Wow, it’s been a busy couple days. So many people have gathered here in Prince Rupert to discuss the proposed Enbridge Pipeline. Enbridge wants to build a pipeline some 1000 km from Alberta’s “dirty” tar sands across northern BC, and hundreds of pristine waterways and habitats, to coastal Kitimat where supertankers are supposed to come fill up and then navigate back through some of the most difficult narrow passages on the north coast. A ferry sank in this passageway just a few years ago. We have huge tides and often intense weather. They propose to have tankers move through these waters more than 220 times every year!
Enbridge, themselves admit that it’s not a question of if a spill will happen but when. They tell us there are jobs and money at stake but even if we put aside the significant and real environment concerns, the jobs offered number likely under thirty and even more likely would be offered to Albertans who would relocate to Kitimat to work. Any spill will kill our environment, our food sources, industries like fishing and native and non native people’s culture.
This proposal is insane. It’s insane because the oil industry is dying and the tar sands in particular are expensive, polluting and unsustainable. It’s worth learning more about this dirty oil and how it’s produced. You’ll be shaking your head too, wondering why we’d continue to devote our energy and money to this industry in it’s twilight.
The other night we went to the Great Bear Wild photo exhibit where we saw some of the most amazing wildlife photography I’ve seen and watched the film SPOIL. There were some great speakers, delicious food and good company. Check out the short trailer to see some of this outstanding photography.
You can watch the whole 44 minute long film here.
Last night hundreds participated in a family friendly rally and march as an opportunity to share our thoughts and tell the world that we say NO to Enbridge oil. We will not let this pipeline happen. No Pipeline, No Tankers, No Problem.
We all need to start realising that oil will be gone soon, like within my lifetime. This isn’t paranoia, this is a fact. We should be taking this time now to be transitioning to other more sustainable energy sources and we need to learn to be more energy responsible.
(click to see more photos or these ones bigger)
thank you for this post. as a fellow coastal BC-er, i am completely in agreement with you. the attitude of oil & money over all reason is alarming (on a smaller scale, there is a fight in our valley right now over a proposed coal mine). thanks for the link to the film, i am going to watch it this weekend.
you go, mama! this is awesome, i am so glad for what you wrote in bold. it’s real and if we face up to it pretty pronto, we may avoid a lot of unnecessary suffering…
excellent post
You need a ‘like’ button :) Great post!
Great post Annie! The entire idea sounds insane.
Great photo of Lily engaged and empowered about her future. That’s what learning is. I love that and I love your post.
From space the Alberta dirty tar sands, look an abomination on the face of Canada.
There are deformed fish in Athabasca Lake. There is now oil in the, mighty Athabasca River. The huge Athabasca watershed is contaminated. And, we can’t drink oil. The caribou are dying. A first Nations village, are dying of cancer. Even the rare cancer, of exposure to petroleum. Another flock of ducks perished, from landing in the filthy sludge. The north will never recover from the terrible eco damage, the tar sands are bringing.
It was Enbridge, that had their pipeline burst, into the Kalamzoo River in Michigan. A terrible disaster. The pipeline burst out of Edmonton, is an eco damage, that they are unable to clean the spill up. Animals, fish and birds, will perish for decades and decades.
All of these disasters, leach into our clean drinking water. Humans are so stupid, they are even poisoning themselves.
Great post! I hope you don’t mind if I share it on my facebook page.
Thanks everyone! xx
Stacey- of course I don’t mind! :D
Here’s a really great article on the subject very worth reading: http://thecanadian.org/k2/item/756-stopping-enbridge-in-an-undemocratic-country-rafe-mair
Matthew, Scott, Brendan and I just watched the film SPOIL. I have never been moved by a film as I was by this one. You are so right that this wacked out proposal needs to be shut down for good. I will do what I can to support the cause and be part of taking back our province and the Great Bear Rainforest. Not only was the photography amazing, the way of life of the Gitga’at that rely on this sacred space staying intact, powerful, but also–once I saw the route they want these tankers to navigate some 200+ times per year? WTF? It would be a matter of time until one dumped oil and it would be all over.
NO way, NOT on my lifetime.
~Erin
We would have loved to be there, thanks for raising your voices for this land that we love!