“Why Not?”
The old man in the hat
The fine people of TransCanada Pipelines have graced us with their dog and pony show of the proposed “Energy East”, 12 billion dollar energy project. How nice.
I think the weekly magazine Maclean’s said it the best in their September 2 article, “Pumped to Find Another Way”, that Energy East is “Plan B” for TransCanada. I guess if you consider that jobs and profits for Saint John helps to support their poor northern cousins and their government infrastructure (roads, hospitals etc.), maybe the risk of environmental disaster is a fair trade off. Yeah, right.
What is the role of the provincial government? Short term, I see increased economic activity and increased tax revenue. Long term one could argue that the project protects existing jobs and tax revenue from industry in Saint John. For this, we understand the enthusiasm of the Alward government for the project.
However, as well as revenue, there are costs. What do I expect of my government? While it is fine to play the role of cheerleader for economic development, I want my government to ensure that the costs do not outweigh the benefits. If I understand this project correctly, we (New Brunswickers) are primarily providing a sea outlet for Alberta Oil Sands. The nature of the exact product to be carried by the pipeline seems to vary with the reference source that you are consulting. The refinery in Saint John is only committed for a small portion and does not have the proper technology to process the total volume of the pipeline. One spill into any sensitive ecological system in our Province and the costs quickly overwhelm the abilities of technology to undo the harm. Surely there will be a proper environmental review of the project. I assume there will be requirements that any pipeline section traversing a body of water will have the most up to date anti-spill technology that is available. If not, its should not be allowed to cross!
The bottom line is that while the petrochemical industry has given us may “wonders” and has made us the most mobile animals since the creation of the world, it has also allowed us to consume ever and ever increasing amounts of finite resources. These “wonders” have a hidden price that we often do not pay at the time of consumption. More refining (anywhere in the world) means more pollution. More refining means more carbon emissions. More refining means more deaths related to the production, distribution and the consumption of fossil fuels.
Amazingly, our future does not have to be controlled by fossil fuels. There are alternatives. Yes, they are not perfect. But things change. Technology improves, costs drop, usage of the new technology increases. Repeat. I expect my government to embrace and encourage change. Is the government of New Brunswick heating all of the provincially owned building with wood pellets? Why not? Does the government automobile fleet utilize the latest hybrid technologies? Why not? Are solar panels and important component on all provincial building. Why not? Leading by example. Why not? That is what I expect my government to do. Do you?
