a possibility.

“To say that [pipelines] are completely safe is inaccurate,” Loris said. “ There will always be risks of spills.”