Saturday 31 December 2016

An easy fix 4 Canadian pipelines - oil - ngas - property rights

I am the quintessential Canadian environmentalist. I grew up in Atikokan Ontario, 100+ miles west of Thunder Bay, Ontario 20 miles north of the American border, in pristine wilderness adjacent to gorgeous Quetico Provincial Park. I spent my weekends and days off school, from sunrise to sunset hunting partridge, fishing, chasing squirrels and sighting an occasional magnificent lynx. I cherish our numerous environmental/water protection acts, as I believe most Canadians have and do.
[ www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=E826924C-1 ]

I was not very impressed when Comrade Harper essentially trashed these various ACTS to expedite business interests and after a year of complete inaction by young Trudeau's new Liberal circus act, more-than-equally very unimpressed.

I live in Spruce Grove Alberta, near directly downwind from the coal generators, 45 km west of us, located around the Wabamun Lake area. On still days, of meteorological inversion,the brown haze extends like a horizontal oriental paper fan a few hundred feet in the air, for kilometers. I will personally be very happy to see it's demise.

Ironically, [due my own ignorance] had I known of the coal generators existence, we would have not settled and built our home precisely here.

But, I am not understanding why, in Dec 2016 I [we] do not have a small 1 square meter nuclear power plant buried in my back yard, slowly disintegrating a single 2.5 square centimeter nuclear fuel pellet, supplying my complete energy needs...  It's not rocket science [anymore].

However comma, having said all that, I understand that there is presently not nearly enough green energy available, to replace our dirty energy sources. That essentially means that we still need dirty energy for some considerable time to come, and that our governments welcomed plans to kick industry in the ass, are far to optimistic.  

Hence, of the three methods of oil/gas transportation, pipeline, truck or rail, I absolutely believe that pipe is the 'safest' [my only real concern] method.

I also believe [and it's most likely considered politically incorrect to say] that native bands/leaders/populations that claim to be environmentally concerned, are really simply creating a ruckus to create some level of cash payout [bribe]. When the dollars speak,  we'll VERY quickly see native environmental concerns vaporize. I cannot recall the gentleman's name, but there was an Albertan native leader that said as much, a few weeks go, interviewed by CBC and I completely agree with his assessment.

Sitting down yesterday afternoon with my son's father-in-law, George [visiting from Ontario], a railway engineer [designer, not driver] in discussion ...   he suggested that the oil pipeline gurus completely avoid the entire issue and build the required pipelines, on land that is already owned, uncontested, has legal right of way, presently runs thru native lands/reservations in some instances, has already had either extensive or some environmental studies done and save everyone a huge amount of time, effort expense and reduce drama-lama's to tears...

George's  answer;
"pair up with the railway companies and 
build pipelines 'parallel to', along existing railways"

The added bonus, is that you have a railway to give quick [emergency spill containment/cleanup] access to any point along the pipeline, via that same railway.

Your also not creating new multi-thousand kilometer clear-cut corridors thru virgin forest, and

You've effectively neutered native claims to anything. 

In the mean time, we can push industry to start cranking out those miniaturized nuclear power plants to drive our homes and re-charge our vehicles batteries. Then once we have a real energy source that can replace dirty energy, we can completely get rid of the latter.

Should 'we' have started this process 45 years ago, absolutely. However comma, it is, what it is.