Rob's Ramblings

The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline has been a hot topic here in BC. And one question that often arises is "What are the realistic alternatives?" The science is clear that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80-90% (these calculations are detailed in the first two chapters of George Monbiot's book Heat ). Which means we need to reduce fossil fuel use dramatically. And that means that simply refining the crude oil in Alberta or using trucks to ship it instead of a pipeline are NOT viable alternatives. So, I have attempted to produce a quick summary of realistic alternatives. This is just a quick summary - an entire book could easily be written on this subject. Please note that all these alternatives are realistic and proven.  They are already being used by communities, individuals and businesses around the world.  They do not rely on some new technology that has not been invented yet. Transportation: • Redesign urban areas with dense mixed use commu...

Today Enbridge announced plans to file for approval for a pipeline that would allow them to ship petroleum from a BC Coast port.  As part of the announcement they tried to reassure BC residents about the risk of spills by toting the safety of the double-hulled tankers that would be used at the port.  They ran advertisements in major newspapers also promoting the safety of double-hulled tankers. Meanwhile a double-hulled tanker off the coast of Singapore was damaged on the and is leaking crude oil equivalent to 18,325 barrels.