Dear Editor:
MP for North Vancouver Jonathan Wilkinson has provided a lengthy justification for the Trudeau government’s decision to approve the Kinder Morgan pipelines, but his rationalization doesn’t deal with issues that are important to many British Columbians and North Vancouver residents.
The Kinder Morgan pipelines to Burrard Inlet are intended to service the expansion of the oilsands with the mining and shipping of bitumen, which cannot be cleaned up and could have lasting detrimental impacts on ocean life.
Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Wilkinson appear to see Ms. Notley’s plan to “cap” oil production at 100 (megatonnes in annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030) as a win for the environment, but actually the Alberta plan will increase emissions from close to 70 megatonnes in 2014. And the plan sees Canada reverting to its old role of exporting its raw resources without any added value. Come on folks, it’s nearly 2017!
Canada imports oil from Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and several other countries, but we are losing our ability to refine oil products, and this is increasing the energy insecurity for Canada. What about building refining capacity in Alberta, creating real jobs here in Canada and freezing the level of oil production to keep greenhouse gases at or below the current levels?
I have no doubt that the transportation of crude oil will continue for many years; what I adamantly oppose is a pipeline dedicated to the shipment of bitumen (also known as tar) when we know that spills and leaks will happen and will cause untold damage to B.C.’s coast by impacting First Nations communities and B.C.’s tourist industry.
We need to be eliminating tax breaks and other subsidies to the fossil fuel industry and providing more help to alternative energy production.
Alison Watt
North Vancouver
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