Pipeline? Sorry, I’m From BC, So I Must Be A Tree-Hugger
One of the most fiercely debated issues I have encountered in my life most certainly is the Northern Gateway pipeline proposed by Calgary based Enbridge. Being from Vancouver I have been raised in one of the most beautiful cities and regions in the world and the thought of threatening this with a pipeline is unheard of. The fear of this pipeline is the ending in Kitimat, BC. From here tankers would bring Albertan crude oil to Asian markets, but first they have to navigate one of the most precarious channels in the world. This reason is because of the hairpins turns tankers would have to make to get in and out of Kitimat. All my fellow British Columbians are vehemently opposed to this and suggestions that this is beneficial are laughed at because of the perceived low economic benefits and the massive risk.
Being at a world renowned university puts all perceived notions into questions though. My class-mate and good friend Ben Gardiner made a blog post regarding this very issue. Being an Albertan he brings a completely different perspective on the issue. His blog post presents a logical argument in favour for this pipeline. While I still believe that a pipeline to Kitimat is a bad idea and that a private company should not be in charge of a project on this vast of a size with so many risks, I do see that this is not a simple issue that can be ended with a simple no.