The article I have chosen for my assignment is about TransCanada's battle to approve their Keystone XL pipeline project. The main participants discussed in the article are Canadian pipeline company TransCanada corp, Bold Nebraska, a Nebraska landowner group and opponent of the pipeline, former Nebraska governor Dave Heineman, U.S. President Barack Obama, and Nebraska's Public Service Commission (PSC).
The main issue discussed in the article is TransCanada's change of strategy, regarding new developments in their seven year battle to gain approval for the construction of the Keystone pipeline. Previously former Republican governor Dave Heineman had given TransCanada a route and eminent domain rights in Nebraska to build their pipeline. Due
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to the fact TransCanada bypassed the PSC, Bold Nebraska claims the manner TransCanada obtained these rights was unconstitutional. This also caused U.S. president Barack Obama to delay his decision on wether or not to approve the pipeline. Rather than let this issue go to trial, TransCanada has now decided to go straight through the PSC to gain approval. For TransCanada their are many factors that can provide a positive impact for them.
The state of Nebraska currently has a Republican governor, who approves of the pipeline and is actively trying to convince Barack Obama of the economic benefits the pipeline can provide. Another potentially positive factor for them is the upcoming presidential election. If a pro-pipeline candidate is elected president, that will eliminate another hurdle in the approval process. Another positive factor is that 91% of landowners have voluntarily signed easements for the pipeline construction, so while interest groups such as Bold Nebraska may be an opponent, the actual landowners have taken a much warmer reception to the pipeline.
For TransCanada factors that can provide a negative impact include the possibility of notable pipe-line opponent Hilary Clinton winning the presidency, and interest groups such as Bold Nebraska, and many environmental activists continuing to find ways to put roadblocks in the way of getting definitive approval of their pipeline project. Another potentially negative factor is the PSC declining to give approval to the pipeline. I feel approval will most likely be declined by the PSC, as if TransCanada felt they would receive their approval, they would have already reached out to
them. For the Nations involved, Canada, and the United States the positive impact of the pipeline construction are the obvious economic benefits the pipeline can provide. Negative impacts include the harm to the environment, and forcing landowners to sell their land in order for the pipeline to be built. Methods to resolve or improve this situation, quite frankly all comes down to who your cheering for. If I'm TransCanada I would be doing everything I can to gain PSC approval. This includes emphasizing the economic benefits for the state. While doing this I would be making efforts to further build TransCanada's internal culture emphasizing environmental responsibility, making company standards more strict than environmental regulations in order to sell the idea to opponents that environmental impact will be minimal if the Keystone XL pipeline were to be built. I would also be lobbying for Republican candidates who are pro-pipeline. If I'm an opponent of TransCanada, like Bold Nebraska for example I would firstly advocate to the PSC that the environmental risks of the pipeline outweigh all economic benefits. I would lobby for Democratic presidential candidates such as Hilary Clinton who would continue Barack Obama's stance of opposing the pipeline. I would continue to advocate to Nebraska landowners that the pipeline is not within their best interests. And finally I would continue to make efforts in keeping TransCanada stuck in lengthy legal battles, in order to keep their legal costs on the rise. My final conclusion is that in this hugely polarizing issue in both Canada and the United States, this issue is far from reaching closure. Neither sides seem willing compromise if that's even possible. My prediction is Bold Nebraska and other groups will continue to effectively fight TransCanada for many years to come. However I believe eventually all circumstances will finally align in TransCanada's favour and a pipeline will be built. As the subject matter of this assignment is business and not environmental science, for the sake of this assignment I will remain neutral as to whether or not this is necessarily a good thing.
no easy situation to address. Is it worth BC’s approval to build the pipeline, when it
“Urge the Senate to Stop the Risky Keystone XL Pipeline”. Letter. League of Conservation of Voters. Change.org. Web. 10 December 2013
The Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline are two pipeline projects that were suspended in the past. These pipelines were stopped because they could have a big impact of people and the environment. The making of these pipelines would cause a great amount of carbon pollution. Recently, President Trump signed the orders to approve the pipeline project. The projects have pros and cons, the people in favor of the pipelines think we would be able to rely less on foreign oil. The people against the pipeline believe that the pipelines would cause the release of gases into the air that could be harmful for other people.
The topic the essay is mainly talking about is whether to initiate the San Joaquin River Project. I am with Bill McEwen on his article, “River Plan Too Fishy for my Taste Buds.” I chose this author because I do not think the government should spend more money on the river rights project. The author convinced me that he is more credible and can be trusted by all the experience he has. The article was published in Fresno Bee on March 26,2009 and is surrounded by farms so the people there know what will happen if big businesses were to start a project. McEwen demonstrates how this project will impact the city in a negative way by stating ethos, logos, and pathos.
