Oil pipelines receive both compliments and criticisms. They get praised on how they steer the economy, but they also get lashed out whenever they pollute the waters and endanger the lives of people and animals. Can we strike a balance?
Paolo ReynaAug 04, 202293 Shares1796 Views
There can be numerous answers to the question “what can’t you see but benefits you,” and among them are gas and oil pipelines.
Located deep below the ground or underwater, these massive metal (sometimes concrete or plastic) tubes power up world economies.
Ever heard of freight transport? Pipelines play a crucial role when people transport things – assorted goods and commodities – from one place to another.
This transportation of goods sustains the economy.
Which country doesn’t use oil and gas? Can you imagine how they get transported?
And how about the water that comes out of the faucet in the kitchen sink or when you turn on the shower?
How do you think water reaches households like yours?
Not all pipelines are out of sight, though. Some are constructed above the ground.
This article will specifically explore oil pipelines: how interesting they can be, the assistance they give to people, plus the controversies hounding them.
Construction Process Of One Of The Largest Oil And Gas Pipelines In The World.
The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) would gladly answer that:
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From the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night, it’s difficult to find a moment when you haven’t used energy transported by a pipeline.
For TC Energy, a Canadian natural gas company, people receive “essential energy” through oil pipelines.
They’re important because we use them in cooking, in running hospitals and other vital institutions, and in creating useful materials – among several other things.
It’s predicted that for the next 30 years, oil, along with gas, will supply energy to countries.
In addition, compared to using trains and ships, TC Energy underlined how “safer” and “more efficient” pipelines are when it comes to transporting.
Based on a 2016 study by IHS Economics and the U.S. National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), pipelines created 1.9 million jobs in the U.S. in 2015.
Texas-based natural gas company ExxonMobil also highlighted how pipelines help in making prices of consumer goods low.
As they say, there are two sides of the coin; two sides to every story.
Let's now take a look into the cons of oil pipelines.
In a nutshell, oil pipelines can cause “direct” harm on people and on the environment (and that includes wildlife).
That’s the argument raised by New York-based media company Green Matters.
It also claimed that they are not as safe as what oil companies would often tell the public.
Regarding pipelines, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers has this to say:
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They are the safest way to transport oil and natural gas.
Still, Green Matters stressed how earthquakes and hurricanes as well as human errors (e.g., inefficient management, deficient equipment, poor maintenance, etc.) resulted i oil spills.
According to Watershed Council, an American grassroots organization:
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There are two types of pipeline incidents: leaks and ruptures.
Leaks happen more often but create less damage. Ruptures can be rare but cause “catastrophic consequences.”
From the data shared by the U.S. Center for Biological Diversity, an estimated average of 300 pipeline incidents occurred per year from 1986–2013.
That’s approximately 8,000 disastrous pipeline incidents.
They lead to over 2,300 injuries, with damages amounting to around $7 billion.
The data also revealed this: the most commonly spilled (1986–2013) was oil.
Greenpeace, an international non-profit environmental group, cited two major reasonswhy people should protest against oil pipelines:
Indigenous communities suffer because pipelines are constructed in their territory.
As of 2017, in the U.S. alone, approximately 34 million gallons of oil and other hazardous liquids got spilled.
Six environmentalists, with a sign that says, ‘Respect our land. No pipeline!’
There’s a plan to build more oil pipelines (and similar pipeline projects) in the U.S. by 2030, according to Washington-based non-profit organization Earthworks.
The catch?
It would involve the clearing of 60,000-150,000 acres (24,281 to 60,702 hectares) of forest.
In 2020, StateImpact Pennsylvania reported about a company cutting 558 maple trees (some were centuries-old) to pave way for a pipeline development.
It's clear that oil pipelines have their hits and misses.
The government, oil companies, organizations, and the public in general should meet halfway when it come to pipeline developments.
Amy Mall, an advocate at the New York-based non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), wrote that the U.S. “overbuilt” on gas and oil pipelines.
Oil pipelines, despite the environmental risks as well as land issues confronting them, are here to stay.
In America, they sure are.
The U.S. Department of Transportation noted that 65 percent of the energy used by the U.S. come from oil, gas, and petroleum.
That’s also what the U.S. Department of Energy said, according to Forbes. Those three will supply the country’s energy until 2050.
TC Energy said that in the U.S., pipelines are used to transport 66 percent of crude oil.
Therefore, even if sometimes the cons outweigh the pros, oil pipelines – with the fervent hope that spills will be prevented – will continue operating.