Friday 28 June 2013

A Line in the Sand


Headwaters to streams and rivers leading to Lake Ontario

There is an increasingly polarized but submerged dynamic in Canada which revolves around pipelines, resource extraction, First Nations, and climate change. Sometimes the tensions rise to the surface and more awareness is created. This is what is happening right now in Ontario, Canada, in areas traversed by the “Line 9” pipeline.

Enbridge Inc. currently uses a 38 year old pipeline (Line 9) to transport petroleum from Montreal to Sarnia. Thirty-eight year old pipelines are not thick: this one is ¼ inch thick, and it measures 30 inches in diameter. Replacement pipes are ½ inch thick.

Enbridge is proposing to reverse the flow of this pipe (so that “product” runs from west to east), increase the volume of flow by 25%, and run diluted bitumen through it to Montreal, then to Portland Maine, where it can be refined and exported.

Years ago, the notion of running diluted bitumen through such a pipe would not have been considered. Not only does diluted bitumen (dil bit) have the consistency of peanut butter, but it contains abrasives such as pyrite and quartz. The flow creates friction, which raises the material's temperature, and makes it more corrosive. Additionally, cancer-causing condensates such as benzene, toluene, hydrogen sulphide, n-hexane, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons must be added to the toxic mix.

New pipelines dedicated to the transport of diluted bitumen are ¾ of an inch thick. They are coated outside for corrosion, and inside for abrasion, and they are 36 inches in diameter.

Normally, such a reckless proposal would at least trigger a federal Environmental Assessment with full public disclosure; however, now that Omnibus Bills C-38 and C-45 have been passed, the company is only required to request a National Energy Board (NEB) hearing (scheduled for August). Unfortunately, though, the NEB process is akin to a “rubber stamp” process, since public access to the hearings is restricted by an onerous application protocol, and the findings of the hearing can be overturned by the federal government.

An important impediment for Enbridge is the fact that the pipeline runs through unceded Mohawk Territory. According to the Canadian Constitution (1982), projects such as this that cross First Nations territories must first secure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent from First Nations, and this has not been secured.

Enbridge, likely anticipating that there would be resistance to its project, engaged in what could accurately be defined as "influence peddling" in communities through which the pipeline runs. In Hamilton, for example, Enbridge donated money to the police. Near the pumping station in Flamborough, home to the Beverly Swamp, ( a Class 1 protected wetland, and headwaters to streams and rivers feeding Lake Ontario), they provided funding for a baseball diamond.

Some may be fooled, but Enbridge’s track record is not exceptional. Between 1990 and 2010, they had 804 reportable spills in North America. If/when Line 9 leaks or bursts, the air will be contaminated by cancer-causing toxins, and the land and waters will be contaminated by diluted bitumen, which sinks to the bottom of wetlands, rivers, etc. A recent spill in Kalamazoo, Michigan bears all the hallmarks of what a spill will look like here.

It is in this context, and with late night construction crews working on reversing the lines at the North Westover Pumping Station BEFORE securing NEB approval, that a tipping point was reached which triggered a blockade and occupation of the station.

The protestors included First Nations peoples and a diverse contingent of peaceful (and well-informed) activists. Police made a number of arrests, and the blockade/occupation is now over, but the activism has already created a pause for reflection and awareness.

Awareness sometimes means debunking corporate myths. For example, people who support pipelines often mention jobs, but pipelines are largely self-sustaining once installed, and alternate sources of energy offer far more jobs. Additionally, increased reliance on a rip and ship extractive economy creates a high petro dollar which eliminates rather than creates jobs.

Others think of tar sand pipelines as a “necessary or lesser evil”, but why choose evil? The global atmospheric levels of carbon are now at 400 parts per million (ppm), and climate change is already wreaking fatal and expensive havoc throughout the world.

Discussions also involve First Nations issues. Increasingly, Canadians are learning that First Nations issues and their issues are intertwined. Canada’s neglect of its peoples and its environment are interconnected issues that are tarnishing our country and our international reputation.

Many of us are no longer willing to settle for Canada’s diminished stature, and many more are becoming aware of the imperatives of science-based policy-making, and the need to transition away from fossil fuels.

The blockade at Flamborough is a sign of our discontent, and a sign of our need for progressive change.

Mark Taliano

MarkTaliano is based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and is an Anchor for Allvoices.
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Friday 21 June 2013

Alberta Floods

A simple message to Albertans and all Canadians: Connect the Dots

Tar sands oil releases carbon into the atmosphere...

.... Global Warming ...

... Climate Change ...

... Severe Weather...

... Catastrophic Events...

... This:





Hamilton 350 Blog

Friday 14 June 2013

Fighting Pipelines is not Enough

For the first time in three million years our planet has approached 400 parts per million(ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. CO2, as many people know, is the most important greenhouse gas (GHG) emission particle contributing to the dangerous environmental crisis we know as climate change. For reference, many scientists suggest that the safe level of GHG emissions is 350 ppm. For those of us concerned about climate change, and the future of our species, 400 ppm is a significant landmark, prompting reflection on Canadian climate change policy and environmentalist strategy.

One of the most significant threats to climate change mitigation in Canada is the expansion of the carbon-intensive tar sands industry. Environmentalist organizations and concerned citizens across North America are trying to prevent the expansion of tar sands extraction by blocking pipelines. To the south of Alberta there is the battle over Keystone XL, to the west there is the Northern Gateway pipeline and to the east there is the reversal of the Line 9 pipeline. Blocking these pipelines is an essential part of climate change mitigation, but it is also important to consider the bigger picture.

People trying to address the problem of climate change are on the defensive. If our atmosphere were a bathtub, then we could say that Canada is cranking open the tap at a time when the tub is already about to overflow. Pipeline activists are focused on opening the tap less quickly when our society needs to be draining the tub. The rate at which GHG emissions are pumped into our atmosphere should be decreasing at this point in history, not just increasing less quickly.

Nothing will address the root cause of climate change more effectively than putting a significant price on C02. With a price on carbon we can make polluting so expensive that emitting massive amounts of GHG emissions is no longer an economically viable option. A price on carbon targets all sources of GHG emissions in one fell swoop, including but not limited to tar sands’ diluted bitumen pipelines.

Gone are the days when Conservative fear-mongering around a price on carbon can sway voters. In the recent BC provincial election the debate was not about whether there should be a price on carbon but instead on how high this price should be.

At the federal level things might seem less hopeful. Peter Kent, our environment minister, recently said that the five consecutive “fossil” awards Canada has received for obstructing progress at international climate change conferences are “worn with honour.” While Conservatives are flaunting their incredibly immoral climate change policies, and in the process undermining the interests of the majority of Canadians who are desperate for climate change action, their popularity is suffering as a result.

It is only a matter of time before Canada, and the world, adopts a price on carbon. Citizen’s Climate Lobby Canada is attempting to lubricate this process by promoting one of the most exciting carbon pricing options available. They call it the carbon fee and dividend. This policy mandates that the government collects money from polluters who emit GHG emissions and that this revenue is dispersed back to the public in equal amounts in the form of a dividend. Unlike other carbon taxes, this revenue neutral strategy would financially benefit poor and middle class Canadians who live a low carbon lifestyle.

For those of us who are serious about combating climate change, we need to speak out in favour of a price on carbon while we are also speaking out against tar sands pipelines.

Hamilton 350 Blog