The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

Hello fellow Fair JAKE lovers and sustainability enthusiasts! My name is Samantha, and I’ll be contributing articles now and again on environmental issues.   For my first entry I thought we’d look at the proposal for the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline (NGP). In my opinion, it is the most pressing matter we are facing today in BC. My concern is that our fellow Vancouverites don’t know the issues, and I’m hoping this entry will open up the discussion.

There are some benefits of the NGP. The $5.5 billion project is expected to create 560 long term jobs and bring in $1.2 billion in government revenue over the next 3o years.   It will diversify the market for oil sands, thus increasing prices for oil sands companies. However, the majority of the economic benefits will be concentrated in Alberta.

Sure, who doesn’t love to earn an extra buck, but don’t get hypnotised by those dollar signs, because there are plenty of risks that go along with them. For starters there are risks with the pipeline itself. Many people argue that the safest mode of transportation is pipelines; that being said, if built, the proposed NGP has 773 water crossings and Enbridge claims “for every barrel of oil shipped 1,000 miles, less than one teaspoon is lost.” That may sound like a miniscule amount, but consider the 525,000 barrels projected to be shipped a day – not so miniscule! If you can look past the pipeline leaks, there is still a considerable risk of tanker accidents. Although Enbridge has promised to establish a “comprehensive, world-class marine safety program”, opponents claim it’s not a question of if there will be a spill, but when. The oil tankers will have to navigate through 140km of a tricky inside passage, passing approximately 650 salmon spawning rivers, orca and humpback whale feeding grounds, and intersect grey whale migratory routes. Not only that, the Queen Charlotte Basin is home to 20 federally listed ‘at risk’ species. Environmental risks aside, the climate impacts are concerning alone. Oil sands operations are 5-15 % more carbon intensive than conventional oil on a “well to wheels basis”.

To me it’s clear that the risks are too high, but the question I hear all the time is, “what are the alternatives?”  Well, if your biggest concern is the tanker risk, there are several other pipeline routes proposed, some which lead to existing refineries in Canada. There are also alternative energy sources which I plan to speak about in future blog entries. And if you are really concerned about Canada’s contribution to climate change, consider decreasing your own consumption of fossil fuels.

Clearly my opinion is that the risks far out weigh the benefits; however, I encourage you to educate yourself over the matter and make your own decision, and discuss this important matter with your friends. This was a brief overview, but below are some informative links.  As well, If you’d like to know more about this issue, how you can decrease your footprint, or how to get involved feel free to contact us.

Enbridge:

www.northerngateway.ca

Joint Review Panel:

http://gatewaypanel.review-examen.gc.ca/clf-nsi/hm-eng.html

Environmentalists:

                http://pipeupagainstenbridge.ca

                http://dogwoodinitiative.org/no-tankers