America will always be a land of opportunity, and a bastion of possibility. Our freedoms, liberties, protections, laws, and diversity is what brings so many immigrants to our beautiful country. However, what truly drives the American economy and the American way of life? Answering this sole question will unlock the true reasons behind why so many flock to our elegant shores.
Recently, I was reading a chapter entitled Mining Mountains by Peter Bakewell. In this chapter Bakewell explains in detail the most magnificent silver deposit and mine in history: Potosi. Potosi was instrumental for the Spanish conquerors, and allowed for the formulation of a lucrative and populous town surrounding this mountain of magnificence. Bakewell states that “The town owed its renown to the enormous amount of silver that it produced. From its beginning, in 1545, to 1650, at least 450 million ounces of silver came from its mines and refineries-roughly half the silver produced in Spanish America in that time. It was the single largest source of silver in the world” (Bakewell 61). From further close reading we are able to glean that a whole city was fabricated and grown simply from the economic boom that was generated from mining and refining silver. Because of this, Potosi was an extremely important city and landmark for the Spanish, and they cherished it dearly. Although times have changed greatly between our contemporary society and the Spanish colonization of Potosi, underlying principles remain the same. Even though the land we call home is easily distinguishable with Potosi, the economic opportunities that are afforded through the utilization of natural resources and geographic phenomena remain equalized.
(This rudimentary “map” shows the expansive city that was born underneath the peaks of Potosi. It is quite clear that the creation of this city was in response to the economic boom that occurred once the silver deposits were discovered, and thus contributed to the civilizing aspects the Spanish sought to instill through conquest.)
Since I have now divulged a healthy background of Potosi and its formation, it is now necessary to make the connection to our contemporary society. America, as a geographic landmass, is quite a diverse setting. The south is hot and humid, but also receives a fair bit of precipitation. It is well suited for agrarian undertakings, and recently has been found to contain massive deposits of crude oil. The eastern coast experiences cold winters and humid summers, replicating in some instances the south, but has soil that is more difficult to utilize for agriculture. This has led to ingenuity and adaptation, and has translated into various forms of industry and production occupying many of the eastern states. The mid west and some northern states have inclement and unpredictable weather patterns, as well as many natural disasters. However life, although difficult, has persevered in the form of agriculture and industry. Finally, the western coast experiences some of the best weather, and although experiencing a fair amount of moisture (especially to the north), life is a lot easier than it is in most of the remaining states. Technology, marketing, and various industries flourish here as a result of the large population and high demand for quality goods. As one can see from this non-scholarly, yet accurate description, America is a geographically diverse place, with different resources and industries existing across its plains.
Recently however, I have seen and heard a fair bit of criticism regarding the United State’s energy and natural resource policy. Like I mentioned above, Potosi was able to flourish economically and brought the Spanish a plethora of wealth because they used, efficiently, the resources the land provided them. The United States does this as well, except drastically better. Our land provides us the capabilities for natural gas, coal, nuclear, fossil fuels, and renewable energy consumption. However, various pundits have spoken out against some of these forms of energy, mainly because of their supposed impact on our climate. Now by any means I am not a climate change skeptic. However, I believe that to maximize job creation and employment, coupled with boosting our government’s revenue and expanding our GDP, it is necessary to employ all forms and types of energy and exploit them to reasonable and responsible levels. In addition, we should note that our country affords us these capabilities naturally, so we should not ignore that which we have been blessed with. We should have coal, fracking, oil refineries, renewable energy, and nuclear power plants in order to not only provide our citizens with the energy resources they need, but also boost our capabilities for energy exportation. I will now go on to cite one important example which justifies exploiting various forms of energy and why this policy bodes well for America.
I’m sure many of you have read and heard about the controversy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline. While many of you may be inclined to quickly and efficiently criticize it, it is important to note that not all of the information biased sources have been purporting is correct. Firstly, the pipeline does not lie on native territory, and one can simply see this by looking at a map of the construction plans. Secondly, the land in which the pipeline will be constructed and routed has already been signed away by its rightful owners, thus invalidating any protests that have and are occurring. Furthermore, there are already non DAPL (Dakota Access Pipelines) in the same exact area, even closer to the floor of Lake Oahe. This $3.8 billion project will be one of the most technological and reliable oil pipeline projects this nation has seen, and it has already undergone excessive scrutiny from the Army Corps of Engineers. Furthermore, if one runs a cost-benefit analysis, they will truly see that the benefits are numerous and plentiful, while the costs are little to none. The benefits are positively helpful for the state of our nation and its people for the following reasons: the pipeline will transport and bring to market sweet crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois, it has created and sustained a work force of around 12,000 Americans, it will generate $156 million in sales and income tax revenue in the construction phases to our government, and will generate $55 million annually in the form of property taxes, which will also be graciously given to our government. Now, I would simply like to clarify one of the above points in an economical manner. I previously stated that the pipeline will bring to market sweet crude oil, and this serves as an important point. Currently, the United States relies on the importation of oil from the Middle East, mainly derived from OPEC. However, guaranteed supply from OPEC would be a fallible decision, as they can either flood our market, driving down prices and forcing American manufacturers out of work, or they can cut supply, which would drive up gas prices, putting pressure on the American consumer. It does not make sense to put blind faith into such a manipulative organization. Thus, by relying on our own organizations, we can satisfy the desire for a constant and reliable supply of crude oil. In addition, by increasing the supply of oil in the American market, we should see gas prices fall, benefiting the American consumer. This explanation thus satisfies and clarifies my first justification mentioned above.
One can now see, from just one example, that exploiting our own natural resources is much more beneficial than relying on outside counterparts, as well as the fact that using our own resources will benefit the economy and the American people. We can once again, by employing the policies I mentioned above, put America at the forefront of energy production, thus benefiting our citizens and bringing an incalculable amount of wealth and prosperity to our country. We should follow the example set forth by the Spanish, for it worked for them and countless other successful civilizations. However, by stifling attempts to achieve this goal, pundits are actually hurting our country and our citizens, and hopefully, through this post, I can reform some of their viewpoints.
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Image Link: https://4feet2mouths.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/img_2039. jpg
Works Cited
Bakewell, Peter. “Mining Mountains.” Mapping Latin America: A Cartographic Reader. By Jordana Dym and Karl Offen. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2011. 61-64. Print.
Wagner, Chris. “About the Dakota Access Pipeline.” Dakota Access Pipeline Facts. Dakota Access Pipeline Facts, 05 Jan. 2017. Web. 16 Jan. 2017. <https://daplpipelinefacts.com/about-the-dakota-access-pipeline/>.
Jonathan Ellett 