October 2016, Vol. 243, No. 10

Editor's Notebook

Building New Pipeline Infrastructure: Always About the Politics

It’s always been about the politics. If only we could return to those peaceful days of yesteryear when we dutifully met all of the requirements to build a pipeline, constructed it without incident, and covered it up never to be seen again. This is no longer the case. With climate change as their mantra, a small but dedicated, well-organized and misinformed cadre of anti-fossil fuel activists has turned its attention to the pipeline industry in an effort to block future and even ongoing projects, as we’re seeing with the Dakota Access furor. Never mind that pipelines are unflinchingly safe and by far the best means of transporting hazardous materials. Never mind that developers are continu