Pipelines of Death
Posted by: Rob Elam
/ added: 08.05.2010
/ Back to Tailgate
As if the recent Gulf and Michigan oil spills didn't make the obvioius, well, even more obvious. The USA continues to expand it's thirst for crude oil, and with no coherent energy policy in sight, that means we gotta feed the machines. All that oil needs to be moved around somehow. Currently under consideration is the Keystone XL pipeline, mainlining all that wonderful Canadian Tar Sands "oil" straight to the Gulf of Mexico. You may want to check the map, and make sure your local isn't in the way of the 1,700 mile proposed pipeline, running from northern Alberta to Texas. Of course the oil corporations would have you believe that pipeline leakage just doesn't happen. Your actual milage may vary.
Comments:
Posted by RR on Aug 5th, 2010 @ 4:34 pm
chaveecha
Given the rare opportunity to pick your brain on one of your best subjects, is there any chance that a pipeline could reduce spill hazards compared to trucking or barging? Any decent analysis on this question? It seems like there is a pipeline being proposed or built everywhere on the planet right now. Obviously somebody thinks they need them. Are they wrong?
Wishing gas was $6 a gallon. Seemed like people were making some progress...
Wishing gas was $6 a gallon. Seemed like people were making some progress...
Posted by Rob on Aug 7th, 2010 @ 8:37 pm
Volume
Agreed pipelines expansion is in full bloom. Mostly Nat Gas but also these nasties carrying tar sands product. Pipelines carry much more volume than trucks or barges, so the ramifications of a spill are that much larger. You may remember in 1999 in Bellingham WA (FFJ HQ), a local pipeline leaked gasoline into Whatcom Creek and subsequently exploded, killing three young people and burning down the creek. That was a little spill, around 200k gallons I believe. If we can reduce our energy waste we wouldn't need to move this stuff around in such volumes. Maybe someday.
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