Congratulations to Gordon Hoekstra for his well researched and informative articles on the Enbridge Pipeline issue. It is refreshing to see this quality journalism exploring the pros and cons of this proposed mega project. Many local residents share serious concerns about the adverse environmental effects of this proposal but we don't have access to the mega advertising dollars that Enbridge has managed to procure to advertise this project. From the articles, it sounds as though these undisclosed funds have come from offshore interests, who want our oil. Is it wise to mine all this dirty oil from the Tar Sands at huge environmental devastation to the Canadian boreal forest and the Athabasca watershed, while accelerating our greenhouse gas emissions instead of reducing them, as promised? The vast majority of this oil is for export, most likely to China as well as to the USA. Is this wise? Apart from these adverse socio-economic factors, the only way the pipeline will be feasible, is if the oil is then going to be shipped by oil tankers off the Pacific coast to Asia. Why do we want to be part of this? In my opinion it is our responsibility, as residents of north central B.C., to stop the acceleration of the Tar Sands development and to prevent the end of the moratorium on oil tankers off our pristine Pacific coast. The proposed dual oil pipelines, would cross hundreds of rivers in north central BC including the Fraser, Nechako, Stuart as well as the major salmon rivers of the Bulkley and Skeena. The Prince George based Sea to Sands Conservation Alliance is holding several information sessions to help inform residents of the impacts of this project. The next public event is the showing of H2Oil, in conjunction with the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, as part of the Travelling World Community Film Festival at UNBC on International Water Day, March 22. Instead of being fossils and perpetuating the dying oil and gas industry, we should be investing in renewable energy technology as a viable clean alternative, which could fuel a vital green economy, which would be more job intensive than any pipeline could hope to be.
Hillary Crowley
Prince George
