Enbridge Insists on Pipeline Project to the BC Coast

On April 20, the world awoke to news concerning BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Most of us, myself included, weren’t even aware that there was a oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, let alone that something had gone terribly wrong. Today, most of us have clued in on the rig and its resulting oil spill and are reminded of another tragedy, the Exxon Valdez, once considered the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters...until BP’s Deepwater Horizon.

Five weeks following BP’s Deepwater Horizon, Enbridge filed a formal application to the National Energy Board (NEB) requesting permission to build a twin pipeline system running from Edmonton to Kitimat, British Colombia and a marine terminal in the latter one.

John Carruthers, President of Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines, wrote in a recent brochure advocating the pipeline project: “I certainly appreciate the importance that local residents place on the environment and I want to encourage all affected stakeholders and Aboriginal people to continue to provide feedback on our project.” He added “feel free to email me at john@northerngateway.ca with any questions you may have.” So feel free, many already have.

On March 23, more than 28 First Nations in British Columbia called for a halt to the project. The pipelines cross traditional lands and the increased tanker traffic (200-220 tankers a year) puts the future of the coastal waters on which they depend in potential jeopardy. Mr. Carruthers must have missed their emails as two months after the First Nations called for a halt to the project Enbridge formally filed, on May 27^th, for construction of the pipelines.

Four days after the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines application, a solidarity rally was held in Kitamaat Village to protest the project. Even Amnesty International has 'piped' in, noting the project should not proceed without the free prior informed consent of the First Nations that would be affected by it. This standard was adopted in the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by 144 states. Four states voted against the declaration: Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and you guessed it...Canada.

To further spice up the mix, a rather unusual ally in the fight against the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines has emerged. Kinder Morgan Canada, owner of an existing oil pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast, stated in a news release that the Northern Gateway Project had not demonstrated adequate commercial support. Kinder Morgan believes that the better way is simply to increase the output of their own pipeline, rather than build another one. Kinder Morgan motives albeit not environmental, only add to the debate.

We at Nature Canada are opposed to the Enbridge Northern Gateway project because of the risk of an oil spill in the coast and the damage it would cause to the ecosystem and to livelihoods. We believe Greenpeace said it best, “Accidents happen. If oil tankers are brought to the Great Bear Rainforest, it’s not a question of if a spill will occur; it is a question of when, where, and how large. . . When you move oil, you spill oil. No amount of technology or process can eliminate human or mechanical error.” Just look at the Gulf!

This blog post was contributed by Nature Canada volunteer Stefan Kohut. Thanks for the insight, Stefan!

Photo by Pat Moss

World Oceans Day

Designating the 8th of June as World Oceans Day was proposed by Canada back in 1992 during the Earth Summit (also known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)) in Rio de Janeiro. Ever since, it has been celebrated unofficially until its designation in 2008 by the United Nations General Assembly.

The designation is largely due to the fact that oceans contribute immensely to our well-being. They provide us with food, recreational opportunities such as diving, and most of the oxygen we breathe! They also play an important role in regulating the climate and their evaporation is the main source of rainfall.

However, we haven't been able to show our appreciation as we continue to unsustainably harvest fish, kill marine mammals and birds and cause significant damage to these pristine ecosystems by pursuing resources such as oil & gas.

We've all heard about the impacts the oil spill has had on the Gulf of Mexico, and can only imagine the devastation it would bring should it ever happen in Canada. The only way to avoid such an event from happening in Canada is to pressure the Federal Government to live up to its commitments and establish more marine protected areas, develop management plans and apply strong conservation measures where they are needed!

Make your voice heard and send a letter to the government.

Happy Oceans Day!


Photo: Allan Woodhouse

Piping Plovers persevering through snow, predators

Volunteer Piping Plover guardian Kim Toews has sent us a quick update on the nests at Sauble Beach this season:

Nest 1

F1 & M2 (1st female to arrive / 2nd male to arrive)

This female and male are a returning pair from last season. The female had several mating attempts with M1 before her 2009 mate returned. In 2008, the female successfully nested at Oliphant.

There have been indicators that the hatch may occur soon. It will be interesting to see how many chicks hatch as our female laid her third egg in a heavy snow-storm and we had two evenings of -4 degrees C temperature.

Two Merlins observed hovering inside the perimeter fence. One falcon flying towards a feeding male on the beach and the other flying over the exclosure.

Nest 2

M1 & F2 (1st male to arrive / 2nd female to arrive)

This male is from Gulliver Lake, northern Michigan and he is a year old. This female is a chick that hatched at Sauble Beach last season. As far as we know, this is the first Ontario Piping Plover to return and establish a nest in the same area.

Two Additional Males

Two additional males have been seen on the beach for several weeks now. These males are building scrapes to attract a female, but with no luck at this time.

Visitors

We have had several visitors recently from as far away as Germany, Holland and Elliot Lake. All heard about the birds when visiting the area and made a special trip to see them. Our volunteer guardians answer questions, monitor the plovers and share personal observations about this endangered species. The guardians provide visitors with information brochures on these birds and a spotting scope has been set up on the beach for visitors to observe the plovers. Their behaviour can be fascinating even to those who have never been birdwatchers.

Thanks for the update, Kim! It sounds like the plovers are persevering through all sorts of obstacles this year. We can't wait to find out how they do when their eggs hatch.

Photo by Brendan Toews, btoewsphotos.zenfolio.com