Dear, PotUS

I personally want to be involved in a welding lifestyle; this has been a career I have wanted throughout my junior and senior high school career. As a student at a small project based high school within the city of Spokane, Washington, we are currently engaging in a civics based project. I have learned the names, and candidate stances of the Washington state ballot, including the next presidential candidates. With this letter I hope to identify the issue involving the Keystone XL pipeline and how it is affecting local Native Reservations, as well as local wildlife.

I personally did not know about the construction of the pipeline to begin with, but it caught my attention. So what is the Keystone XL pipeline? The Keystone XL pipeline, is a proposed construction of a pipeline that stretches from Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska. This pipeline would allow oil to travel about 1,180 miles. It is estimated to carry around 830,000 barrels of oil per day. This is a massive job sight, and many people are involved in the construction/manufacturing of this job. An estimate of 42,000 jobs will be available over a 2 year process to complete the construction of the Keystone pipeline. Labor Unions should keep in mind that this is affecting our economy just as it affects our planet. To continue the build of the Keystone pipeline would open the Tar Sands, which will negatively impact local economies. Earth’s temperature would increase 2 degrees Celsius, which environmental law center’s estimate could permanently cut the US GDP by 2.5%.

The human race is becoming more and more dependant on fossil fuels, it’s literally killing us day by day. Interests on fossil fuels have been pushing the Keystone pipeline have been cutting, not creating jobs, despite the huge amount of profit. In 2010, the top five oil companies slashed their global workforce by 4,400 employees. That same year executives paid themselves nearly $220 million. But workers are still paid a high wage right? Actually 40% of the U.S oil industry jobs consist of minimum wage work. I think it’s time to invest into a sector that both creates jobs and protects the planet, because as a young voter, and a newly learning welder, there are definitely other ways to provide work for welders alike. Whether that’s wind turbines, water turbines, and ect. I urge the next president to view such matters, and propose that the keystone pipeline should not be constructed, therefore localists and their local environment are preserved, and as race are even closer to resolving other global environmental issues. Thank you for you time and consideration to look over my letter to you.

Sincerely,

A high school student