Rivers of Oil

Oil. It’s in your tires, your makeup, your kids’ toys, your gas tank. And the pipelines that get it to you have become the focus of growing protests, from Keystone XL to Dakota Access. On Rivers of Oil from Minnesota Public Radio News, we’ll look at those pipelines buried beneath our feet, how they’ve come to the forefront of an epic tug of war between reliance and risk, and how we all have a role to play in this story.

Episodes

5: The decision

July 10, 2018 • 23 mins

The Line 3 project has gotten approval from Minnesota regulators. But the fight over this oil pipeline is far from over.

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

4: The rallying cry

June 27, 2018 • 29 mins

In the early 2000s, the Keystone XL oil pipeline became one of the most powerful symbols in the fight against climate change. And since then, it's not just local landowners fighting pipelines in their backyards anymore. It's environmental groups, Native Americans tribes, farmers and ranchers, and a crucial addition to the alliance -- climate change activists. But how did it begin?

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

3: The spark that ignited fires

June 26, 2018 • 29 mins

Pipelines have become a potent issue for Native American and indigenous people, who are fighting them across North America. Part of the fight is over culture and identity. But it also involves a messy history of land and treaties, and a long, complicated relationship with the U.S. government.

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

2: The largest inland spill

June 20, 2018 • 25 mins

This story isn't just about the risks of transporting huge amounts of oil through pipelines. It's also about the reward that oil provides.

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

1: Pipes

June 19, 2018 • 24 mins

Pipelines are everywhere: 2.5 million miles of them form a web under our feet, our rivers and our roads. They're at the forefront of an epic tug of war between our reliance on oil and the risk that oil poses to the future of our world.

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

Coming soon: Rivers of Oil, an MPR News podcast

June 11, 2018 • 1 min

All over the country, people are moving to camps in the woods, climbing trees, chaining themselves to bulldozers, all in the name of stopping an oil pipeline. What's going on? Why is there suddenly a dramatic conflict around pipelines? And is it really even about pipelines at all?

Listen

Watch

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

Hey Jonas!

Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com