In response to the Jan. 30 letter, "Stop Line 5, leave the oil in the ground," I'd like to point out a few things I feel are being overlooked in this ongoing debate over pipelines and oil.
First, this country needs oil; we currently have the technology to make passenger cars run on electrical power, but we are far away from making any heavy equipment that will efficiently run on electrical power. That includes tractors to plant and harvest food, ships to transport freight, planes, trains, and semis hauling food into our growing cities.
This fact is black and white: Without oil, our economy would shut down, grocery stores would be empty, ports would be empty, schools and hospitals would close, and on and on. This nation depends on the infrastructure that moves large quantities of goods, and that is not possible without the internal combustion engine, not at this point in our technological evolution.
Second, pipeline safety is where the focus of all this should be. Yet I have not heard much about it, although the Jan. 30 letter did briefly touch on it. I completely agreed with the letter that pipelines are being let off the hook when it comes to leak prevention. It won't happen in the next four years, but this country needs to take a stand on this. I refuse to believe that with all the engineering in pipelines we can't build them so they're safer. I really wish we would wake up and demand more accountability on leaks and leak prevention.
Third, pipelines are here to stay. Arguing "just say no" is about as responsible as the current administration in Washington getting rid of the Affordable Care Act without a replacement. If you're saying no, please offer an alternative solution and a viable replacement for all the things for which we currently depend on oil.
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Chris Thompson
Battle Lake, Minn.
