Oil Pipeline
Image Analysis
The conservatory, Mcquain B., 2011 Energy Security and the Keystone XL Pipeline
The citizens are concerned for which consequences the pipeline may occur; meanwhile some of the politicians try to calm the people by showing the benefits of the project. The photograph is taken from the conservative commune´s website. They are positive and advocate the benefits of the pipeline and claim that it will create new construction and manufacturing jobs and an eco-friendly oil transportation. Besides this, it will also improve the energy security in the US. The positive atmosphere is strengthened by the bright blue sky which clarifies the pipelines harmless impact on the environment. In addition to this, there is also obvious that by putting the workers in the center, the photographer intend to show that the project will result in many new job opportunities. As the picture only shows the benefits of the project the picture appears one-sided.
The one-sided appearance hides the many disadvantages with the project. Although the project will create new job opportunities, which will affect the economy in a positive way, the majority of these jobs are only temporary during the building-process. The pipeline itself may not affect the environment in a direct way. Indirectly the extraction of the oil will release the double amount of greenhouse gases compared to ordinary oil extraction, since it is extracted from tar sand. This will aggravate the greenhouse effect even more. Another disadvantage is how the route is planed to cross sensitive aquifers in Nebraska, which provides drinking water for the inhabitants. If the pipeline may break it could end up in a huge catastrophe. The question is, why did the photographer choose to show only the positive side of the project?
Similar to a coin this project will equal both advantages and disadvantages, and not just benefits as the image shows. The intension of this picture is to overshadow all the negative consequences and only let the positive benefits influence the citizens´ opinions. To try to convince the people by hiding the disadvantages may be a winning, but an ugly concept to carry through the project and their will.
Mcquain,B., 2011.Energy Security and the Keystone XL Pipeline. [electronic print] Available at: <http://www.conservativecommune.com/2011/08/energy-security-and-the-keystone-xl-pipeline/> [Accessed 8 December 2011]