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The oil pipeline in the Great Lakes

Why Michigan is trying to shut down Canada’s Enbridge Line 5 pipeline

An ageing oil pipeline crossing part of the Great Lakes – a fifth of the world’s fresh surface water – has led to a standoff between the US state of Michigan and Canada. The outcome of the battle over Line 5, which delivers energy to the US Midwest and central Canada, will be viewed by many as a bellwether of how North America will balance its energy future with its environmental commitments.

 

Turtle Island and the Black Snake

Native American Anishinaabe people have been living around the Great Lakes since time immemorial, following spiritual beliefs centred around the water. But they say their way of life is being threatened by an oil pipeline sitting on the bed of the Straits of Mackinac, a volatile waterway connecting two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

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• BBC on Apple Podcasts • BBC World Service Radio • BBC News Online

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