The Ridiculous Pipe Dream

This whole debate about the twinning of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to the west coast has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous!

There is overwhelming evidence to show that the project will have minimum impact on the environment of either province.  A pipeline is much, much safer that shipping the oil by rail!  In my opinion, the economic benefits to Canada will be widespread and significant in a positive way! 

Yet the protesters and the support groups demonstrate against each other.  Folks are blocking access to the pipeline building sites.  The squabble has become a farce on democracy.   I suspect that most protesters don't even understand what they are really protesting and why!

Yet the fight goes on!   I think now the fight is being waged, just because!  The reasons for the initial debate have been lost in the rhetoric over the past few months.  Let's just quit all this silliness and build the pipeline!  And maybe we should build a huge oil refinery in Fort Mac. as well! 

NDP vs. NDP!

Alberta's NDP Premier Rachel Notley is going head-to-head with British Columbia's new NDP Premier John Horgan over the building of a new pipeline from here to the coast! 

After very extensive research and study, the pipeline has been approved by the federal government and was accepted by the outgoing B.C. premier!

This ridiculous impasse has brought up some very thought provoking questions!

• Can one Canadian province hold another for ransom over access to markets?
• Can a province (in this case B.C,) simply thumb their nose at our federal constitution?
• Can a newly elected provincial government simply cancel agreements made in good faith by its predecessor?
• Can a very small group of radical environmental types derail a plan which has been accepted by both federal and provincial governments?
• Can two provinces in this kind of dispute simply be allowed to slug it out with each other without federal intervention?

If the answers to these questions are "Yes", we're in big trouble!

Admiral Notley of the Albertan Navy

You might recall the old joke about a gentleman claiming to be an admiral in the Swiss Navy.  Switzerland is of course a landlocked country.  Save for a few lakes, it doesn't have access to enough water to float a navy!

The Province of Alberta is landlocked, too!  Our natural resources must be shipped to customers overseas, yet we have no deep-water, ocean ports.  We must rely on our neighbors to provide those facilities.  It is absolutely necessary that Alberta's petroleum products, grain, coal, forest products and other products be able to be sold on the international market.  Without that ability to sell its products, Alberta will stay on the list of "have-not" provinces forever!

Premier Notley (or should I say Admiral Notley) is desperately trying to make sure that Alberta has and continues to have access to seaports for its natural resources.  That's not an easy task! 

The way I see it, we have three directions to go;  West through B.C., South through the U.S.A. and East through Saskatchewan.  Each direction presents challenges.  There are environmental concerns, indigenous peoples' concerns, and economic concerns in each direction!  B.C.'s Green Party leader says there is a simple solution; no movement of Alberta's resources through British Columbia.  Quebec's city mayors have the same solution!  And the on-again-off-again-on-again Keystone project shows me that the U.S. has a similar attitude.  How does Premier Notley convince these folks that that is NOT an option?

These access corridors must be created!  We need some kind of a commission or board to deal with each and every issue in each direction.  Our environment must be preserved and the rights and concerns of everyone must be addressed.  All options must be explored!   Everyone must be treated fairly!  Saying "no" just because you can is not an option!

Economy vs. the Environment: A Silly Choice!

I saw in the Herald this morning that the Angus Reid Institute polled some 1500 Canadians to ask the what is the bigger priority; economic growth or protecting the environment?  What a silly choice!  That's like asking someone;  When walking, which leg is more important, your right leg or your left leg?

As I see it, the correct answer would be "both"!  If we have economic growth without focussing on environmental responsibility we'll do more damage to our world so it (or parts of it) will become uninhabitable. 

Likewise, if we concentrate on scrapping all economic development to protect the environment, our economy will tank.  Millions will become unemployed. Our way of life and standard of living will become seriously compromised.

Projects like the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion must be built but not at the expense of the environment. 

I truly believe that Canada and Canadians must support economic development, but concentrate on environmental protection along with it!  We can do both! The two are not mutually exclusive!