In response to: Tom Fletcher’s “Old man take a look at your facts: Sooke News Mirror Another View, January 22, 2014.
Tom Fletcher should have taken his own advice in slamming opponents to the Enbridge pipeline.
Fletcher seems to glibly dismiss cancer concerns yet a study just last October found carcinogenic compounds at the oil sands over 6,000 times higher than in normal air samples (V.C. Irving and University of Michigan scientists). Also found were increased incidences of rare cancers like leukemia and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Add to this fish in the polluted area have high rates of lesions, tumours and gill abnormalities. There is plenty of this information on the internet from sources more reliable than Enbridge or the Conservative government.
I wonder where Fletcher is getting his “facts.” Harper’s preference of ideology over evidence, muzzling scientists, removing environmental monitors, closing coast guard stations and gutting ecological safeguards has left both his credibility and the Conservative “Rights” in shambles.
A few observations “facts” that don’t get much coverage from our corporate/ political leaders: the oil is private property ... 71 per cent belonging to foreign interests. There is no “our” oil and there is no “we” in this discussion in terms a collective Canadian ownership of resources. Most oil rich countries have a national energy plan like the U.S. and Mexico. We don’t. Most countries don’t allow precious non- renewable resources to fall into private hands. We do. Neither Harper nor Enbridge are trusted. China would not spend billions on “our” oil unless Harper guaranteed its delivery. This posturing by Christie Clark and Stephen Harper about whether to build the pipeline is for the gullible and ill-informed and is meant to mislead the public.
The oil wealth could have been developed for the benefit of all Canadians but will go to multi-national corporations and a wealthy few. The rest of us will get pollution, increased cancer risks and the unacceptable risk of a cataclysmic spill on our coast that will cost far more jobs and resources than the short term gain Harper and his corporate friends are promising. The oil deposits could have been a blessing , carefully developed for the long term benefit of all Canadians and many generations to come. As it stands this “blessing” will likely have most of us wishing it was left in the ground.
Ted Roberts
Sooke