The Enbridge Pipeline: What’s At Stake?

Greenpeace’s latest video about the destructive Alberta tar sands, and the Enbridge Pipeline that our current federal government is intent on pushing through over all opposition:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R5u2yy_LbYg]

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Together, we can stop the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline: click here for more.

0 thoughts on “The Enbridge Pipeline: What’s At Stake?”

    • The more I read about the Tar Sands, the growth of hydraulic fracturing, plans for drilling in the Arctic, the more I am convinced that the only way to stop the rush for every last combustible carbon atom is a fee on carbon. A gradually increasing tax at the source (the well or the import dock) as James Hansen described in his book and TED Talk presentation. Without it we are… well… cooked.

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    • I was trying to keep this under wraps for now but, having watched Cowboys and Aliens on DVD recently, it occurred to me that the members of the fossil fuel lobby may actually all be shape-shifting aliens who have adopted humanoid form in order to asset strip our planet from right under our noses… There is only one flaw in this hypothesis that I can see, which is that they are selling all the fossil fuel to us rather than shipping it back to Beta Blocker (or wherever it is they have come from)…

      Or are they? (i.e. selling it all to us!)… It would explain all the UFO sightings (they must have infiltrated the military too in order to provide the cover story)…

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  1. LOL – it would be so wonderful if we could actually blame this problem on “them”, when (as p points out) in fact it is indeed the human species that seems intent on committing collective suicide, and bringing down as many other species/ecosystems as we can with us.
    And JP, I (and Citizens Climate lobby) agree – the way to start down the right path is to price carbon. B.C. has done it, Australia is doing it, it is the easiest and most efficient way to boost renewables and jumpstart the green economy.

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    • I especially like what NASA climatologist James Hansen called “fee-and-dividend”: you set up a system where every month, every resident of your country is given an equal share of ALL the carbon tax that has been levied by the government. That way, the tax doesn’t unfairly burden the poorest among us.
      I know… I a dirty socialist!

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      • Sorry to have to be so pedantic JP, but what Hansen proposes does not involve taxation. Hansen is fundamentally opposed to the idea of a Carbon Tax – just as much as he is opposed to Cap and Trade. We are all probably content with the notion that Cap and Trade gives no incentive to reduce consumption but, Hansen also suggests that a Carbon Tax only benefits governments and there is no guarantee that taxes raised will be spent on Green investment.

        Therefore, under Hansen’s Fee and Dividend system the government imposes a levy on carbon-based fuel producers; and distributes a n equal dividend to all legal residents with a bank account. As the government do not keep any of the money it would be wrong to call it a tax. In this way, the less carbon you use, the greater you benefit; thus promoting all to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels (which become more expensive because of the levy imposed on producers); and creating more demand for alternative/renewable energy.

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        • That is what I understood his idea to be. Thank you for clarifying the vocabulary – by the way, not pedantic at all. In fact, making the distinction between “fee” and “tax” can potentially be extremely important in getting those on the right of center to accept the idea. Like Dr Hansen mentions in his TED Talk, it doesn’t grow government.

          Having said that, I do like the idea of getting rid of income tax and having it replaced with taxes on things we don’t like such as carbon emissions.

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  2. You, and NRTEE, and the Ontario Environment Commissioner, so you’re in good company! You really need to check out CCL – fee & dividend is the carbon pricing mechanism that CCL volunteers lobby for. Check out “Building a Green Economy: The Economics of Carbon Pricing and the Transition to clean, renewable fuels: http://citizensclimatelobby.org/node/457

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    • That was a very interesting read – thank you for the link.
      We need to hear more arguments like those. “Our side” cannot only criticize projects like the tar sands (although we do need to bring to light their incredible negative impacts). We need to brag about the benefits of investing in renewables and the benefits of putting a fee on carbon.

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  3. And you might be interested in hearing what Dr. Hansen has to say about CCL:
    “Most impressive is the work of the Citizens Climate Lobby, a relatively new, fastgrowing, nonpartisan, nonprofit group with 35 chapters across the United States and Canada. If you want to join the fight to save the planet, to save creation for your grandchildren, there is no more effective step you could take than becoming an active member of this group.” –

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  4. Thanks for clarifying re: carbon pricing by fee & dividend, Martin. That’s an important point to make when talking to people on the right of the political spectrum.

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    • No problemo. Hope JP equally OK with my pedantism.

      Very frustrating that Hansen’s ideas are consistently ignored but then, as he himself predicted they would be, this is because there is nothing in it for business or politicians so they will not implement it… And so we all go on our merry way to oblivion like a veritable herd of Gadarene swine

      While on the subject of being “merry”… Happy Golden Jubilee to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second! (i.e. one of the few advantages of your ideologically-myopic and anti-scientific government is that it is unlikely to ever deny you the option of Royalist escapism!) 🙂

      Reply

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