BC mers: Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Rally/Protest?

[SeaSister]

Hey, all!

So, I'm sure most of my fellow BC mers have heard about the controversial Kinder Morgan/Enbridge Pipeline Project. If you haven't, basically the plan is to build two massive pipelines stretching from Alberta to Kitimat, BC. One will bring 525,000 barrels/day of crude tar sands from Alberta to be refined, and the other will carry 193,000 barrels/day of condensate, which is a product used to thin oil. It should be noted that the proposed route of this pipeline crosses the territory of numerous (at least 50, I believe) First Nation reserve territory and hundreds of fish-bearing rivers and streams. And, of course, it cuts through the heart of BC and what's known as "The Great Bear Rainforest" - one of the main habitats for grizzlies and the home of the iconic Spirit Bear. Hundreds or thousands of acres of natural, pristine habitat will be destroyed in the building of this line. Once crude oil from Alberta reaches Kitimat, it will be loaded onto tankers and supertankers and exported to other countries, such as China and the US. The threat of a spill taking place on the same scale as the BP disaster in 2010 is then a huge risk. More than 225 oil tankers will be cruising through BC waters carrying oil. For Enbridge to say that they can eliminate any chance of a spill is BS.

So, obviously, I'm not too happy about this, lol. I wish I had mentioned something yesterday though (oops!) because there was a huge rally today just outside of Science World, and I wanted to let you all know about it. It's too bad that it took place in November (I was wearing a tank top, sweater, jacket, scarf, boots, and I was STILL cold) because if it were to have taken place in the summer I think it would have been a great event for some BC mers to attend. It would have been a great to have a presence there and really promote the idea that our oceans are IMPORTANT! The damage that a BP-level spill would cause in BC waters is just... ugh. The cetaceans that migrate yearly, the other marine mammals, the bears, the salmon, etc. etc. It makes me so mad to think about. Anyways. -deep breath-

The National Energy Board is reviewing the proposed project and is expected to issue it's final recommendation in December. If anyone is interested in signing a petition, there are plenty out there. Here's one: http://www.leadnow.ca/canadas-interests.

Finally, I want to encourage everyone to do their research. If this is an issue that you're interested in, look up more information. Let me know if I've missed something. What are your opinions? Please share. This is just something I feel very impassioned about. Our oceans are already fucked up (just look up "BP oil spill". Also, "garbage patch"... there are two of them). Isn't it time we put our feet down and said that enough is enough? On a more positive note, there have been two species (TWO!) that have shown up in BC waters after being thought to have left forever: the basking shark and the northern right whale. Both are super cool animals. Don't you think we should keep them around this time, instead of killing them with more oil?

Thanks for reading. I'm sorry it's so long, it's just that, as I said, I feel very strongly about our environment. Besides, I think that we're lucky in Canada to have a democratic society where we are ABLE to protest and have rallies for things that are important to us. Not every country is so lucky.

~SeaSister

[SeaSister]

Bump... please guys, I really want you all to know about this. It doesn't just apply to BC mers, really (although only Canadians have the democratic power to stop it), it affects the ocean, which is shared by everyone.

EDIT: Here are a couple of articles regarding the basking shark and right whale: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Rare...969/story.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11...n_4184773.html

[MerMatt]

So I am from Alberta and am in total support of the the many oil sands projects taking place and the few that will be coming online in the next few years. First let me say this, I understand the point the many protesters are making about protecting the environment and how we do need to be careful about things like this. Aside from that Alberta is the one of the biggest, maybe the biggest economic engine in this country and to stop something like this would be to slow the economic growth we have been making in the last few years since the recession. I personally work in the oil and gas industry and find that using pipelines is a lot safer than rail. We have seen a few too many de-railments in as many months. Also I must make the point that the BC and Alberta have signed a framework to make this pipeline move forward to becoming real.

I also want to mention to all the people who are against anything to do with oil and gas out there that everything you use from driving your bike and your shoes have rubber that is made from a by-product of the oil-refinery process, the gas you use in your car or in diesel buses come from somewhere where oil was refined. There are so many products out there that use by-products from the refining process that it would mean to be completely green, to walk in socks or barefeet. Thats just one point I wanted to bring light on. I am not going to argue here on these points but I thought people should see the other side of things since they sometimes get caught up in the energy of the environmental movement. If you have questions that you would like answers to I will try my best to answer them in regards to oil and gas.