on friday, nov. 13, michigan gov. gretchen whitmer utilized her executive powers, in conjunction with the department of natural resources director daniel eichinger, to revoke the easement allowing a crude oil pipeline—line 5—to operate in the straits of mackinac. the decision comes after more than 15 months of investigation into possible environmental and safety risks.

enbridge, the energy company operating line 5, will have until may 2021 to shut the pipeline down. enbridge is predicted to fight the easement’s revocation in court, but, until then, will continue to seek the necessary permits to proceed with their tunnel project. the energy company is relying on the michigan public service commission (mpsc) to approve its request in an ongoing contested case.

but a december 9 mpsc meeting may have delayed enbridge’s desired outcome; the board decided that whitmer’s notice fundamentally changes what each party is hoping for out of the permit decision, and the case will revert to an administrative judge to redefine the case’s scope. the decision pleased environmental groups, who see it as a step backward for enbridge.

just miles east of the towering mackinac bridge lies a tiny island suspended in colonial history. mackinac island, the jewel of the midwest, is home to a permanent population of just 473, but hosts over a million visitors each summer.

the island’s culture revolves around resisting modernity. no cars are allowed; all travel must be carried out via bicycle or horse. colonial homes are maintained for tourists’ pleasure, and old-fashioned fudge shops decorate main street. however, just miles west of the lake huron paradise lies a 645-mile, 30-inch-diameter crude oil pipeline constantly at risk of a rupture.

currents running through the straits of mackinac on any given day deliver double the power of the headwaters of the mississippi river, and the lake currents change directions every three days.

imagine a piece of steel wire in the hands of an eager child. the wire is strong, flexible, and able to maintain its shape without difficulty—that is, until it gets bent one too many times. suddenly, all that is left are two fractured, sharp pieces, crumbled under the pressure of the violent contortions.

this is the prognosis of many experts for line 5. the 67-year-old pipeline—designed to last 50 years—has seen better days, and now threatens to wreak havoc on great lakes ecosystems, the public health of local communities and the economies of every state bordering lakes michigan and huron.

“a worst-case scenario is a wintertime rupture in rough seas. it would be catastrophic to those communities and to the environment, the habitats, and the wildlife in the straits. it’s just a really risky, dumb place to put a pipeline. and that’s not counting the other almost 400 water crossings that enbridge themselves say exist,” said nathan murphy, director of environment michigan.

a 2016 study by the university of michigan’s graham sustainability institute formed the foundation of many advocacy groups’ arguments to shut down line 5. the study simulated different possibilities for spills in the straits and how the spill, greatly impacted by current and wind changes, would affect lakes michigan and huron and nearby shoreline.

“line 5 is monitored 24/7 by a dedicated team. if there is a change in pressure or flow, automatic shut off valves on either side of the straits crossing will immediately shut off flow in minutes and activate trained enbridge responders. the bottom line is enbridge will take full responsibility and pay for all costs related to an incident.  further, federal law imposes an obligation on any party responsible for such an incident to pay all costs for cleanup, restoration, and remediation,” said ryan duffy, communications strategist for enbridge.

enbridge inc. has a poor track record when it comes to preventing spills and cleaning them up when they happen. their 2010 pipeline spill in the kalamazoo river has gone down in history as the largest inland oil spill to ever occur. it led to the evacuation of residents and a four-year-long cleanup process that cost enbridge $700 million—$50 million more than its insurance policy.

third-party agencies such as the national transportation safety review board and the environmental protection agency found that enbridge had failed numerous times to implement safety standards, such as confronting documented and growing cracks along the pipeline, that could have prevented the devastating spill.

a line 5 rupture could result in 1.27 million gallons of oil dumped into the lakes, which would not only devastate ecosystems in the great lakes region but also end the delicate economic viability of local communities such as mackinac island, mackinaw city, and st. ignace.

in 2018, tripadvisor ranked mackinac island number one on its “10 hottest destinations for summer” list. the island beat out renowned locations such as nantucket, massachusetts and block island, rhode island.

“mackinac island is the number one tourism destination in michigan. most people, especially in the past season, see it as a great place for outdoor recreation. as you bike around the island, you can look out into the straits and see the mackinac bridge, and just past the bridge is line 5,” said anneke myers, mackinac island city councilperson.

in 2019, mackinac island filed a petition against the michigan department of environmental quality’s decision to grant two permits to enbridge that would allow the company to extend operations of the dual crude oil and natural gas pipeline for another 10 years.