“Pipeline debate heats up EthicalOil & Sierra Club CBC January 11, 2012.” Online video clip.
The Alberta Oil Sands are large deposits of bitumen in north-eastern Alberta. Discovered in 1848, the first commercial operation was in 1967 with the Great Canadian Oil Sands plant opening, and today many companies have developments there. The Alberta Oil Sand development is very controversial, as there are severe environmental impacts and effects on the local Aboriginal peoples. This essay will discuss the need for changes that can be made for the maximum economic benefit for Canada, while reducing the impact on the environment and limiting expansion, as well as securing Alberta’s future. Changes need to be made to retain the maximum economic benefits of the Alberta Oil Sands while mitigating the environmental and geopolitical impact. This will be achieved by building pipelines that will increase the economic benefits, having stricter environmental regulation and expansion limitations, and improving the Alberta Heritage Fund or starting a new fund throu...
and Henry David Thoreau’s ideas of how government should not be followed if laws are morally unjust according to religion are reflected in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock, South Dakota. They are a form of independent action and nonconformity that are quite distinct in their nature because they truly mirror ideas of great transcendentalist thinkers, unlike other protests in this era that seem to be unorganized and without clear purpose. The protests at Standing Rock are over the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline that would have to run through Sioux territory. The nonconformity seen at the Standing Rock protests is due to a feeling of a greater purpose due to religion. As a part of the Sioux religion, the people “[attach] religious and cultural significance to properties with the area” (Bailey). Therefore, any changes to the land around them goes against their morals and their religion, so action must be taken. This applies the principles of Thoreau because people are protesting the naturally unjust government, and the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. can be seen because people are making their own decisions over whether or not the rule of government is just. Furthermore, it is not just the Sioux who are protesting, but also “religious communities such as the United Methodist Church and the Nation of Islam” (Bailey) This is because people of other religions also recognize the plight of unjust laws and act independently. They also
In 1958 Alberta gas finally reached Toronto and imports of Texas gas ended. Canada 's population was booming during the 1950s, and energy scarcities were becoming challenging. Canadian company TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. was incorporated in 1951 to undertake the creation of a natural gas pipeline across Canada. The financing of the project was split 50-50 between American and Canadian interests. This was a substantial operation in Canada because extra work was temporarily available to be able to create the pipeline. Canada has now become a self-sufficient country and stopped relying so much on other countries for oil. This was the activation of not only the Alberta oil industry booming and thriving, but also a nation as a
This Paper will describe and analyze three articles pertaining to the ongoing debate for and against Glen Canyon Dam. Two of these articles were found in the 1999 edition of A Sense of Place, and the third was downloaded off a site on the Internet (http://www.glencanyon.net/club.htm). These articles wi...
Remy, Richard C., Gary E. Clayton, and John J. Patrick. "Supreme Court Cases." Civics Today. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe, 2008. 796. Print.
The Keystone XL pipeline continues dividing the opinion of the people and being a controversial issue. The precious “black gold”, represents one of the main factors that moves the economy, nationally and globally. This extra-long pipeline will transport oil all the way from Canada to Texas. Some experts and the private oil corporation, who is the one in charge of this project, point to the benefits of this project, for example, will make the USA more independent from foreign oil, will create thousands of jobs and improve the economy. Nevertheless, are experts revealing how the pipeline is an unnecessary risk and will be negative for the environment, dangerous for the population living close to the big pipes, and long-term negative for the
Dye, Thomas R., L. Tucker Gibson, Jr., and Clay Robison. Politics in America. Ninth ed. Vol. 2. New York, NY: Longman, 2011. 337. Print.
Spiegal, Jan E. "Unsound Proposal?: Concern On The Coast, Classical Conflict Again Unfolds: Energy vs. Environment." Hartford Courant 16 Oct. 2005, 3 Stars/Final ed., sec. A. Bigchalk Database. 8 Nov. 2005.
Jost, Kenneth. "The Federal Judiciary." CQ Researcher 8.10 (1998). CQ Researcher. SAGE Publications. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. .
They felt they haven't been "properly consulted", and they felt none of their concerns were met with any real analysis or consideration. The People of Plateau are going to challenge it through legal remedies. Even though, some of First Nations have signed a mutual-benefit agreements with the owner of the pipeline. The People of Plateau and the people of other First Nations was looking for a degree of respect that is so far absent from the federal and provincial governments as well as Kinder Morgan, the owner of the