NO Pipelines, NO Tankers, NO Social Programs!

BC, land of the free to be hypocritical. Their greenies are protesting a pipeline to Kitimat BC because, well, just because. Okay, they are worried about oil spills from the pipeline. Do they know that a pipeline from Alberta to Vancouver has existed for over 50 years, without a spill?

As a matter of fact, even the far left Tyee, has an article that shows an increase in oil tanker traffic from Vancouver. Do the people living in Vancouver know that a oil pipeline runs under the city? One or two commentators show some common sense:

blackie

There's an appalling lack of knowledge about what that hated pipeline system actually does (and has been doing now for about 50 years), and what would happen in the Lower Mainland if it were suddenly shut down (as so many of you seem to be arguing).

1. It transports crude oil to the one remaining refinery in the Lower Mainland (there used to be four). Shut down the line, and that refinery either closes and lays everyone off, or starts importing oil in tankers (which is how it happened before they built the pipeline.)

2. It transports in batches gasoline, diesel, jet fuel etc -- all refined products -- sold in the Lower Mainland. Shut the system down, and you can put all the cars and the buses up on blocks and get your bicycles out (don't forget the snow tires). The alternative is to ship much much more of that stuff in tankers on the highways -- all the way from Edmonton. Think that's safer?

3. Yes, it ships some crude offshore in tankers, and more of it every year. No tanker spills yet. If Dogwood and First Nations opposed to the Kitimat line succeed (I think they will) then you can expect even more crude (triple, in fact) to come down the line to Vancouver. Why? Hands up all those who think it's a good idea to sell oil only to the US.

I know, you don't want Canada to sell ANY oil to ANYONE. Well, good luck with all those great social programs you like.

Funny how the opposition are yapping about no oil tankers on the west coast when they have been there for years. They also don't want a pipeline to Kitimat because the pipeline might burst or something. It's a plain case of blackmail. The environmentalists and First Nations are blackmailing the oil companies and Canadians by their lawsuits and protests. If they persist, look at what Alberta can do:

We can send it right on down to Seattle or Portland or any other destination that already has existing pipelines. Oh, my goodness, we might even be able to send that tar sands oil to eastern Canada. LOOK, we already have pipelines going to Winnipeg and Ottawa. Yikes how did that happen? Real pipelines sending real oil all across Canada and the US with no big spills. You lefties better get those pipelines shut down tomorrow because it is obviously too dangerous in high density areas. Seriously, shut them down! Stop all oil tankers from docking at the Vancouver and Halifax harbours, NOW!

In Ottawa on Tuesday, a group of environmentalists, first nations and Opposition Members of Parliament called for a West Coast ban on oil tanker traffic. Such a ban would kill the Enbridge project.

Hey lefties don't forget the East Coast too, you don't want to appear to be hypocrites do you? Oh, I forgot the Irvings OWN the east coast and they love blood oil, not Alberta's ethical oil. Talk about a monopoly that should be investigated. Suck it up sweethearts, you are blackmailing Canadian taxpayers, and we will not stand for it anymore. Stop the pipeline if you want, we will send our oil to Seattle, and they can gain the employment benefits, or Billings Montana, then we won't have to deal with BC at all.

NO pipelines, NO tankers, NO social programs!