Oil pipelines have gotten some bad press, but are they really that bad for the environment?

[Michie]

With the Dakota Access Pipeline protest, and the recent approval of the Keystone XL by the Trump administration, pipelines have been in the news. Are pipelines really as bad as portrayed, especially from a Catholic perspective?

A careful reading of "Laudato Si"- the ecological encyclical written by Pope Francis- shows that pipelines might actually be the most responsible way to transport petroleum.

Continued below.
Oil pipelines are in step with the church’s integral ecology

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

Pipelines are safer than transporting oil by rail. It's not the main issue, however. Pipelines do have their own concerns, and it's time we stop treating Native lands as our top location for anything undesirable.
With Keystone, we're taking Canadian heavy oil, bringing it through the US and refining it so Canada can sell it overseas. In the process, we create about 35 permanent US jobs and do nothing for our so called energy independence.

 

[Tallguy88]

Good points

 

[Michie]

I think I'm with Fr. Schnieder on this one. I thought it was a very good commentary on this issue.