Frequently Asked Questions
F.A.Q.
Q: We all use oil. Without these tankers, where will get it?
A: These oil supertanker proposals will not provide B.C. with oil, but will export Alberta’s oil to China and other Asian countries, and to the United States, while B.C. is left with the risk.
Q: What’s the alternative to these proposals?
A: That depends on what your goal is. The goal of the big oil companies pushing these projects is to make an extra $2-3 per barrel by exporting oil to China. We don’t think British Columbians share that goal. Instead, our goal is to defend the communities and jobs here in B.C. that are reliant on healthy rivers and coastal waters.
Q: How far along are these tanker projects?
A: Enbridge has filed a formal regulatory application for its Northern Gateway project. The first public hearings are in January 2012. Enbridge hopes to get through the review process by the end of 2012. Kinder Morgan has filed for permits to formalize existing traffic of two tankers per week. They are in discussions with the oil patch to see who’s interested in more oil tankers, up to 10 per week, but haven’t filed any formal paperwork for their bigger plans.
Q: How many people have signed the petition so far?
A: More than 96,000 people have signed either this petition or an earlier version of it. We’re shooting for 400,000. That would be equivalent to 10% of B.C.’s population.
Q: Will this petition do anything?
A: We’ll be able to get some media coverage when we submit the petition, and it will be an important measure of public support for the cause, but the most important thing the petition does is connect us all into an ongoing communications network. That’s what politicians worry about - our ability to stay connected and publicize their actions, especially during an election. Our ability to communicate with one another is powerful – it’s largely how we got all three federal opposition parties (the Liberals, NDP and Bloc) to support a tanker ban before the last election.
Q: Will Dogwood Initiative call me or send me e-mails?
A: We don’t have any political power unless we continue to talk to each other and give each other updates. So yes, we’ll periodically get in touch via e-mail or on the phone to keep you posted and give you opportunities to help out. If you don’t want to be contacted, you can let us know at any time.
Q: Canada’s economy is dependent on oil exports so wouldn’t this benefit our economy?
A: It’s questionable for our national economy to be overly dependent on oil exports because at some point we’ll run out of oil and then what? In B.C., our economy is deeply connected to the health of our rivers and coasts, which can provide for us indefinitely if we take care of them. It’s a choice between an oil economy vs. a sustainable economy. We choose a sustainable economy.
Q: What about the ethical argument? Isn’t it better if the world gets oil from a democratic
country like Canada?
A: Canada recently endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which states that Canada’s First Nations communities must give their consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or resources. 70 First Nations affected by the proposed tankers have gone so far as to issue declaractions stating No, they do not consent. Ignoring these declarations would be a violation of international law and is by no means ethical.
Q: Won’t these tankers be safe because they’re double-hulled?
A: Here’s an example of a recent accident: In January 2010, the double-hulled tanker Eagle Otome collided with another vessel, which punctured both hulls resulting in 11,000 barrels of spilled oil in Port Arthur, Texas. There’s no such thing as a fool-proof tanker. A report by B.C.’s Living Oceans Society actually found that double-hull tankers can be at increased risk for certain types of accidents, including ones caused by human error.
Q: There must be benefits to Enbridge’s project. What’s the other side of the story?
A: The Enbridge project would create a large number of construction jobs, but they would be short-term and many would go to out-of-province workers. Enbridge claims 560 long-term jobs would be created in B.C. and about $36 million a year would be generated through taxes. Compare these jobs and revenue to the jobs and revenue that would be put at risk, however, and Enbridge’s proposal seems foolish. B.C.’s seafood and ocean recreation sectors alone employ more than 45,000 people and account for more than $5 billion in annual economic output.
