On Tuesday, Donald Trump signed an executive order for the Dakota Access Pipeline's construction, promising that it would create jobs. Actress Shailene Woodley, who has been active in the pipeline's protests and got arrested for protesting last year, talked to MSNBC about her reaction to Trump's decision.
When asked what people against the pipeline can do now, she said, "We mobilize."
"What we can do now as a population, and as a society, is hold our corporations accountable, and hold our banks accountable, because there are a lot of banks that are invested in this pipeline," she elaborated. "Regardless of any executive order, or what our politicians want to do, if there's no money invested in the pipelines, then they can't be built."
She emphasized our need to protect the earth, the rights of indigenous people, and our access to drinking water.
"As we know, it's not a matter of if pipelines leak, it's a matter of when pipelines leak," she explained. "When this one is to leak, it will affect the drinking water of 18 million people. Drinking water is not something that should be a luxury. It's not something that should be limited to privilege. It's a human right ... Whether you're a conservative or progressive, you require drinking water to survive.
As for Trump's claim that the pipeline will help create jobs, she suggested we invest in renewable energy to accomplish that instead.
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