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Keystone Pipeline Risk

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Necessary Risks for the Greater Good Environmental issues are one of the most controversial topics to argue about. Passions flair when two opposing viewpoints clash together to figure out an environmental problem. Two such problems that many are bantering about are the impacts of two things: the Keystone Pipeline XL and fracking. Richard Korman, the senior editor of magazine Engineering News-Record wrote an article on the Keystone dilemma named Building the Keystone XL Pipeline: A Necessary Evil. His prospective audience were those who would benefit greatly from the pipeline, like construction professionals, as he believes that this pipeline should be made. Tackling the fracking issue, David Brooks, a generally right-wing leaning writer for …show more content…

With proper management of risks, the use of fracking (which he notes the public is very much against), can be extremely advantageous, even though in the northeast, he says “gas companies are demonized as Satan.” Once again, that is a strong, negative statement against his side, but taken in context sounds ridiculous. In that case, throughout the whole essay he uses statements that others say about his side, which sound laughably crazy. He does end on a note that to not use this gift of shale gas would be a crime (Brooks 240). Throughout the whole essay, the way he delegitimizes his argument but builds it back up through use of clever rhetoric and shifting tones convinces the reader that the gathering of shale gas through fracking is actually the best, economic and practical …show more content…

Just like the previous author, and effectively so, Korman throws out several facts that would stop anyone in their tracks. “With more than 1,711 miles of… pipeline, there is much that could go wrong,” Korman states. Other pointed out problems include but are not limited to the breaking of this pipeline under pressure, and potential contamination of a large source of drinking water (Korman 234). This is essentially where Korman outlines the main problems of the pipeline. By stating the drawbacks literally right from the start, he invokes a feeling of doubt. That doubt, however, is swept away when he continues on with his

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