Monday, August 20, 2012

What Science?



Stephen Harper claims that science will determine the viability of the Enbridge Pipeline. But he also insists that science must meet his deadline of 2013. However, as the Canadian Press reported yesterday, science will not be able to meet that deadline.

For one thing, the project is massive and requires multiple environmental assessments:

The pipeline is to traverse nearly 1,000 streams and rivers in the upper Fraser, Skeena and Kitimat watersheds.

For another, federal budget cuts have reduced both the human and technological resources needed to make those assessments:


The federal government recently sent letters to 92 habitat staff members within Fisheries and Oceans in B.C., telling them that their positions will be cut. Thirty-two of them will be laid off outright.

The cuts will mean the department in B.C. has half the habitat staff it had a decade ago.

All but five of the province’s fisheries field offices will be cut as part of a $79-million — 5.8 per cent — cut to the department’s operational budget, including the offices in Prince George and Smithers that would have had the lead in monitoring pipeline effects.

Mr. Harper is directly responsible for both of these outcomes. As former Environment Minister David Anderson says,

“You can’t do these studies on the spur of the moment. It takes time to do them. And the federal Fisheries have just been subjected to the most remarkable cuts, so you’re in the throes of reorganization and reassessment and re-assigning people, and on top of it you throw them a major, major request for resources and work.

“It can’t be done.”

Mr. Harper has no intention of doing it. Like the bitumen he is hellbent on selling, he pollutes the truth.

Just a brief note: My wife and I are heading for Nova Scotia to visit family. We'll be back near the end of the month. I'll take a break from blogging until then.

This entry is cross posted at Eradicating Ecocide.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is just another of Harper's dirty tactics, dirty politics. He knows the study can't be done in that length of time. This as usual, is the Harper way, to cheat to win.

Harper reminds me of Putin. This country is not safe with Harper either.

The citizens of BC, are 80% supporting the F.N. We will fight Harper, even if we die trying. We must stop the atrocities of the Enbridge pipeline and the dirty tar tankers. BC must not be the conduit, for Communist China's easy access, to get the dirty Bitumen. Just the stink of the tar sands, is making people ill.

The people of the world, don't want to have to wear respirators and face masks, as they do in China. The terrible pollution in China, is drifting into other country's. Even as far as Canada.

Owen Gray said...

This should be every Canadian's fight, Anon. But you folks in B.C. will bear the brunt of the battle.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the rich want that pipeline...

http://richardhughes.ca/

Read about the media mogul who wants to build a refinery in Kitamat, ya you read right...

Mr. Hughes has been on top of it:)

The Mound of Sound said...

Owen, here on the left coast, opposition to this pipeline outrage is really growing and it's palpable. Ordinary, law-abiding people who have never had a run-in with the law are vowing to take part in mass, non-violent civil disobedience and force Enbridge/Alberta/Harper to haul them off to jail - again and again.
With each son or daughter, father or mother, grandfather or grandmother who gets slammed up, there'll be their own daughters and sons, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers stepping up to take their place and overwhelming the state security apparatus. I know I'm going. If the rest of Canada won't stand up for British Columbia, I'll not have much interest in remaining Canadian - that deal will be broken.

Owen Gray said...

As if putting a refinery at the end of the line ensures that there will be no leaks along the length of the pipeline, Mogs.

It does not follow that if you are rich you are also wise. In fact, history -- recent history -- has proven the opposite to be true.

Owen Gray said...

Every Canadian who cares about this country's environmental future -- and, if the polls are right, that's the vast majority -- should be with you on the line, Mound.

This is where we draw the line.

Anonymous said...

The only sane way out is to put the refinery in Alberta and tax the living hell out of fossil fuel making alternative green energy the natural choice with huge tax breaks the dirty energy corps have been enjoying forever. The time is now the place is here, we need to change as a species or risk near extinction.

The rich are already prepared, are you? Ever heard of the Rockefeller Fortress? Just to let you know what is coming and what the 1% is prepping for...

http://www.scribd.com/doc/94872160/Extract-Scenario-Plans-and-Projects-by-The-Rockefeller-Foundation-A-commentary

Where will you be when you can't drive your car or shop at the local market, the 1% is prepared and will shoot you on sight.

Anonymous said...

"Since Harper's regime was installed by the oil giants operating in Canada..."

From this article a good read on whats really up in the oil patch,

http://thecanadian.org/item/1671-national-energy-strategy-a-deception-of-epic-proportions-designed-to-fleece-canadians

Anonymous said...

Ya Know Owen;

You were probably a child when I was in high school, so I do not blame you for being afraid for taking a real stance on issues as we were well trained in recognizing the apathetic ones quite like you today...

Bless you for being a middle of the road loonie...

I leave you with this song a friend of mine penned and sang, who knows you just may enjoy it?

Here is Mary Chapin...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rvt5kPlUyY

ChrisJ said...

Note that this mythical refinery might be built only after the pipeline is built - nice expensive carrot.

We need not worry about leaks - the economic illogic of such an endeavour pretty much guarantees it won't happen. Why would Enbridge, or anyone else, lay a pipeline to a Canadian refinery when they already have plenty of those right where they are. Crude oil is what China wants. (Or am I missing something?)

Enjoy NS and your vacation.

Kirbycairo said...

The only hope for the people in BC is if the NDP wins the next election and actually sticks to their opposition to the pipeline. The provincial government can put an end to it in various ways so it can easily be stopped if the next BC government wants to stop it.

Owen Gray said...

I remember the song well, Mogs. I have a hunch I'm older than you think I am.

I like to think of myself as middle of the road -- in the Eisenhower sense of "all the usable space."

But Stephen Harper makes it hard to stay in the middle -- which is where most Canadians used to be.

Owen Gray said...

We're back from N.S., Chris, and I'm catching up on comments.

You're right. This pipeline is about crude oil, not refined oil, and the Harper government has no concerns about the dangers it poses.

Owen Gray said...

Canadians should hope, Kirby, that the good people of B.C. have the good sense to elect an NDP government.