Fluid Power: Costs and Benefits
Our knowledge of fluids and how they behave has benefitted our society greatly. With this
knowledge we have created hydraulic equipment, working motors that power cars and big
machines, artificial organs, and pipelines that can carry essential fluids such as oil, natural gas
and water large distances. However, with great benefits come great costs, both financial and
environmental.
Since we have focused on the environmental impact of a specific fluid, oil, throughout this unit
of study, we are going to continue with this theme and are going to look at the costs and benefits
of oil and natural gas pipelines.
Your task is to research an oil and natural gas pipeline (or oil and natural gas pipelines in
general) and to use your findings to either support or refute the following statement:
The benefits of using this form of fluid technology outweigh the costs.
This will be done in the form of a research report that will take the following format:
Statement: this is where you state your position on the topic – do the benefits outweigh the costs
or vice versa?
Background: provide a few background details about your specific pipeline (the who, what,
where, when, why) or about oil pipelines in general
Benefits: list the benefits this pipeline or pipelines in general bring to the area, to society, etc.
(think about job creation, what it does for the economy, how it benefits the company, the
government, the surrounding towns/cities, is it the only way to get oil/natural gas to a specific
area – would the area suffer if it did not have access to these resources?)
Costs: list the costs associated with the pipeline (think financial, environmental, societal, etc.)
Conclusion: create a conclusion that confirms your position and backs up the information you
have listed under costs and benefits – do the costs outweigh the benefits or do the benefits
outweigh the costs. Restate your position and support it with a summary of some of the proof
listed above.
*You may find it easier to research a specific pipeline rather than looking up oil/natural gas
pipelines in general. If this is the case, I would recommend choosing one of the following
pipelines, although you are welcome to research another pipeline, just make sure you can find
enough information to support your stance
-Trans-Alaska pipeline system
-Via-Verde pipeline (Puerto-Rico)
-Northern Gateway Pipeline (Alberta and BC)
-Mackenzie Valley Pipeline (NWT)
-Pan-European Pipeline *this one is more difficult to find info on
Details:
 You should aim for 1-2 pages in length
 Report may be hand written or typed and must follow all rules set out for assignments
that are to be handed in
 ALL sources you take information or ideas from must be cited at the end of your report
(under the title “Sources”)
 Be careful not to plagiarize – this means you cannot copy and paste text from someone
else into your own document and claim it as your own – even if you cite the source. You
need to put things into your own words or put direct quotes in quotation marks (try not to
use too many direct quotes)
Rubric:
Knowledge and Understanding
Understands material (identifies the
pipeline, speaking to the who, what,
where, when, why; and is able to identify
the benefits and costs associated with use
of the pipeline
Thinking and Inquiry
Use of critical/creative thinking
processes, skills and strategies
(e.g. analyses and interprets research in
critical and creative ways; justifies
conclusions on the basis of evidence
Communication
Expressionand organization of
ideas and information in support of a
decision
Application
Makes connections between science,
technology, society and the environment
(e.g. assesses the benefits and costs of
our use and misuse of fluids in society)
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Insightful understanding of
material in evidence
Competent understanding of
material in evidence
Adequate understanding
of material in evidence
Incomplete understanding
of material in evidence
Uses critical/creative thinking
processes, skills and
strategies with a high degree
of effectiveness
Uses critical/creative
thinking processes, skills,
and strategies with
considerable effectiveness
Uses critical/creative
thinking processes, skills,
and strategies with some
effectiveness
Uses critical/creative
thinking processes, skills,
and strategies with
limited effectiveness
expresses and
organizes ideas and
information with a
high degree of
effectiveness
Makes connections between,
science, technology, society
and the environment with a
high degree of effectiveness
expresses and organizes
ideas and information with
considerable effectiveness
expresses and organizes
ideas and information
with some effectiveness
expresses and organizes
ideas and information
with limited effectiveness
Makes connections between
science, technology, and the
environment with
considerable effectiveness
Makes connections
between science,
technology, society and
the environment with
some effectiveness
Makes connections
between science,
technology, society and
the environment with
limited effectiveness