Posted on 10/12/2016 12:47:19 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Climate change activists shut off cross-border oil pipelines in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington on Tuesday. The activists broke in to unguarded valve stations and shut off the flow of oil before being arrested. Reuters reports:
All they had to do was twist shut giant valves on five cross-border pipelines that together can send 2.8 million barrels a day of crude to the United States from Canada – equal to about 15 percent of daily U.S. consumption.
The pipelines have valve stations every 20 miles, many of them in remote locations and protected by nothing more than a locked fence. Reuters quotes a Canadian pipeline security specialist who says, given that there are 200,000 miles of pipelines in the U.S., it would be cost prohibitive to place round-the-clock guards at all of the possible places where a pipeline could be shut off.
None of the pipelines involved were damaged and all of them were back up and running Wednesday. However, experts Reuters spoke with say this stunt could have gone very wrong:
Protesters said they spent months studying how to safely shut the valves. The ability for them to access the proprietary information necessary to shut a line safely was questioned by experts.
Either way, pipeline specialists said it was lucky there were no leaks on Tuesday. Once the valves are shut, pressure can quickly build up inside pipelines that operate under as much as 1,000 pounds (450 kg) per square inch.
Protesters were taking a chance that a weak spot in a line would not explode, and that employees in operations hubs would spring into action after hearing alarms.
“On the wrong pipeline, in the wrong place (actions like this) could kill people. This is hazardous hot liquid. It’s not something to be terrified of, but it must be respected,” said Richard Kuprewicz, president of Accufacts Inc, a pipeline advisory firm.
Needless to say, this is not protest activity it is criminal activity. According to the Duluth News, activists waited to be arrested after shutting off the valves:
The activists used bolt cutters to gain access to the locked stations and then remained at the valve stations to be arrested after sticking symbolic flowers into valves, said Afrin Sopariwala, a spokeswoman for the group.
“They did the research to make sure this wouldn’t cause any environmental harm. They used the emergency valves because this is a climate emergency,” she said.
Sopariwala said the activists involved have spent several years signing petitions, talking to political representatives and pursuing other legal avenues to fight climate change, but said the efforts hadn’t made a difference.
“We felt compelled to take an escalated action,” she said.
Since there doesn’t seem to be any question of guilt in this case, hopefully the activists will spend some time in jail. Climate Direct Action, the group which sponsored and promoted this, is now raising funds for the legal defense of the activists.
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Execute them publicly.
It will stop others doing so.
It’s ok because they know they are right.
/s
Let me guess - these terrorists rode bicycles to get there.
Terrorism, pure and simple
It’s okay because they were self-identifying as terrorists that day.
Bill them.
No, sentence them to live their lives on a remote island in the Aleutians with no utilities whatsoever. Let them walk the walk. Or die trying.
They are no longer protesters, now they’re criminals.
Headline broken.
“Climate change terrorists shut off oil pipelines which provide 15% of daily US consumption”
There, I fixed it for you.
Some time? Throw away the key.
Hang gliders.
I want to dissuade others doing this. Most treehuggers want to keep living. Quick execution stops that. Plus I don’t want them to get lucky and cause a spill/disruption that hurts a lot of other people and nature too.
I agree.
Domestic terrorism.
Execute them, and others won't think it funny. Right now, they see it as fun and games.
Yes, this act is actual domestic terrorism. Just as much as trying to take down the eletrical grid, water supplies, bridges and roads, etc.
These environmental terrorists should be shot in the public for anyone to see! They are the cesspool that is not being watched!
“Execute them publicly. It will stop others doing so.”
Bingo!
If they are looking for volunteers and provide a Deer License in the deal I am in.
Is ELF (Earth Liberation Front) back in business?
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