To the Point
Big Oil, Big Trouble
New drilling techniques have made the US an oil exporter again: good for the economy; bad for the environment—and a nightmare for local culture. The sleepy town of Williston, North Dakota is one overcrowded boomtown with skyrocketing rents and new levels of violent crime.
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenNew drilling techniques have made the US an oil exporter again: good for the economy; bad for the environment—and a nightmare for local culture. The sleepy town of Williston, North Dakota is one overcrowded boomtown with skyrocketing rents and new levels of violent crime. 18-wheelers are destroying roads built for pickups, wastewater is contaminating farmland and air pollution is causing health problems. When thousands of oil workers live in shipping containers in so-called “man camps,” what’s it like for women?
Also, Ottawa tries to recover from yesterday's shooting. Plus, US plans for training Syrian fighters: is there a “disconnect?”
Banner Image: An oil pumping unit in Williston, North Dakota; Credit: Lindsey G
In this episode
3 storiesA Day After Terror Strikes Canadian Capital
Ottawa, Canada’s capitol city, is trying to get back to normal after yesterday’s deadly shooting that shut down both public agencies and private businesses for many hours. Prime Minister Stephen Harper opened Parliament today with a call for unity from otherwise partisan politicians.
Read the story7 minBig Oil, Big Problems
Because of the oil-drilling technique called fracking, North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation is producing more than a million barrels a day.
Read the story34 minOne Month In, Training Syrian Rebels May Hit Snags
The Pentagon plans to recruit some 5,000 refugees every year to be trained in Saudi Arabia and deployed in Syria. But some insiders say there’s a “disconnect” between the goal of creating a force to oppose the so-called Islamic State and the kind of training the recruits will be getting.
Read the story9 min
