Trespassing Across America

 Trespassing Across America - A Journey to Fight the Pipeline

    Ken Ilgunas, an activist and environmentalist trekked the country in hopes of raising awareness for climate change and the dangers of the  Keystone XL Pipeline. The Keystone XL Pipeline runs for 1,700 miles and spans from Alberta, Canada to Port Arthur, Texas. 

    This idea of hiking the pipeline was not something Ken originally started out with. Ken explained that he had always been an environmentalist, and as he watched the world literally burn and begin to fall apart in front of him, he decided he must do something. He was 28 and living in Deadhorse, Alaska with his friend Liam. He was washing dishes and knew that he needed to live a life with an impact. His friend Liam suggested they hike the pipeline, in an attempt to see the environmental impact it caused, firsthand. This idea alone was enough to spark something in Ken. A short time later, he hitchhiked out of Deadhorse, and found his way to Denver, Colorado. 

    In order to accomplish his goal of hiking the pipeline, he had to plan, and plan very in-depth. He bought roughly a thousand dollars worth of food and banked on his friend shipping them to him intermittently. He created his own mapping system to draw up a trail in which he would follow. He also bought a camera and an iPad to share his journey with the world. Ken would be doing this hike alone, for Liam was banned from Canada. But, he was ready.

    In order to hike the full Keystone XL Pipeline, Ken needed to make his way to Alberta, Canada; so, he hitchhiked. When he arrived in Alberta, he didn't know exactly where to find the start of the pipeline. In order to overcome this, he took an aerial tour of Alberta and what he saw amazed him; it began with beautiful forests, but as he progressed to northern Alberta, the scenery changed drastically. He saw tailings ponds,  petcoke fields, and sulfur pyramids, all of which are devastating to the environment. 

    When Ken began his trip, he was terrified. Terrified of landowners, his own physical condition, and the massive herds of cows everywhere. His physical condition began to decline a few weeks into the trip, causing him to alter his schedule in order to move at a slower pace. Since a majority of his trip was through the American Great Plains, there were limited trees resulting in limited shelter. He had to make do with this and occasionally sleep in abandoned shacks and sheds to cover him from the harsh winds and blizzards. He drank water from windmill troughs when nothing else was available, and even knocked on the doors of strangers asking for water. 

    During his pipeline journey through Alberta, he came to the conclusion that most Albertans loved the pipeline. It brought them an economical benefit, it created jobs, it brought resources. This was also the thought process for most of the northern plains as well. But, when Ken reached Nebraska, he began to notice a change of heart. People were angry about the pipeline. They were concerned about it going through their private property, they were worried about the damage it would do to their crops, and they felt like they had no option other than allowing it to happen. 

    Ken gained tons of media and news coverage, for he had literally hiked the pipeline; from Alberta, Canada, all the way to Port Arthur, Texas. Enduring the weather, enduring the herds of cows, the landowners, and the physical pain he was in. He saw the destruction the pipeline was causing and smelled the toxic fumes oil processing and distribution puts off. 

    Throughout Ken's trip he was able to conclude that his initial thought of the pipeline was correct. It is destructive to the Earth, and ultimately it's harmful to us. But he also took note of our reliance on it. We are unable to just flip a switch and become totally independent of oil, but we need to make efforts in reducing our consumption of it.