National Conversation on Oil:
One of the main reasons the Canadian government gave permission to the Kinder-Morgan company to build this new and perhaps disastrous projects is because the Canadian economy (as well as the American economy) is dependent on having access to oil within their own country. The government (and the company’s) main argument is that producing oil domestically is safer than importing oil from foreign countries. But, unfortunately, although this is true, it is far more dangerous than simply finding sources of energy that are renewable and more earth friendly than traditional methods. Many environmentalists believe that it extremely dangerous to build an economy that conflicts directly to harming the environment. Politics like this have led to the denial of climate change which is a supported theory by 95% of scientists. The government of BC has currently approved this project insisting that they “believe environmental protection and economic development can occur together, and the conditions attached to the EA certificate reflect that.” However, environmentalists also believe that this opinion is based on the economic interest of BC citizens rather than the long term environmental effects of this project.
Wildlife Concerns:
Another major concern of activists worry about the contamination of water in the area. Since the pipeline is near the coast there is increased risk of spilling oil into the ocean which, as we’ve all seen with spills like BP’s, can have a catastrophic effect. BC’s environmental assessment said the project could do some major harm to the population of orca whales, as it has the potential to kill many of the orca’s natural prey and to make the water less livable, however, Kinder-Morgan was able to point fingers at a previous Ottawa program that would supposedly cause the same or more damage than their’s would. This brings out another question of ethics in the environmental world. Due to the environmental board of the Canadian government having to make tough calls, Kinder-Morgan was able to take advantage of them. Although the project is clearly not moving in the right direction, Kinder-Morgan was able to leverage this other case into a go-ahead from the government, despite major environmental concerns. In fact, there are over 1000 chemicals in crude oil and many of these increase the level of toxicity of the water, making it hard for animals to thrive in harsh conditions.
Human Concerns:
As stated earlier, there are over 1000 chemicals in crude oil (which is about a medium threat level) which above the threat level of regular gasoline. In fact, crude oil contains benzene. Benzene, although similar to car exhaust or cigarette smoke in small quantities, in large quantities dramatically increases a person’s risk of developing leukemia. There are also very few federal limits on this chemical (and the 100’s of others that people are exposed to in oil) and the lack of regulation means a lack of testing, which in the end can have unknown and of course negative impacts on human and environmental wellness.
One of the main reasons the Canadian government gave permission to the Kinder-Morgan company to build this new and perhaps disastrous projects is because the Canadian economy (as well as the American economy) is dependent on having access to oil within their own country. The government (and the company’s) main argument is that producing oil domestically is safer than importing oil from foreign countries. But, unfortunately, although this is true, it is far more dangerous than simply finding sources of energy that are renewable and more earth friendly than traditional methods. Many environmentalists believe that it extremely dangerous to build an economy that conflicts directly to harming the environment. Politics like this have led to the denial of climate change which is a supported theory by 95% of scientists. The government of BC has currently approved this project insisting that they “believe environmental protection and economic development can occur together, and the conditions attached to the EA certificate reflect that.” However, environmentalists also believe that this opinion is based on the economic interest of BC citizens rather than the long term environmental effects of this project.
Wildlife Concerns:
Another major concern of activists worry about the contamination of water in the area. Since the pipeline is near the coast there is increased risk of spilling oil into the ocean which, as we’ve all seen with spills like BP’s, can have a catastrophic effect. BC’s environmental assessment said the project could do some major harm to the population of orca whales, as it has the potential to kill many of the orca’s natural prey and to make the water less livable, however, Kinder-Morgan was able to point fingers at a previous Ottawa program that would supposedly cause the same or more damage than their’s would. This brings out another question of ethics in the environmental world. Due to the environmental board of the Canadian government having to make tough calls, Kinder-Morgan was able to take advantage of them. Although the project is clearly not moving in the right direction, Kinder-Morgan was able to leverage this other case into a go-ahead from the government, despite major environmental concerns. In fact, there are over 1000 chemicals in crude oil and many of these increase the level of toxicity of the water, making it hard for animals to thrive in harsh conditions.
Human Concerns:
As stated earlier, there are over 1000 chemicals in crude oil (which is about a medium threat level) which above the threat level of regular gasoline. In fact, crude oil contains benzene. Benzene, although similar to car exhaust or cigarette smoke in small quantities, in large quantities dramatically increases a person’s risk of developing leukemia. There are also very few federal limits on this chemical (and the 100’s of others that people are exposed to in oil) and the lack of regulation means a lack of testing, which in the end can have unknown and of course negative impacts on human and environmental wellness.