“we draw water right out of the lake. we process the water here on the island. if there was a spill, we’d have to shut that down. we would have no water supply, and we’d have to evacuate all our citizens and tourists that are here. we have an evacuation plan drawn up, in case there was a spill,” said myers.

mackinaw city ferry companies have told island leaders that a spill was to occur, the ferries would be removed from the water, leaving mackinac island residents and tourists with no transportation options to depart the island.

“we’d have no water and no transportation, which would result in the collapse of our economy,” said myers.

enbridge argues that northern michigan relies on line 5 for much of its fuel. “the region–including wisconsin, indiana, ohio, pennsylvania, ontario, and quebec–would see a shortage of 14 million gallons a day of gas, diesel and jet fuel every day (if line 5 shut down). this represents 45% of the supply,” said duffy.

the fate of the pipeline lies in the hands of major michigan government officials, namely, whitmer and attorney general dana nessel.

“whitmer campaigned on the idea of shutting down line 5. here we are, years later, and her actions have been less than we hoped for. enbridge’s contract is with the dnr, which is under whitmer’s jurisdiction, so if she finds out that enbridge is breaking any part of the contract, she can essentially give them notice that the contract is done with,” said holtz.

the line 5 controversy has been trademarked by gubernatorial inaction. former gov. rick snyder is known to have made backroom deals with enbridge to help push the construction of the new tunnel through in his lame-duck period. the whitmer administration has proved slightly more aggressive on line 5, with attorney general nessel leading the charge in the courts.

in 2019, nessel filed a lawsuit against enbridge in which she challenges the validity of the original easement, with the goal being shutting line 5 down permanently. gov. whitmer took over and requested a review of the easement, and in july of 2020, wrote a letter addressed to al monaco, ceo of enbridge, asking that he shut the line down in response to numerous reports of damage.

while government leaders have dawdled and embraced their ambivalent tendencies, line 5 continues to pump 23 million gallons of crude oil each day through the great lakes at its most precarious point, risking michigan’s access to clean water, a healthy environment and regional economic stability in large swaths of the state.

“under longstanding principles of michigan’s common law, the state, as sovereign, has an obligation to protect and preserve the waters of the great lakes and the lands beneath them for the public. the state serves, in effect, as the trustee of public rights in the great lakes for fishing, hunting, and boating for commerce or pleasure,” according to the michigan supreme court.

the state court cannot lawfully relinquish its duty to protect michigan’s natural resources, even though this move has been made by past administrations. it is up to gov. whitmer to take back control over an area that is legally her jurisdiction and shut down line 5, and finally, she has.

the notice issued by the governor’s office and the department of natural resources requires enbridge to cease operations of the pipeline by may 2021, with hopes that this period of time will allow for a peaceful and orderly transition while supporting michigan’s energy needs. whitmer has also filed a lawsuit with the ingraham county circuit court to gain legal support for this action.

“after spending more than 15 months reviewing enbridge’s record over the last 67 years, it is abundantly clear that today’s action is necessary. enbridge’s historic failures and current non-compliance present too great a risk to our great lakes and the people who depend upon them,” said eichinger in the governor’s office’s press release. “our number one priority is protecting the great lakes and we will continue to work with our partners across michigan in pursuit of that objective.” 

it is unlikely that enbridge will take the notice sitting down—either way, this development mentions nothing about the looming tunnel project.

“enbridge remains confident that line 5 continues to operate safely and that there is no credible basis for terminating the 1953 easement allowing the dual line 5 pipelines to cross the straits of mackinac,” states enbridge’s press release responding to the notice.

while a long period of litigation surely awaits this case, environmental advocacy groups celebrated across the midwest as the news broke. whitmer’s bold action indicates a commitment to the health and wellness of the great lakes, a critical component of michigan’s soul, during a time when the state struggles to unify. if successful, residents of the great lakes state can drink, swim, and live peacefully knowing that the ever-lurking threat is no longer.

that’s right, every gallon of gasoline emits 20 pounds of co2 into the environment.

a gallon of gasoline only weighs a little over 6 pounds, but co2 is created from combining the carbon with oxygen in the environment which means that the weight of the gasoline in your car more than triples in the amount of emissions released through your exhaust pipe.

what changes can we make?

we all have a number of options to lower the amount of vehicle emissions released each day. below are four simple ways to stop emitting 5 – 9 tons of co2 automobile emissions each year.

1. choose a car that gets better mileage.
   having a car that gets better mpg means you are putting less vehicle emissions into the air. the epa and u.s. department of energy have a great comparison tool to help consumers find the right car for them when considering gas mileage.
2. walk, bike, or take public transportation.
   if you’re close enough to walk or bike to work, or even to the store, you are making nearly a 100% difference in the amount of vehicle emissions you are producing. even if walking or biking to work is not feasible, consider taking public transportation when you can. you will not only be helping the environment, but also your wallet.
3. carpool
   get to work in the fast lane and split save money and reduce pollution doing it. carpooling is a great option if you are looking to save money, the environment, and have a few buddies at the office who live nearby you. many areas have carpool lanes that will let you get to and from work much quicker, and everybody will be splitting the fuel cost.
4. use low-carbon fuels
   using ethanol, cng, or other even cleaner automobile fuels (electric car?) can help reduce co2 pollution when you are driving.

what will fuel your change? 

john perrino is a senior majoring in political communication at the george washington university. julia blakely is a senior majoring in journalism at the george washington university.

we each use more gasoline in our cars than people in france, germany, the uk, brazil, russia, india and china combined. however, it doesn’t take much to cut down, and make a big difference.  here are five simple ways to save gasoline and pay less at the pump. 

1. carpool.  fewer cars on the road = fewer emissions and fewer trips to the gas station.  use an app for your smartphone to schedule carpools and find rideshares. 
2. drive greener.  limiting the amount of time your foot presses on the gas pedal, keeping excess weight out of your car, and using cruise control will all save you gallons when it comes time to fill the tank. 
3. buy efficient.  need a new car?  take gas mileage into consideration.  cars with better mileage, hybrids, or electric cars will save you when you’re filling the tank. 
4. check your tires.  make sure your tires are properly inflated to save on fuel efficiency and keep them lasting longer. 
5. take alternative transportation.  walking, biking, and public transportation all cut out your gasoline needs.  try one of these alternative forms of transportation one day a week or just during your lunch hour.  use a nifty app to plan your trip. 

check out what the epa recommends to save gas.  will you try one of these tips?  what are some other ways you plan to save gasoline?  watch the video to find out how even a small change makes a big difference. how will you start your gasoline diet?

asthaa chaturvedi is a senior majoring in international affairs at the george washington university. jenny rabago is a senior majoring in journalism and biological anthropology at the george washington university.

if you follow the correct steps then you can achieve both together. for this purpose, you may have to make some investments at the initial stage. these investments can be a little heavy on your pocket, but you will see the difference soon. some ways to increase your fuel mileage is discussed below:

1. fit an air-filter in your car – fit your car with an air-filter. make sure that you purchase the air-filter which is suitable for your car. after you have the correct air-filter, exchange it with the old one that your car or truck has. as you change the air-filter system, change the induction system as well. you can do this work by yourself and save some money by purchasing. this new filter system will allow an increased amount of air to flow to the engine. the appreciated flow of clean air will amplify the combustion and in turn, the performance of your car and fuel mileage will be enhanced.

2. purchase a good exhaust system – fit in an exhaust system in your car that will increase its performance. these systems are a bit expensive, but they are a good investment. a performance-exhaust system has less number of bends. thus, the engine does not have to put in greater effort to pump out the fumes. this enhances the efficiency of the engine and the motorcycle fuel pump. as a result of this you will get an improved mileage and horsepower.

3. fit a power chip in your vehicle – this chip tugs at the electronic control system of your automobile. this modifies the working of the engine. as the engine works more efficiently, you will get better mileage and an enhanced horsepower.

4. reduce the weight of your vehicle – it is very important to cut down on the weight of your automobile. the weight of the car will obstruct the efficiency of the engine. this in turn will reduce the mileage and the horsepower. you can cut down on the unnecessary accessories and heavy wheels made of steel. you can use alloy wheels to reduce the weight of your tires. don’t use over-sized tires.

