On a strictly environmental basis one has to ask what has the most potential to do harm? Said pipeline? or a rail accident spilling an equally large amount of crude (said crude currently goes by those rail cars) How do either compare environmentally with the glut of casinos being built on reservation lands? Also interesting to note that the vast majority of the opposition to the pipeline is being financed by the rail companies.
For your first part of the question , the simple answer ...
In one word:
Both .
Both scenarios could cause untold damage and neither are ideal or safe.
The pipeline's main implication and objection , is that it IS compromising the water supply for local people even further. And goes further , and ignores the treaties established years ago to negotiate peace and justice with the Native American people.
Water is already a commodity , and in some parts of the world , worth more than gold.
I'm not sure how it is where you are , but last time I checked, California was already aware and in deep trouble with the water scarcity problem...
These people just want to stop the poisoning of their land , of their rivers and their human rights .
The right to exercise their power to protect their land and water .
Let's not forget Water IS a human right , and no corporate entity can deliberately deprive anyone of it , with the intent of profiteering or not.
And in some cases is also about displacement and the loss of sacred sites and land with spiritual importance...
http://www.ocetisakowincamp.org/
On a different note now...
For at least 20 years the USA have been involved in shale gas extraction, commonly known as fracking.
We may very soon have this same practice rammed down our aquifers in the UK , if we like it or not...
Fracking?!
Where , for those not familiar with it I'll explain;
... a big hole gets drilled deep into the ground , thousands of highly volatile and dangerous chemicals (including known carcinogens) mixed with water get pumped down into the whole, the chemical reaction and pressure of the fluid causes the layer of shale rock to FRACTURE , hence the fracking name, thus releasing the gas to be harnessed.
The process of extraction is a dangerous one and one single accident can contaminate millions of M³ of pure fossil aquifers and therefore Rivers and respective tributaries.
First the invertebrates die, after that a chain reaction starts and everything , including some of the rarest birds that visit our streams , such as the kingfisher , will die too.
Not to mention our own fresh water supply in the UK.
The devastation would be abhorrent and irreversible .
That's just 1 ! , just ONE of the environmental impacts and causes for concern.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_hydraulic_fracturing
If previous activities and historical​ accidents, such as the horrific Deep water horizon in 2010
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
Are anything to go by , then it's skating on very thin ice , in my opinion..
Where corporate giants like BP , that should know better and have the systems in place to prevent such catastrophic disasters, choose to neglect their safety systems and more, in the event of an accident choose to cover up and blatantly LIE about the extent of the damage , and systematically fail to remediate the problem ....
http://m.huffpost.com/us/news/bp-oil-spill-cover-up
In the face of this, why should people just standby and watch this sort of unchecked destruction carry on?
It's not like an isolated incident either , I mean it's repeated throughout history , again and again and again...
Profit before people , and lies before truth.
Money IS , the root of all evil .
I don't think you are serious, when you say that the vast majority of people opposing the pipeline is being funded by the rail companies.
I oppose the displacement of the indigenous people and the construction of a monster that will line the pockets of the cleptocrats at the expense of the local people ! Not just in the USA but anywhere in the world....
I do not receive a penny by any rail companies ...And neither do the hundreds and thousands of people trying to put a stop to that.😄
I'm sorry to disagree with you , but we are all educated adults here , so we can agree and disagree amicably with no hard exchanges or strong words, right? 👍
How does that compare to the glut of the casinos being built on Reservations ?
I'm sorry but I think you answered your own rhetorical question there...
It doesn't.
It doesn't compare at all .
That's a rhetorical question right?
The environmental impact of buildings and casinos , hotels etc , doesn't even compare to the scale of the Keystone XL pipeline...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Pipeline#Keystone_XL
About 3.500 km long last time I checked , from Alberta Canada to Houston Texas and all the land in between....
That's why it's called XL .
Sure , some people are profiteering greatly with the relaxed laws on gambling within the reservation territory , but that's their business and it's the way the cookie crumbles...
Im not so sure Las Vegas is a positive contribution to the US economy or environment either but that's not relevant to this topic , I don't think...
I hope my reply is within the rules and parameters of acceptable discussion on this forum, and by no means do I intend to create discord .
I am, with all due respect, interested in hearing your own answers to your questions Santaman as I don't live in the States and all my information is second hand...
The grassroots and what happens on the ground is often more informative than what we get fed on (often biased) information channels , so I look forward to your response Sir 👍
Best regards