The Enbridge pipeline is totally unrealistic for the people of B.C.
The western terminus on Douglas Channel off Hecate Straight is considered the fourth most hazardous navigable waters in the world. The inevitable spill is too costly to the coastal people, their livelihood, sea life, animals and our pristine, beautiful B.C.
With no port, the pipeline is useless.
Without a pipeline, our Great Bear Rainforest will remain undisturbed. The rest of the world is watching our stewardship of that forest.
We have a global responsibility to retain one of the last earthly gigantic carbon filters which helps to mitigate our overuse of fossil fuel.
Without the pipeline, we will not create the megalithic dam (Site C) to power the oilsands development. We need that valuable agricultural land to feed people.
Bitumen may be profitable in the short term, however, it becomes quite costly in the long haul, in terms of displaced farmland. Keep that dirty oil and slag away from our food and water.
Stop supporting Enbridge. Stop subsidizing dirty fossil energy, and turn our taxes into developing renewable, non-polluting energy.
Canada could be a world leader in the transformation from fossil fuel to diverse methods of production and conservation of energy. A $60-billion industry is going unsupported while the focus is on costly oil and gas.
I urge government to listen to the protests of the burgeoning numbers of people who are aware of the hazards of our northern development.
Environmental groups, scientists, coalitions, panels, churches, speakers, opposition parties and, most importantly, First Nations with their Idle No More campaign, are all telling our leaders that Canadians expect wise and forward-thinking environmental management from our elected officials.
Patricia J. Pauls,
Kelowna