Keystone Pipeline

           The Keystone XL Pipeline is a future project that is expected to be 174 thousand square miles from Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska to transport crude oil. This drastic decision has impact that can affect the U.S. socially, economically, and environmentally for better or worse. With the information and research so far for this project, I am against the idea of extending the pipeline; due to the fact that more research is needed to this severe situation.  It seem as if everything is on a base of let’s just do the project and see what happens, and whatever is going to happen, will happen. But let’s think about the pros and cons of the situation socially, economically, and environmentally.

           Looking at the social factors, it will lower the U.S. unemployment, which is very beneficial to the people because jobs are so scarce right now. In 2008, TransCanada’s Presidential Permit application for Keystone XL to the State Department indicated “a peak workforce of approximately 3,500 to 4,200 construction personnel” to build the pipeline. Jobs estimates above those listed in its application draw from a 2011 report commissioned by TransCanada that estimates 20,000 “person-years” of employment based on a non-public forecast model using undisclosed inputs provided by TransCanada. According to TransCanada’s own data, just 11% of the construction jobs on the Keystone I pipeline in South Dakota were filled by South Dakotans–most of them for temporary, low-paying manual labor. There is always two sides to the story, knowing that the Keystone Pipeline will create a lot of jobs, it will only be for a certain amount of time because the it is built most of the workers will not have any reason to work. Therefore, after the pipeline is built most people will go back to not having a job again.

          Exploring the economic factors, A recent study by the Energy Policy Research Foundation, for example, concludes that “the Keystone expansion would provide net economic benefits from improved efficiencies in both the transportation and processing of crude oil of $100 million-$600 million annually, in addition to an immediate boost in construction employment.” The president and CEO of TransCanada, Russ Girling, publicized the positive impact of the project by "putting 20,000 US workers to work and spending $7 billion stimulating the US economy. But will happen if there was a leak, it would cost money for the leak to be fix even if it is fixable. These CERI estimates apply to the entire oil sands industry, however, not only the Keystone XL project, and they are derived from a proprietary economic analysis which has not been subject to external review. Some stakeholders point to State Department and other studies reporting much lower anticipated economic benefits. So, it is difficult to determine what specific economic impacts may ultimately be attributable to the Keystone XL pipeline. Nonetheless, given the physical scale of the project, it could be expected to increase investment at least during construction.

          Lastly, the environmental factors, opposes the use of tar sand, which is found in the deposits in Canada. The scientific name for tar sand is bitumen, a mixture of clay, sand, water, and oil that with modern technology can be refined into usable oil. Environmentalists say the process of refining tar sand will create large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, though the exact percentage increase is debated. It is, also, worries about the possibilities of leaks in the pipeline. A U.S. Department of State investigation shows that there have been 14 spills from TransCanada pipelines, though most relatively small. Environmentalists point to an event in May 2011, when 21,000 gallons of oil leaked in North Dakota due to a faulty valve. The State Department says the maximum amount of spillage in a worst-case-scenario of a Keystone Pipeline leak is 2.8 million gallons spread throughout a 1.7 mile area. TransCanada points out that this is significantly smaller than the amount that escaped during the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

          These are just some of the reasons I oppose the building of the Keystone pipeline. This is a project that will continue to create massive concerns until something come up and prove us differently.

Let's Start with Happiness

Is happiness an emotional state? Is happiness based on self-wealth? Is happiness life? Is happiness a success? I, personally, have encountered some typical settings that can never lead me to here or there. These are the general based theories that most people think happiness is; but we never stop to look at where we could end up if we thought of happiness in these particular ways. Due to happiness being a long-term goal everyone would love to accomplish, it is almost impossible to be content with it. We, as people, are always in a race or competition to outdo one another, and that’s when the definition of happiness is changed.

Never the less, I believe happiness does not mean everything is perfect but you decided to look beyond the imperfections. Life is filled with ups and downs, and maybe even some turnarounds. You may not get everything out of life that you wanted but it is up to you to make the best possible situation out of it. You have to look beyond the imperfection, look at how you would rather it be, and take actions towards making it better. It will only bring you towards a happier solution to know that you brought change and made the situation better. Happiness comes from within you; what you put in is what you will get out. If you expect good things then they shall come. Do not think of your situation as being the worse but more where you want to be or want, instead, think and speak in terms of what you do want. Follow your intuition, take action, and trust you will experience happiness. There is nothing better than to be happy with what you have, yourself, and all you will and want to accomplish. Check yourself and see what needs to be done so you can be happy! Remember, happiness comes from within and is what you are capable of doing. 

