Pipeline Serves Only China's Oil Interests Not Canada's

Walter E. Eibisberger is completely wrong when he writes that the Northern Gateway pipeline project is good for Canada. For one thing he discards the importance of the hearings under the presumption that this project is a no brainer and that "the hearings should be concluded as quickly as possible so that construction can begin and the oil can start flowing to the West coast for delivery to oil hungry Asian nations such as China, Japan, India, etc." He suggests that those who oppose the project on environmental grounds are merely "radical environmental groups and native peoples."

I would suggest to Eibisberger that the only ones out to hijack these hearings are the multinational oil companies, most of them foreign owned who have only one thing on their mind and that is clear profit. This in spite of the glossy million dollar ads that they give us depicting a serene nature loving oil company. But further I would suggest that this project should be decided more than just how much money Alberta will make from it but how it will impact future Canadian generations.

It is clear that the cancellation of the Keystone XL is a win-win decision for Barak Obama. For not only does it play to his key supporters in the environmental movement but it allows Obama to point the finger at the Republicans for making him do it.

However, as a result of the loss of a southern route to the US, there will now be greater emphasis placed on the Northern Gateway Pipeline. But this will also invite greater opposition from environmentalists emboldened by the victory over Keystone . Those so-called "radicals" as noted by Eibisberger will be coupled with solid opposition by aboriginals who fear the risk to their livelihoods and the environment. Quite likely, if the process is not altered these hearings will take several years for all to be heard but I am willing to be that it will likely take intervention by Stephen Harper himself, to get the pipeline built.

Harper is not above doing this as he is no friend of the environment. Having thumbed his nose at the Kyoto agreement, the tripling of CO2 emissions which will come once a new pipeline is built, is of no concern to him. Harper only argues the need to diversify Canada's export economy by providing energy security to either China or the USA. He cares less that it will diminish Canada's sovereignty once the oil starts flowing either way. Canadians need to ask what will we say to either of these two countries 40 years down the road when we ourselves may see shortages of oil? By that time, if we export it, the oil will be seen as a matter of national security to either country and we will have no say in diverting it for our current needs or those of future generations.

The answer to this whole problem does not lie in a pipeline going south to the US or west to China. If indeed the oil sands must be developed than the oil should flow east to Ontario for refining and than further east to the Maritimes to eliminate their dependency on foreign oil tankers. By doing this we create jobs in this country, we eliminate the threat to the west coast's fragile environment and we control our own resources. And once we have energy independence, than it will give the Canadian people first say in what is done with this resource. It will also leave it to the Canadian consumer of oil to make the final decision on whether this oil from the tar sands really is ethical. and.are we okay with trashing the planet in order to keep the family car running?

One other point. Last month the Chinese government through it's control of PetroChina moved to acquire 100% ownership of the undeveloped MacKay River tar sands, a huge chunk of Alberta at a cost of over $2.5 billion dollars. Not a whisper from the Harper government or Investment Canada. This site along with many other foreign owned ones are dependent on the movement of excess bitumen through either the Keystone or the Gateway pipeline. Possibly Harper can make this happen for them but than Canadians must ask, just who does this he serve?