From the Desk of Clean Water Fellow, Roland Bennett

Most of the time when I open Snapchat I see a combination of selfies, food, people falling asleep in class, and pictures of my friends going out at night. But recently this mix has also included pictures of activists chained to barrels and standing in front of trucks.

My sister is currently in Iowa with a small group of activists protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) from crossing the Mississippi River. Her group, known as Mississippi Stand, prevented the workers from accessing their waste dump site by blocking the road. See how the Iowa Chapter Sierra Club is standing in solidarity with tribal alies.

This pipeline is an extremely controversial project. Thousands of activists are protesting it all across the country, but particularly along the path that the pipeline is being built. If completed, the pipeline will take crude oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota, though South Dakota and Iowa, to Illinois.

There is a major concern regarding the dangers of tunneling under a river to build an oil pipeline. There have been many spills in the recent past that have caused serious damage to the environment and local economies. In 2010 1 million gallons of crude oil was spilled into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. In 2013 oil from a nearby leaking pipeline flowed through Mayflower, Arkansas. In 2011 and 2015 crude oil was spilled into the Yellowstone River. And the list continues, it is not a matter of if, but a matter of when a pipeline will spill.

It is apparent that pipelines do not always work as they are planned to. They spill oil. The DAPL will be a massive pipeline, transporting approximately 500,000 barrels of crude oil daily. It will run under both the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Many communities rely on these rivers to sustain their lives and local economies, it would be completely crushed if these rivers were contaminated. A major problem is that these oil companies always claim that their projects are completely safe; they deny the possibility that anything could go wrong. But things do go wrong, spills happen, and water is contaminated.  

Here voices from the front lines:

An argument for the pipeline is that it will decrease our dependence on foreign oil, which is true. The United States imported 7.7 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2013. Energy independence is something we must achieve. While we make the (currently) slow shift to renewable energy sources, many people see oil as the way to achieve this in the meantime. But it is not the only solution. Our energy consumption does not need to be as high as it is. Per capita, we consume more than twice as much energy per day as most European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and France. American homes use 1.5 tiems as much enelectricity as French homes.

So I do urge everyone reading this to really consider how they can reduce their own energy consumption in their everyday life. 

Take action: Join us in asking President Obama to direct the Corps to repeal the permits for the Dakota Access pipeline until formal tribal consultation and environmental reviews are properly and adequately conducted.

UPDATE! URGENT ACTION NEEDED!!

Hundreds of Water Protectors were injured at Standing Rock Sunday night when police fired rubber bullets, stinger grenades, and sonic weapons at Water Protectors. Several people were knocked unconscious, a member of the International Indigenous Youth Council suffered a seizure because of a flash grenade, a young man had internal bleeding, and countless people are being treated for hypothermia, tear gas exposure, and blunt trauma. The injury count was so high, the local community of Cannonball turned their school gymnasium into an emergency response center.²Spraying water on peaceful Water Protectors in freezing temperatures is nothing short of life-threatening and inhumane, making this a disgraceful new low in the ongoing use of force by police.

There's no time to waste: Make a call to 1-303-816-3559 and urge President Obama to send DOJ observers, investigate rights violations against the Standing Rock Sioux, and reject this dirty pipeline.

Making a call is easy, just follow these simple steps:

1. Call 1-303-816-3559.
   You'll hear an introductory message that will provide you with more information, and then you'll be connected with the White House comment line.
2. Use this sample script or speak from the heart:
   "I'm calling to ask President Obama to send DOJ observers to Standing Rock, launch an investigation into the militarized police violence, and to reject the Dakota Access Pipeline. Over the weekend, Water Protectors were sprayed with water cannons in below-freezing temperatures and many suffered hypothermia, blunt trauma, internal bleeding, and other serious injuries. I ask President Obama to do the right thing and take immediate action to protect the Standing Rock Sioux and reject this pipeline."

Source: Sacred Stone Camp, November 2016    www.sacredstonecamp.org