This is NOT news. It is clearly a piece setup to present ONE SIDE of a controversial and emotional issue. The better term for this is AGITPROP. Both Wheeler and Lively are known to be on the same side, one that favors a statist political economy. The interview might as well be Bill Clinton interviewing Hillary Clinton for all the news value contained. I am not against shutting down the pipeline so long as Enright is adequately compensated, whether by the state, or preferably by those parties who wish to see it shut down and a suitable alternative is found.
The pipeline was built in a much different era and was built and is maintained in accordance with regulations. It has been well-maintained through the years, as anyone who cares to look into the matter would find out. Corrosion, by virtue of age, is not present and what is not discussed, is the probability of occurrence, ie., risk. For example, there is a risk that a catastrophic earthquake will strike Traverse City. Should we amend our building codes and require the existing buildings to withstand an 8.0 quake? No, we judge the probability of occurrence too small.
Nor is a solution proposed by Lively. If people are as concerned as they claim, let them raise the money to reimburse Enbright for the replacement of the pipeline with a land line. Oh, Lively is against that as well. As someone remarked in the local press, the real complaint is against oil and fossil fuels, n general. That is an altogether different issue which can be argued at multiple levels. Is the warming? Apparently so. Is man causing it? We aren’the certain. Is global warming a bad thing? We don’the know. Longer growing seasons, lower heating costs, etc. may offset the negatives. Can anything really be effective in changing things? We don’t know. And the Luddites on the Left aren’t willing to acknowledge that progress has a societal cost.
I would like to see the Sun, or any media outlet, for that matter, provide a story on the other side to this and other issues and let the reader make up his own mind. Otherwise it hardly qualifies as news fit to print, to borrow a phrase.