This post is a response to Matthew Chan’s post on the proposed Enbridge pipeline, which can be found here.

The proposed pipeline would pump oil all the way from Alberta, through the interior of British Columbia, to Kitimat Bay. The chance of an oil spill occurring somewhere along this route is quite probable and the impact such a spill on the environment would be immense. But what is even worse is the risk of an oil spill along Kitimat Bay. The Douglas Channel is a very dangerous waterway filled with many little islands. In fact, just six years ago, the BC Ferry’s Queen of the North vessel capsized after a collision that occurred exactly where Enbridge’s tankers would travel if the pipeline were to be built. Enbridge is aware of this risk and is actively trying to hide it.

The “Great Debate”, as Matthew calls it, is nothing short of that name. The clash of business and politics is heating up and conflicts have become quite nasty. This summer, an Enbridge official made several sexist and anti-BC remarks in a (now publicized) e-mail (full article here).

For Enbridge, it all comes down to the problem of business ethics. Perhaps they should reevaluate their plans and consider the views of the strongly opposing stakeholders.

Picture Source: Davidsuzuki.org