OP/ED: Northern gateway pipeline not in anyone's interest

Hear, Hear. Mr. Atamanenko!

The Harper government has shown for years that "business as usual" is their passphrase for dealing with environmental issues.  Their placing short-term economic gain over environmental preservation does not seem to bother the majority of the electorate, however, as the last election has shown us. 

As I watch the erosion of policies and legislation put in place years ago, for the protection of the environment, and witness very little outcry from my fellow citizens, and discover a general disinterest and reluctance to discuss the seriousness of the state of our environment, I cannot help but wonder if the majority of Canadians really care all that much about what will be left for their children's children. Consumerism marches us on to the abyss, with the bandwagon of adverts and commercials a constant conniving barrage upon the senses, and our children are brainwashed earlier and earlier into the perception that 'things and toys' are what life is all about. 

Vehicles sit and idle, with their drivers absent, burning up fuel that has already harmed the environment in it's production, and now we are trying to pin our economy to the sale of oil from possibly the most destructive project on the planet, the Tar Sands.  As Dr. Schindler's research showed, the majority of pollution entering the Athabasca River system is emitted from the smokestacks that populate the landscape at the site at Fort McMurray, and precipitates onto the Athabasca watershed to be carried by rain and snow melt into the river, and eventually finds it's way into the Arctic Ocean, carried the final distance by the McKenzie River.  These pollutants threaten fish stocks, and the peoples who use them, in the lakes along the way, because as the speed of the current lessens in the lakes, water-born particles precipitate into them.

And yesterday I heard on the CBC news, that scientists were looking into the possible leaching out into the river, of poisons from the massive tailings ponds.

Of course, we can rest easy now that Dr. Schindlers research has forced the Provincial and Federal governments to 'require' an update in testing methods and infrastructure, to be conveniently carried out by scientists working for the oil companies.  I cannot believe that our Canadian environment is not important enough to us to insist that our Governments create and employ a Public Environmental Testing Agency that is beholden only to the people of Canada.  This practice of letting the corporations that are exploiting our environment be also responsible for monitoring damage that is caused by their exploitation cannot be too strongly condemned--need I mention the fox and the henhouse?

The information that we never hear on the news is the actual proposed size of the Tar Sands Project, when it is 'completed', it will be 5x the size of Denver, Colorado and is already using, this year,  2 billion cu.ft. /day of natural gas, more than all the gas available from the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline (which is largely under the control of Exxon---remember their great environmental record surrounding the 'Valdez' oil spill?)  In simple terms, the project will grow at least tenfold before it reaches full production, and it's carbon dioxide output will increase the same, using current methods of heating the bitumen.

We have somehow already been hoodwinked into feeling there is a necessity for the Tar Sands project, and now we are being told that we need a pipeline to carry it's tainted output to the West coast, where we can threaten another huge part of our heritage for the corporations involved to reap even greater profits.  Yes, there are jobs for Canadians too--I am not discounting that, but there were jobs in Alaska and Prince William sound as well. 

Maybe we should be looking at returning to a lifestyle that does not involve the necessity of NEEDING so much travel and plastic products, and having to transport so many things for such great distances.  Oil only became a significant part of our society some 110 years ago, we lived for millions of years before that without it.  It may not have been a flashy lifestyle, but it provided the links for all of us to be here.

Now, with a government at the helm that can spend millions and millions of dollars for foreign fighter jets, and expensive flyovers to celebrate a costly, ineffective, military intervention into a foreign sovereign state, but cannot afford to take care of our resources, environment, and social needs at home, one cannot help but wonder as to what is the real agenda, and wonder who is really calling the shots in the protection of this wonderful and beautiful land of ours. 

Remember, we can live without oil, but we can't live without fresh drinkable water, non-polluted air, and a climate that will support the growing of food and plants that supply materials from which we build our shelters. 

We have already allowed a monster to grow and live in our land, we must now determine how to bring this monster to it's knees so that it will serve, and not destroy us, and our children's children's children.

It is a great task, and a long, hard climb, but it will be done. Already started by individuals doing just a little at a time, gaining momentum as we take a long hard look at our relationships and priorities, and culminating finally, as we realize the strength we have in numbers, to change our society and our unhealthy interaction with the wonderful garden home that we have been blessed with.  I, although not being a radical, remain determined to never see the destruction of that garden become a testimony to our greed, ignorance, and apathy.

Are you determined too?

Ken Swanson

Midway B.C.