TO BE OR NOT TO BE ? - THE NORTHERN GATEWAY PIPELINE

POST # 126


Going from the big picture view of the world down to the more local level this week, I couldn't help but notice an article printed in the Calgary Herald Newspaper, from my old hometown of Calgary. Without getting into the details, the article was talking about the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal which is meant to carry tarsands from Alberta, west to Kitimat BC and then from there, to be loaded onto tankers and sent further west to China. This issue has been on the table for quite some time, however this past week, the folks in Ottawa gave their go ahead. No big surprise there, what with an Albertan as Prime Minister. Naturally, there are plenty of people opposed to the pipeline, and from here on out, things are probably going to get nasty from time to time. Whether it ever gets built or not, at this point is probably irrelevant, but I'll get to the reason why in a moment. The thing that motivated me to write about this today was because of an online comment from a Calgarian with regards to the Herald article. His comment was as follows:



"The only reason this planet was put here was for people to use to make money. If you're not taking advantage of our God-given natural resources at the lowest possible cost then you're not much of a business man. Future generations? Let them fight their own battles when they get here. It's tough enough making money from fools who are alive today. Don't tell me I can't get richer because I owe something to people who haven't even been born yet."

Ian

The writer actually put their last name to the quote and attached a photo as well, but I have left them out. Of course, I understand that this could be a fictitious name and photo. I get that. But whether it is or it isn't, I imagine there are some Calgarians who feel exactly this way about the issue. The author of the quote seems to sum up in a single sentence how we've managed to get the planet into such a state as it is today with the line, "Don't tell me I can't get richer because I owe something to people who haven't been born yet." To that I would probably add, and all the other species on the planet as well that have yet to be born, but my guess is that the writer wouldn't really give a damn about other species. After all, these are our "God-given natural resources" don't you know.

Here is what "God-given" natural resources look like BEFORE the Ians of the world get their hands on them:

Canadian Boreal Forest


And this is what "God-given" natural resources look like AFTER:

Tar Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada

The second photo illustrates just how far we'll go to scratch out the fossil fuels that are left now, after the 150 years or so of building an industrial civilization on cheap and easy to extract energy. Dig, drill and frack the last rays of ancient sunlight in order to "achieve energy independence and create more jobs and growth." But, infinite growth on a finite planet is impossible.

The ads for the Northern Gateway pipeline always show photos similar to the first one pictured in this blog, with lots of trees, and green, and water and blue sky. To call them deceptive ads, would be a gross understatement. But that's what the people see, and maybe that's what they want to believe, that we can continue to have a pristine environment with no adverse consequences from our continued dependence on fossil fuels. But that's a myth.

Now, as for whether or not the pipeline ever gets built being relevant, my reason for making that statement is that from the information that I have studied now for the past nine years in regards to climate change, we've already set in motion 38 self reinforcing feedback loops that appear to have us on track to extinction in the not too distant future. So whether we get to extinction plus Northern Gateway, or extinction without Northern Gateway is a moot point. But even if we're toast as far as a species goes, perhaps it's not too late to think about other species and for that reason alone, a planet without the Northern Gateway would be a good thing.

But instead of the above species, we may just end up with Tardigrades

and\or Thermophiles

I'm just sayin'.

Happy Trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer