The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota has had it up to here with oil companies and their “just one more pipeline” attitude. On July 25 the Army Corps of Engineers granted ingress across the Missouri River so half a million barrels of crude oil each day could be piped from the Williston Basin to Illinois refineries. But they came a little too close to sacred tribal lands and water supplies, and underestimated the power of social media.
The tribe started making Facebook posts, the movement grew, and now hundreds of people are camping on the banks of the Missouri, risking arrest to stop the madness.
Wouldn’t it be crazy if the planet just locked up because all its vital lubricants were extracted? Ouch.
Say what you will about social media, but it does put power in the hands of the people.
Shown: Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council