Let Me Write!!

Thinking about writing in an English class is an unbalanced emotion. When I am given a certain topic that is not of my interest it tends to be hard to write about versus a topic given that I can relate to is easy to put together.  In high school, I was in AP English, so most writings were based on a book. I often struggled through this class, because the books were written by brilliant authors like William Shakespeare. I rarely understood his thought process; therefore I was limited in my writings and shorthanded my essays. I would spend hours trying to correct one sentence to make sure it fits what I believe Shakespeare could have been talking about.

As Americans we are given the freedom of expression. In classes, we aren’t always given that option. Giving a student a topic that does not give them options hinders their ability, just as it was done to me. I felt as if I was the only person struggling or the weak link of the group. I was challenged to the point that I could not think. I began to stress over this class, which affected my other grades in my stronger subjects. All my attention was drawn to this one subject, because failure is not an option. If English classes weren’t so limited to topics to write about, I would have a better outlook on the subject.

The Masterpiece To My Puzzle

     There are many ways to define a family, but they all have one common connection: love. Regardless of what type, all families also need to be nurtured and strengthened from time to time. Families are where we learn values, skills, and behavior. Strong families manage and control their learning experiences. Strong families have a sense of loyalty and devotion toward family members. A family sticks together. Love is at the heart of a family. All humans have the need to love and to be loved; a family is normally the place where love is expressed.

     I believe in keeping my family together, because at the end of the day, they are all I have. I have a very average sized family, and we always love to do family outings at least once a month. Some outings may include cruises, the movies, family gatherings, holiday cooking, Sunday dinner, etc. At these times, we tend to let go of all our drama and enjoy each other. Now that I am in college, I miss some of those events and it saddens my heart to not be there. But looking on the bright side, I am making them proud. The most important thing I love to see my family do is smile and that’s why I do what I do.

Let's be Smart!!!

It's not just teens who are texting while driving – their parents are doing it too. So, we can’t just blame it on the teens. We have totally let technology take over the world. For an example, you know when you get that very important text message and you're driving? I mean it is a must that you look at it! As soon as your eyes are taken off the road, everything goes downhill; you may crash and hurt you and others around. So, why text and drive? Why even create something that could have always been avoided? Why hurt someone around you that haven’t done anything to you? Why put yourself in a position to harm others?

We aren't always aware of the things we do that are not good for our society until something bad happens. Then we would say, “I should have waited to send that text." But little did you know it was too late now. The latest federal figures show more than 3,000 people died in car accidents in 2010 because of drivers who were texting, using a phone or were distracted by something else. Let’s not continue to let materialistic things endanger our community. Remember the next time you drive, IT CAN WAIT!   

American Culture

I am a young African American woman that was brought up on the American culture and traditions. Some of my family rituals included going to church on Sundays, Studying the bible ( the root of our lives), family gatherings on various occasion, etc. This was instilled in me from my mother, as it was from her mother, which led this to being a tradition that has continued to flow for over 50 years. Although, college hasn't always been a part of our culture, I started the legacy and will continue to push other family members to make this a part of our culture and a tradition.

The food we eat is considered Soul food. A traditional American dinner is something like a Thanksgiving meal. There is some kind of meat course that is the center of it all. For Thanksgiving, this is traditionally a turkey. But, for other types of meals, this could be a roast, a ham, or something like that. Included with the meal is some kind of vegetable dishes. Again, for Thanksgiving, this is traditionally mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, etc. In some more rural communities, they throw in steamed turnips and other tuberous vegetables. Some kind of salad is also traditional. This can be a standard green salad, or any of a variety of different types of salad combinations. The typical American meal also includes bread. This can be sliced bread, biscuits, corn bread, etc. And, the typical American meal includes some kind of dessert, like ice cream, cake, or pie. Apple pie is considered to be an extremely traditional American dessert. And, of course, there are foods that Americans invented or perfected that we consider traditional. This would include things like hamburgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches.

"Culture" to me is...

When we deliberate on this, we can see that all activity of man constitutes the culture. Culture could be tradition, customs, rituals, the way we dress, language, music, art, literature, etc. But I feel those are only characteristics of “culture” and don’t define it. Culture was developed by humans through their way of life; basically defining culture as being human life's production through creativity. Their production can be learned, discovered, developed, or invented and passed down through generations creating and prolonging the liveliness of a certain culture. Generation to generation, Culture has changed and will continue to change because of the advancement and achievements of a human ability to make things. Culture determines what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong. People who share the same culture can be linked by where they live, what religion they practice, where their families have come from, and more.