DAPL: Dangers and Solutions

The amount of attention the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests have gotten is a great first step, but it's not enough. There are two main problems with the reaction to these protests- knowledge of the issue, and knowledge of how to help.

Pipelines & DAPL:
The media coverage has been minimal at best, and more has likely been learned through social media than major media organizations. This isn't something we can really change, except perhaps through boycotts, but we can spread information on the topic individually, to friends and acquaintances through social media and in person.

Even those who know about the situation in North Dakota often have an incomplete understanding. Two things to emphasize are the danger of pipelines, and the fact that DAPL is only one of many pipelines under construction or in use. Between 2010 and 2015 in the US there were over 3,300 spills or leaks (that's over 13 every week!), resulting in a total of over seven million gallons of spilled oil [1]. Spills have a wide range of environmental and health impacts, depending on the type of oil or gas. DAPL would be transporting crude oil, which has a variety of harmful compounds, such as benzene, a known carcinogen [2]. These pipelines generally run through poorer, often minority communities, an example of environmental racism. For instance, the DAPL was moved to the current path through Native American land because a route passing above Bismarck was deemed to dangerous for the water supply of Bismarck residents [3].

There's already over 2.4 million miles worth of oil and gas pipelines in the United states, with many more in the planning or construction stage [4]. Increasing this infrastructure is unecessary and dangerous. We should be increasing renewable energy subsidies and production, which means we should be using less pipelines if anything.

What You Can Do
You can of course get involved with environmental groups or show up to DAPL solidarity protests in your area. However, there's another option that could be very effective if many people join:

Remove your money from a corporate bank, opting instead for credit unions. This not only impacts this issue but a variety of other big-banked back corporate endeavors. Credit unions aren't perfect, but they're certainly better than corporate banks. This is not an option for some, but membership to most credit unions isn't as exclusive as you might think. This shift could considerably impact the power of banks to loan money to sponsor these projects. Here's a link to find a credit union you're eligible for:
CUlookup

And here's Matthew Cooke, a proponent of this action:
CALL TO ACTION: MASS BANK EXIT

[1]: http://www.foreffectivegov.org/blog/map-displays-five-years-oil-pipeline-spills
[2]: http://www.bioline.org.br/request?er07041
[3]: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/pipeline-route-plan-first-called-for-crossing-north-of-bismarck/article_64d053e4-8a1a-5198-a1dd-498d386c933c.html
[4]: http://www.pipeline101.com/Where-Are-Pipelines-Located