(By W. Bernard Carlson, professor of humanties and chair of the Department of Engineering and Society) Oil and gas pipelines have become flashpoints in discussions of climate change. From the Atlantic coast to the Dakotas, pipelines that would deliver fossil fuels to customers have sparked protests and legal challenges. The Keystone XL pipeline, which was designed to carry oil from Alberta tar sands to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, roiled U.S.-Canadian relations for a decade before it was finally canceled in 2021. Amid these debates, it’s easy to forget how heavily the U.S. economy relies...