Should Oil Drilling & Tankers be Allowed on British Columbia Coast

TO OIL OR NOT TO OIL?

Like many of us around the world, we watch in disbelief at the terrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Some people have even said it was deliberate!

I blogged the news story on my facebook profile and got quite a response from people!




I linked to a yahoo news report which is following the disaster
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100430/ap_on_bi_ge/us_louisiana_oil_rig_explosion

... the blown-out well 40 miles offshore is spewing five times as much oil into the water as originally estimated — about 5,000 barrels, or 200,000 gallons, a day. At that rate, the spill could eclipse the worst oil spill in U.S. history — the 11 million... gallons that leaked from the grounded tanker Exxon Valdez in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989

A BC group called the Dogwood Initiative have a website calling for protection of the Pacific coast from oil spills and they too are following the slick in the Gulf

http://dogwoodinitiative.org/

For 37 years the northern coastal waters of British Columbia have been protected from oil tanker traffic. This ban is now under threat.

Plans to build pipelines and a supertanker port in BC to service the Alberta Tar Sands are moving forward with support from the BC and Canadian Governments.

But there is still time to save our coast.

They claim that

The oil spill from the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico has highlighted the fact that unless we take action to ban tankers on our coast, one day it could be us watching oil creep towards our shoreline.

http://dogwoodinitiative.org/notankers/actions



I am wondering what you think about the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and the prospect of oil spills along the west coast of British Columbia, Alaska and Washington? And what about the Alberta Tar Sands?

A recent rap video parody I star in spoofing Prime Minister Stephen Harper proroguing parliament so he could attend the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics called "I'm On A Break" even has a line in it about the tar sands which many call an international embarrassment.

He's on a break yah like in the past and
Gets to avoid issues like Alberta tar sand
He's the king of the world for another short while, so
If you're still at work then you sure not him, no
Stand up people, this break is for real




For me, I can't understand why we continue to invest billions into fossil fuels when we need sustainable energy and technologies so desperately, and why on Earth is the world's supposed greatest super power so freaken LAME at responding to natural disasters. I don't anyone will ever forget how they treated their own people when Mississippi was flooded by a hurricane.


Tongue in cheek I said on my facebook profile
YES TO TANKERS & OIL DRILLING ON THE BC COAST!
>>>>> NOT <<<<<<<<<

COMMENTS FROM MY FACEBOOK PROFILE


Duane Burnett
I tried to find an email to let BP know what I really think http://www.bp.com

Marc Buzzell
what a disaster im very embarrassed to be a fuel dependent human

Lois Vader
Cap it!! Now!! Hey Big D...watch this CBC report..they talk about the oil spill around 30.03 - 33.07 if you want to fast forward it:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/TV_Shows/Lang_&_O'Leary_Exchange/ID=1480327840

Bren MacDonald
People use the phrase "This is a disaster" too often, and it loses much of it's meaning; what happens then when something like this happens? This is being called by many perhaps the worst environmental disaster ever. That's nuts!

As a side note, I'm not pressing 'like' because this REALLY isn't a 'like' situation.

Duane Burnett
1,000,000 Strong Against Offshore Drilling
http://www.facebook.com/dontdrill?v=wall

Mitan Niebergall
fucked up! It seems like all of these oil spills are done on purpose or something. I could be totally wrong..... but what if I'm right?

Elisa Jardine
This is horrific and devastating. We have to do something! Do everything we can!

Graeme McRanor
Getting laid on a tropical island is the only offshore drilling mankind should keep busy with...

Susan Davidson
Never, never, never !!

Manuen Edwards
argh how depressing i just want to hear some good news for a change why are people so irresponsible and destructive it really is scary and depressing if we keep abusing the earth especially our oceans with pollution we are all doomed for sure .... we probably are anyway we seem just too stupid to restrain ourselves ..... argh

Duane Burnett
NEW fb group >>
Protect the Marine Life in Gulf Oil Spill Disaster
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=122108411134129

Chelsea Sleep
oh no!

Rob Thomson
Absolutely no oil tankers on our coast! Witness the damage happening to the Louisiana coast and then think of the fragility of our coast in this wet, pristine and green environment. Take a float plane from Vancouver/Richmond up coast to the Central and North Central coasts and see the immensity of our wilderness from 1000'. In spite of our hacking much of the coastline with clear cuts, inland just a little bit more is an ocean of green. We can't afford to damage this most precious space. NO OIL TANKERS!

Cheryl McNevin Baron
No tankers!

Manuen Edwards
NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOO

Allegra Mills
no

Manuen Edwards
I heard a roomer they might want to start filling the open pit mine up here with Vancouver's garbage ... just another great idea hey ? how is it possible people are so incredibly stupid ? oh yeah ... money has a lot to do with it in most cases ....lol


Rob Thomson
If you ever have the opportunity to visit the central coast- in particular my favourite part, Johnson Strait and Calvert Strait, or even just a cruise up the Inside Passage, the beauty and solitude of our coast is overwhelming.That we would even think of allowing tanker traffic anywhere near our coast is absurd, ludicrous and just plain mad!

Is there anything that we won't think of doing to risk damage our environment for a few measly extra bucks to buy new toys that we really don't need? If we allow the coast to open up to tanker traffic then we are absolute first class certifiable idiots.

Allen Snowdon
Unfortunately oil is a lot like illegal drugs. As long as there's a demand there has to be a supply. Every single one of us are oil-addicts, and we are all ultimately responsible for these disasters. Ideally we should wean ourselves off this dependence on cheap, dirty energy and find cleaner alternatives, but that will not work until we can collectively practice proper conservation.


THANKS
I try to remember that there are many sides to every issue, and I am always so grateful from what I learn from all of your amazing feedback. I am hearing a definite no from the people, so why do the corporations and governments seem to insist on taking us down the road to environmental destruction for short term gain?

So thank you very much for that!
Should Oil Drilling & Tankers be Allowed on the British Columbia Coast?

It's always a good day on the Sunshine Coast! Duane


Duane Burnett Blogspot is at
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http://www.duaneburnett.com

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