Re: Nearly 6 in 10 Canadians polled call lack of new pipeline capacity a ‘crisis’
The poll results are due to the continuous, misleading pro-pipeline publicity from the Alberta government and the oil industry.
Many economists and journalists have explained how it is a myth that increasing the export of low-value bitumen will raise the price. If this were true, the diluted bitumen that currently flows in the existing pipeline would be exported now to Asia instead of to the United States.
The age of oil is waning, as the price and efficiency of electric vehicles continues to improve. A good example is the decision of GM to end production of many gasoline vehicles as it plans to produces more electric vehicles.
The reason Alberta wants to increase pipeline capacity is so it can continue to expand bitumen production, which would add yet more carbon to the atmosphere and increase global warming, as well as further exacerbate air, water and soil pollution in Northern Alberta.
Bitumen can now be made into pellets that can be transported safely and its best use would be for paving roads.
As scientists continue to insist, Canada and the entire world need to phase out oil, gas, and coal production and focus on alternative energy sources in order to mitigate climate change before it is too late.
Canadians need to pay more attention to the real climate crisis as evidenced by the rapid increase of storms, wildfires, heat waves, ocean acidification and other harmful impacts rather than be swayed by pro-pipeline propaganda.
Jim Cooperman, President, Shuswap Environmental Action Society