On yet another sunny day in a record-breaking streak of dry weather, I rode down to a park here on the North Shore where they we demonstrating to stop pipelines from the oil sands to the coast of BC and hence to China.
Here is a photo essay of the event. So little of logic or intelligence transpired that I hesitate to write it down. The clincher was the fat, old lady riding a purple electric cart; she proudly proclaimed “I do not use oil; I plug my cart in.” I reminded here that the previous speaker had called for a halt to dam building in BC, and had gone further calling for the demolition of all current dams in BC. I reminded the fat lady that she gets electricity from said dams. Not loosing a beat, she tartly replied “The young are all muddled up. One day they will need electic carts to get around too.”
Then there was the young Scotsman who said we should keep the oil in Canada to ensure energy independence. I got him to admit that he has been in the country but one month, having finished his thesis on the poetry of Milton. He admitted that he had followed the rather attractive lady who was manning the booth calling for an end to the export of energy from Canada.
Then there was the flat speaker who admitted that she was not yet born at the time of protests against the Vietnam war, but that this gathering had the energy of those lost days. Try as I might, I could not feel today the energy of those long-ago protests.
It would all have been rather funny and entertaining if it had not been so scary. The speakers were passionate and sounded like those old films of Mussolini working up a crowd. Logic and reason were absent. All was lies and calls for destruction: from corporations, to police, to politicians, to pipelines, and tankers. The fascists were there in force. And their motto was: we may not have money or power, but we have people and we will resist.
One final observation: I saw only one bus that had brought people; but five or six bicycles; and for the rest the parking lots were overflowing. As most of those in attendance were old and/or overweight, I suppose they do need their cars and gas to get to protest to keep the oil in Canada and not send it to China or the USA.
It’s easy to dismiss those people as ignorant or idealistic or whatever. I’ve seen them at public events in the past, and marvel at the contradiction between their values and lifestyle.
As for the pipeline, having lived, worked and vacationed in the area Enbridge plans to traverse I know that area absolutely cannot withstand an oil spill of any magnitude without major environmental damage. Morice River is spawing home to one quarter of the Skeena salmon run. First nations in the area, including Wet’suwet’en, Babine, Gitsxan, and others rely heavily on salmon for their winter sustenance. Enbridge has not shown any ability to manage their pipelines effectively, nor have they indicated any desire to take responsibility for an ocean spill. They may not be the right company for something this important.
I am waiting for the review panel to submit their report before I decide which side to support.
The one thing that you can be assured of in these demonstrations is that 90% of the people are just plain dumb. It’s a lot of fun to speak with them and ask them serious questions and get a similar response to a 6-year old. Ask them for the pro’s and con’s of a venture and you’ll only be able to get out a simple statement like “oil is bad..period”. If that doesn’t convince you to support their position then I don’t know what will. Thank god that these societal fringes never get much beyond working in a coffee shop making lattes.
There are scientist, lawyers, cco’s, teachers, doctors, construction workers, fishermen and women, police, firemen/women, that are against the pipeline; possibly your own family…I would wager they know more than you anticipate.
Protests, no matter how foolish are fun and should not be taken seriously. It would be nice if all that energy could be directed to the positive rather than the negative, but any attempt to do so is anti democratic.
For national strategy, another market (for Western oil) makes good sense. We need an alternative to selling our oil to the US at a huge discount. However Northern Gateway may not be the best choice. For best strategy all possibilities need to be examined before we accept NG as the correct option. Then, and only then can we decide how to build something that considers all risks, and operate it with constant awareness of the possibility of a spill.
The people who oppose NG on principle aren’t worth the effort required to engage and discuss this. They do not listen to reason.
Those poor souls who have already made up their mind are foolish to do so before all the facts are submitted. The process we use to determine the fate of projects like this may be flawed, but we need to respect it as a reasonable way to decide. I don’t know what other process would do a better job in the end.
Your mamma may be foolish to have a shortsighted child as yourself.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
funny how you think that all them cars were from the people attending…since there is a sea bus terminal and a bus terminal…not to mention a a 6 movie theatre within 2 blocks…shortsighted are we?
Ha, love the comment about the young Scotsman! But, in all seriousness, I agree with hardrockminer – protests need to be taken seriously, and people can all too easily become obsessed with the cause without truly researching it.