Everything that happened when Bucknell protested DAPL
‘It has catastrophic ramifications for both the people and the environment’
At 11 am this morning, the students of Bucknell organized in the engineering quad to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Holding a “really really free market,” students were allowed to donate items to the protesters at Standing Rock or leave an item they don’t need for other students to take.
The turnout wasn’t large – there were less than ten people proactively protesting.
However, those who showed up stayed for hours. People came and went, leaving everything from blankets to CDs, both for students to take and to be taken to Standing Rock. A person in the middle of the quad held a loudspeaker, inviting people to join or donate.
Huntley Hughes, 22, a literary studies first year grad student, explained why he stands with Standing Rock.
“It has catastrophic ramifications for both the people and the environment… The DAPL was originally going to run above Bismarck, which is a predominantly white town, but because no one wants a pipeline in their backyard, it was moved to go through the indian reservation.”
He believes that there’s a racist component to the placement of the pipeline, but the Indigenous people aren’t the only people it’ll affect.
“The only reason the pipeline is placed where it is is because of the total disregard of the rights — the basic human rights, including the right to water of indigenous peoples.”
The outcome of the DAPL conflict will determine the placement and existence of other potentially harmful pipelines across the country.
“After the Dakota Pipeline, there’s already a plan for the Atlantic Access, which is gonna take fracking fluid to a southeast part of the United States, especially Virginia. It makes it easier and easier for an environmental catastrophe to occur.”
Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have said that they would not stop the pipeline’s construction, and Obama has not stopped it yet. Many activists believe it’s our responsibility to prevent PPL from ruining Native American land, which is theirs both culturally and legally.
“It makes no sense, whatsoever, capitalistically, even to frack. The only reason it’s viable economically is because there’s billions and billions of dollars of investment in the companies that control it… sure, green energy is not entirely viable for the time being, but moves in that direction would produce jobs and create equity for both the people and sustainability for the environment.”
Many people see fracking as a green alternative to oil, but in reality, it’s only slightly less harmful for the environment because of the potential and effects of mistakes, which could lead to the deaths of thousands and long term water contamination. Hughes doesn’t see it as our only option, our best option, or even a viable option. The protesters today believe human beings have the right to determine what happens to their land, regardless of the economic benefit of someone else.