Author: Tony Horwitz
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Date: July 1, 2014
Print Length: 117 Pages
About The Author
Tony Horwitz is a native of Washington, D.C. and a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. He spent a decade overseas as a foreign correspondent, mainly covering wars and conflicts for The Wall Street Journal. After returning to the U.S., he won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting and wrote for The New Yorker before becoming a full-time author.
A Journalist Looks at the Keystone XL Pipeline
Mr. Horwitz traveled the entire length of TransCanada's Keystone XL Pipeline and reported on the people, places and events that he encountered.
The journey began in Fort McMurray (Alberta, Canada)with a desire to explore the oil sands. Mr. Horwitz interviewed oil field workers, truckers, managers and local people who have lived in the area for many years. The author was interested in meeting people who promoted the pipeline as well as environmentalist who were vehemently against it. The book is illustrated with color photos of some of the people and places along the way.
The oil field workers make good money but the boom towns are also prospering.
The owners of restaurants, bars, hotels, motels and even the strippers are making big bucks as a result of the pipeline.
The Keystone XL begins in Hardisty, Alberta Canada, and ends in Steele City, Nebraska. Mr. Horwitz drove over 3,700 hundred miles along the path of the Keystone XL.
Is the Keystone XL a good thing or bad thing for the economy, environment and the overall well-being of our country?
This book provides facts from the author's research and opinions from many people who were interviewed. You make the decision.
My Thoughts
This book is a good overview of the entire pipeline situation. It gives accounts of the financial considerations, the environmental concerns and the emotional opinions of people both in favor and against the Keystone XL.
I think the author went out of his way to talk to farmers, ranchers and local people who have been impacted by the building of this pipeline. The American people need to put politics aside and really educate themselves on what this pipeline means to the people.
Personally, I take the environmental concerns very seriously and I am glad that President Obama is taking a cautious stand on this issue. The environmental activists have been gaining national support and continue to fight the pipeline through the courts.
For many years, I lived in a suburban neighborhood near Houston, Texas. I had a natural gas easement running right through my back yard. This was only a few hundred feet from where I slept each night. At the time, I never thought about the possible dangers of living near one of these pipelines. Luckily, we never had a problem, but I understand the concerns of the people who live in close proximity of this "super pipeline".
This book was an informative and entertaining read. Recommended!
My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5
FYI ~ I borrowed this ebook through my Amazon Kindle Unlimited membership.
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