Editor,
Who voted for the NDP-Green party? The cities and municipalities on the coastal waters of B.C. Why? Because of the threat of spills of some of the most highly toxic matter on Earth. The increase in freighters using coastal waters as a result of the pipeline to the coast is far too substantial to be ignored.
The fact of the issue is, the government of B.C. is fully aware that the recovery of spills by freighters is far from adequate. The spill in English Bay last year was a glaring example. The issue is one of protection of our coastal waters. The B.C. coast is one of the most vulnerable and dangerous in the world. Alberta is a land-locked province, and its main industry is oil. It is natural that the Alberta government will do everything it can to promote the transportation of its primary economic driver. But at what cost to B.C.?
Haida Gwaii has been assured of protection of its pristine coastal waters. A moratorium has been imposed by the federal government on tanker traffic. The Haida people’s right to protect their coastal waters has not been disputed. Yet the media, and some politicians, see opposition to the pipeline to the coast causing the loss of future investment in B.C.
Let’s face it: the increased oil traffic from Alberta is going directly to China. The Pacific Ocean is the carrier: an ocean that is already polluted badly enough. One wonders if it will ever be able to flush itself out in the generations to come, if our man-made pollution isn’t controlled more vigorously.
Kiva Morgan-Hall and the group of high school students in Ashcroft protesting the pipeline expansion to the coast should be commended. The young see the future faster than some of us dinosaurs.
The world is changing. It is in a state of transition from dependence on fossil fuel energy to energy that is able to save our environment. It is interesting to note that China has become the leader in the production of so-called green energy. It is selling its products to the world. China’s polluted cities have prompted waves of protest from its people, so China is doing something about it. People can take only so much, and China has had one revolution and war after the other in times past. It sees the handwriting on the wall.
The B.C. government got its support from the most highly populated areas of the province. They were elected to protect our coastal waters and our environment. And they are doing just that.
Esther Darlington
Ashcroft, B.C.