Ashley Loudan
Freelance Writer & Editor
The Keystone XL Pipeline
Finding a Balance between Argument and Communication
Project Introduction
The purpose of this project was to take a major environmental/economical issue, the Keystone Pipeline XL, that had drawn national and political interest, and shape it into a logical argument where both sides of the debate are fairly represented. This expansion project of the pipeline would double the amount of tar sands oil transported from Canada through six American states to refineries in the South. It is a project that has caused tremendous controversy amongst politicans and Americans with the information regarding the expansion becoming constantly one-sided.
However, through the use of Rogerian argument, a structure that addresses concerns on both sides of the issue then attempts to find common ground between the two so that a solution can be achieved, I tackled the rhetoric given from the economists and the environmentalists and showed how each of their main concerns could be compromised into a final decision that would hopefully appease both parties.
Economists: The Push for Job Security & Economic Stability
Pending approval of the KXL expansion, the main arguments drawn by economists:
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Job Creation - It was stated that approximately 20,000 jobs would be created, eventually leading to 250,000 permanent jobs for Americans.
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Help the unemployment rate - As of February 2012, the country's unemployment rate was at 8.3%
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Boost economic activity - With gas prices over $4 a gallon, the expansion would lead to a reduction in oil prices.
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Reduce foreign dependence on oil - the pipeline would allow America to decrease the importation of oil from other countries every year.
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Lead America into a more energy-efficient future - We could store more energy reserves for future use, for example, in cases of dire emergencies were attaining oil and gas supplies are limited.
Environmentalists: Protecting Our Planet is Imparative
Such groups and activists strongly oppose the KXL project. Their main arguments are:
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Excess greenhouse gases would be released into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change, the #1 global issue we have to worry about today.
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Water and air pollution - People in the Mid-West, who would be at the forefront of this project, could experience contaminated drinking water and lower-quality of air therefore increasing health issues.
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More oil spills - Remember the Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill in 1989 that leaked 11 million gallons of oil? How about the more recent BP Oil Spill in 2010 that leaked a record 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico? These have caused irreversible ecosystem destruction.
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There will be far less "permanent" jobs maintained after KXL construction than estimated, so why not build real permanent jobs by investing in cleaner, more sustainable energy?
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What will we do as a nation if we use up all our fossil fuels and energy reserves and we do not have a back-up plan?
All images were found on Google Images.
The increase of the use of social media has changed drastically in the last few years. Popular social networking sites are keeping people more connected than ever to breaking news and other events at the press of a button.
What was interesting was to see that in regards to the research conducted for this project, the Environmentalists utilized social media networks far more than Economists. In a study done by Media Badger, the statistics were as follows:
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Over 1,500 videos were generated by environmentalists on this issue
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350,000+ tweets were published on Twitter opposing the pipeline
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The #NoKXL hashtag was tweeted more than 11,000 times
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1,800+ blog posts were published about the pipeline
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35,000+ photos (including infographics) were uploaded
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In 24 hours, 800,000+ signatures were collected to send to the U.S. Senate opposing the pipeline
Social Media = Game Changer
The bottom line is finding a balance, a solution that will properly address the genuine concerns of both parties. The economists and environmentalists raise very good points for their respectible sides, so how can we come to a compromise?
The call for good paying, permanent jobs for Americans, lower gas prices, and energy security is just as important as addressing climate change, the threat of oil spills, ecosystem damage, and water and air pollution. One possible, practical solution to the denial of the Keystone Pipeline expansion would be to invest in cleaner energy and technology. Instead of continuing to dump more of taxpayer's money into non-renewable resources, why not take a chance on renewable resources, like solar energy and biofuels, that would automatically cut down on foreign dependence of oil, encourage a stable economy, and create long-term employment?
Finding Middle Ground
As components to this project, I created a blog site at LiveJournal and a discussion forum at Invision Power Board to gain experience on how social media outlets can help to influence the public and keep people up-to-date and interested about current events.
In the past, I have had success with both outlets in this regard, so these test sites seemed to be thr perfect addition to my project. It is proof that social media has indeed changed the game in public news, so blogging and discussion forums are another way to get involved and become aware of certain issues.