5. check the air in your tires – make sure that the tires have right amount of air all the time. less inflated tires give rise to greater amount of friction. engines work harder to compensate for this. this reduces the efficiency of the engine. the mileage and horsepower will decrease as well. for better performance of your car fill the tires with correct amount of air and maintain it at all times.

these are the various ways in which you can increase the mileage of your car. this enhances the overall performance and efficiency of the automobile. though these modifying parts can be a little expensive, but, you will reap their benefits as well. the expenses on your fuel will come down as a result of better mileage and horsepower.

many experts say fracking is dangerous and can lead to poisonous and radioactive material entering groundwater, but that many of the concerns with fracking can be allayed if it’s done right. but, what exactly is the “right” way? wireless automation group (wag) of broken arrow, oklahoma has an answer, at least when it comes to the production and completion phase of fracking, where the real danger to communities and environment lies.

much of the threat to our soil and water comes after water has been collected and must be transported. with multiple holes created in rock layers, and so much water to collect from different outlets, it is easy for this runoff to go back into the ground. any potential spillage from water in the tanks, or while it is being transported or pumped, can have disastrous effects on local ecosystems and even, allegedly, drinking water, which has created much of the environmentalist opposition to fracking. wag’s automation technology corrects the potential for these on-site and transportation errors that can create environmental danger.

it’s not just in stabilizing and safeguarding the production and completion of fracking where wag is making a difference. wag president mark patton maintains that while the united states has the potential to surpass saudi arabia in barrels of oil produced, outdated and expensive monitoring systems in the u.s. not only create greater potential for fracking-related mishaps and other environmental dangers, but also hamper remote oil and gas operations. the disadvantage the u.s. faces is not with its oil supply, but how we are going about extracting that supply. all too often, critical information is received too late to prevent costly disruptions, accidents, and environmental spills.

“through remote, automated monitoring of all phases of median and marginal oil and gas production, we can simultaneously boost production and reduce risks,” patton maintains. “labor costs are minimized, while pumpjack failures and other incidents are immediately addressed.”

rapid transmission of data is especially critical in limiting environmental impacts, which can easily prove a thousand times more costly than the production interruptions themselves. in the wake of something like a pumpjack failure or blowout, even mere minutes can mean untold costs in labor safety, environmental safety and production.

“environmental issues have assumed top priority in the minds of government agencies,” patton adds. “near real-time monitoring of flow allocation, well performance, and detection of potential environmental threats is no longer an option – it has become a crucial component of competitive survival.”

wag seeks to change the face of oil and gas production through automated, remote monitoring of all phases of the processes, as illustrated in the diagram below:

wag is moving oil production to an almost completely remote process, not only moving the human element out of danger, but adding greater efficiency and safety to u.s. oil production as well. real-time operational status can be viewed on a mobile device via an internet connection. oil production monitoring can include the amount of oil taken, the start/stop of the salt water injector pump, the high/low level of the saltwater tank, and high and low pressure of the salt water line from the injector pump.

this cloud-based, near real-time monitoring allows operators to manage their remote operations efficiently, to increase production while reducing risks. for example, operators can manage the variable speed drives that reduce the demand charge when the pumps start up, thereby reducing energy costs. the operator has the ability to start and stop all operations at each site in near real-time, from a safe, remote location.

operators can detect a problem within minutes, and implement an action plan to fix it before it has a major effect on production, and possibly impact the environment. for example, pumpjack failures can usually be fixed immediately. operators can send notices of operational alarms to cell phones, as well as video monitoring and motion sensor alerts. depending on the seriousness of the event, field teams can communicate with management for advice, support, or approval. operations that are more extensive can include a central monitoring station.

all wag wireless platforms provide both production and security management. they can support traditional scada (supervisory control and data acquisition) implementations, as well as voice, data and video applications. they can keep a log of system status for epa (u.s. environmental protection agency) reports and oil company settlements.

in short, wag’s near real-time wireless delivery is key to assisting operators make timely decisions that, before now, had been severely limited by dated and irrelevant information. wag solutions result in greater safety and security by not only optimizing production, but also by enabling the early prevention of expensive, lengthy and potentially risky repairs. thus, timely delivery of accurate information on all phases of production systems results in higher profits optimal production and minimal incidents.

wag service offerings include design engineering, construction, installation and maintenance, database records and storage, and instrumentation and electrical solutions. they also provide systems integration of plcs, scada, wireless networking, and custom control panel fabrication. clients include municipal, public works, private, and industrial applications.
for more information, please go to http://www.wireless-automation-group.com