486F – Post 1
by bernicewong
Under the umbrella of sustainability, the first topic that comes to mind as a resident of Vancouver, BC, is the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Perhaps it is a topic that has been over addressed in the past few months, but as the review is being carried out I feel it is rather relevant.
The facts are familiar to most: Northern Gateway was proposed on May 27th, 2010. A $6 billion project, it consists of 1,177 km long twin pipelines running from oil sands in Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia, as well as the creation of two ship berths on the coast of Kitimat. One pipeline is responsible for the transportation of diluted bitumen from the sands to the berth. The second is designated to transport the remaining condensate from Kitimat back to Bruderheim.
While browsing through articles on the topic, I came across an article in the Huffington Post with the following statement:
“While the country debates the safety and security of pipelines, the effects of climate change continue to mount. The impacts run the gambit from minor irritants like the swarming flies in Beamsville and damaged foundations in Ottawa to the almost science fiction-like dissolving shellfish industries and dead carbon-emitting forests in B.C. The impacts are profound, compounding, and complex, but the political conversation is juvenile.”
Although I have studied this topic rather frequently throughout the year (being assigned a number of projects on the topic), I had never really considered the climate effects of the Northern Gateway project. The focus of most articles and research were the dangers of pipeline fractures, tanker accidents, and Aboriginal rights; to the extent that GHG emissions were generally glanced over or not mentioned at all.
I am currently registered in a sustainable energy course, and just recently learned of the overwhelming impact the additional oil would have on GHG emissions. I also learned the JRP can’t even take GHG emissions into consideration –they can only consider the minimal emissions caused by pipeline and factory operations. Definitely has been food for thought over the past week…
A powerful image shown by Professor Hoberg (Conservation 425):
