A change of pace: Rational online conversation
I asked; you delivered. Well, at least some of you.
The past couple of weeks in this space, I have been lamenting the state of online commentary and what passes for human interaction on much of social media. I called for a new civility in our online conversations.
It is possible. Just ask the citizens who have taken a stand, fiercely opposing Sunoco’s massive $2.5 billion Mariner pipeline project.
I’m not exactly their favorite media person these days.
That is because I persist in seeking out both sides of this epic showdown.
I have consistently pointed out my belief that the notion of putting this project – carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of volatile materials such as butane, ethane and propane – through densely populated neighborhoods, next to schools and senior citizen housing – did not strike me as a great idea.
We have used countless pages in the newspaper and our website to detail their problems with the project. That has not made me especially popular with the folks at Sunoco, local labor unions and the Chamber of Commerce, all of whom see big dollar signs – not to mention hundreds of high-paying, family-sustaining jobs tied to Mariner East 2.
So far, so good. But make no mistake, there is another side to this story. One that I have tried to point out as well.
That is where some East of 2 my problems with the community and those opposed to Mariner East 2 has come in.
Take a few weeks back, when our front page screamed, “$9 Billion Baby,” on a new study touting an economic windfall the pipeline.
Yeah, I had a feeling that one was going to get noticed by those who have been fighting for more than a year to stop this project. The headline referred to a study performed on the Mariner East 2 project by Econsult Solutions Inc., a Philadelphia firm. The study – which I should point out was paid for by Sunoco – revisited a topic they had looked into a few years back.
Back then Econsult estimated that Mariner East 2 would be worth $4.2 billion to the region’s economy. That’s one of the reasons I called it the most important story in the region. Fast-forward a few years. Now Econsult has upped the ante – doubling their earlier estimates and saying the pipeline push could be worth as much as $9 billion. That includes lots of construction jobs now, permanent positions at Marcus Hook once the project is up and running and a rush of trickle-down business. Some believe the project could go so far as to make Marcus Hook the energy hub for the entire Northeast U.S.
I call that pretty economic date.
Others – my old pals who don’t like the notion of a pipeline going through their back yards call it propaganda. via solid –
They question Econsult’s impartiality. They wonder even if accurate how much their kids’ lives are worth. Admittedly, it’s a good point.
There is another point I need to admit here as well.
Yes, I have positioned the newspaper in the middle of this argument. We have covered both sides of the issue. We have editorialized on both the economic pluses as well as the clear safety and other concerns.
Along the way I’ve made both sides angry at times. That strikes me about the same as some of our political coverage. If both sides are complaining, I figure we have it just about right.
Our constant coverage of the protests irked officials at Sunoco, as well as some local officials who have sided with the economic benefits of the project. And our insistence in pointing out the potential economic bonanza has upset those opposed.
Recently the state Department of Environmental Protection halted all construction on the Mariner East 2 project statewide after finding what it referred to as “egregious” violations by Sunoco, persistent issues with runoff and disturbance of local water supplies, and after Sunoco was caught doing some Horizontal Directional Drilling in areas out near Harrisburg where it was not permitted to do so.
The DEP indicated work would not be allowed to restart until Sunoco submitted a plan that would rectify the problems. In the meantime, several elected state officials are turning up the heat on Gov. Tom Wolf – not exactly the favorite of the anti-pipeline crowd these days – for a complete risk assessment tied to the project.
During all this, one thing has struck me about the tone of the conversation. It has for the most part stayed above the belt, never descending into the morass that so much of my online conversation in these days.
Yes, that means all of you who troll our DelcoTimes.com website, or zing us on Twitter and Facebook. I have no interest in being called names, nor do I tend to offer any.
One thing I’ve learned about the groups opposing Mariner East 2 – they know the material, they’re not shy about telling you so, and they have a very strong online presence.
But they do so in a most reasonable manner. resides
They have raised their voices again and again to protest the project and question the wisdom of putting this pipeline in densely populated areas and within a couple of hundred feet of elementary schools such as Glenwood Elementary in Middletown.
In general, I have agreed with them.
But I also have indicated I do not think any of these issues is likely to stop the project, which actually is now on hold. I think those issues will be resolved. And I think this project is going to be completed.
That does not mean I do not understand the issues being raised by those who oppose it. I certainly would not want it running through my back yard.
They have disagreed with me, but we’ve had a rational conversation about the project. I actually think some of them have been surprised to see me respond directly to them on Facebook, where they have their own community opposed to the pipeline.
And so rage on. That’s as it should be. We can have rational conversations that don’t descend into ugly partisanship, name-calling and vulgar depictions.
And the opponents of the pipeline project are proof of it. the debate will