The Risks of Acquiring Oil

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www.tinyurl.com/ywjdru

...er umm, I meant to post this... ;D
www.tinyurl.com/2h3gtn


Feel free to discuss your thoughts and concerns here.

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From the Risks of Using Oil Department

From your nationally-owned news network, CBC:
www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/07/23/science-rainfall-climate.html
...Now that's what I call irrefutable ;D

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You'll surely hear all about it on your local news-source, but here's CBC's take on the oil spill so-far...

www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/07/24/bc-oilspill.html

[Scott]

I just drove over that spot last night! Yes, an obvious risk of acquiring oil. But if we're going to use it so much, I guess it's a risk we have to take. And I think we in British Columbia get away with many fewer risks associated with transporting oil than many other places in the world due to there only being two refineries in the whole province and a "moratorium" on offshore oil. We get the benefits with limited risks .. compared to places like Alberta, Texas, the Middle East, etc.

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admin said:

I just drove over that spot last night! Yes, an obvious risk of acquiring oil. But if we're going to use it so much, I guess it's a risk we have to take. And I think we in British Columbia get away with many fewer risks associated with transporting oil than many other places in the world due to there only being two refineries in the whole province and a "moratorium" on offshore oil. We get the benefits with limited risks .. compared to places like Alberta, Texas, the Middle East, etc.

For the province itself, granted, but to me it seems like a self-centred notion to think of the impacts on the source of the resource we enjoy so freely as being inconsequential when compared to its path through my own backyard to the point that my morals won't allow me such a luxury mindset; but that's me

[Scott]

Graham, I don't understand what you're saying:) What impacts are inconsequential? I'm not saying there aren't serious risks with obtaining oil, just pointing out that we in BC are quite priviledged to not experience the same levels of risk that other places do.

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admin said:

Graham, I don't understand what you're saying:) What impacts are inconsequential? I'm not saying there aren't serious risks with obtaining oil, just pointing out that we in BC are quite priviledged to not experience the same levels of risk that other places do.

I mean to say that my backyard includes the source of the oil and its entire path, I mean that I'm not so self-centred (And I'm not singling anyone out, so nothing implied by that ) as to only be concerned about my own province - too classist, etc., for my morals - and not have equal concern for all impacts on my planet's people. I am a member of the human race first and all others after; an oil spill - or any similar negative effects brought on by acquiring oil - in the Middle East is the same to me as one in Burnaby if I'm the reason for the oil being needed.

[Scott]

So you're saying the world is your "backyard" - that's understandable and I pretty much agree with you. We in British Columbia are pretty isolated from the risks... we hear of oil spills and refinery fires and "oil politics" and for the most part it seems like it is worlds away.

How about if we in Western Canada were self-sustainable in oil (I don't know if we are or not)... and we relatively safely extract it, transport it, refine it, and sell it all within our own region. Should we feel less guilty about spills and accidents in foreign countries with less-stringent rules.. but who are supplying Europe and Asia? I'm not saying I feel that way, but I'm wondering what you and others think about it... sort of a moral question.

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We are not self-sutainable in oil right now and wouldn't be without massive investment, let alone the exponentially heightened risk if we venture into prospects offshore of our province in the northwest beyond the shore, imagine the devastation, think about the risk so many times more than we had of a contractor striking oil on the start of the Barnet Hwy. in Burnaby.

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'Straight from The Americas, it's BBC World's take-on our leak.'

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6914883.stm

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(From: www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/08/20/bc-robsonoilspill.html)

Oil slick endangers Vancouver Island orca habitat
Last Updated: Monday, August 20, 2007 | 5:40 PM PT
CBC News

A two-kilometre-long oil slick from an overturned barge is threatening a sensitive whale habitat area off Vancouver Island.

A Coast Guard spokesman said a barge, carrying a half dozen pieces of logging equipment, including a fuel truck, tipped over in Johnstone Strait, a busy shipping channel on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, just before noon Monday. The slick is close to Robson Bight, a protected area where killer whale pods come to rub on the shallow gravel of the beach.

Dan Bate says the accident caused an oil slick that has spread to two kilometres long and 200 kilometres wide.

"It's not a massive sheen, but … it's still quite early to say how much will come up," said Bate.

Jim Borrowman, who runs a whale watching business from nearby Telegraph Cove, said killer whales were seen heading toward the spill site Monday.

"We've been monitoring this one family, this one matriline of Orcas and they were heading right for the slick there, about an hour ago, but luckily they made a turn and went away from the spill, so we're very happy about that right now," said Borrowman.

Despite the whale's change of direction, Borrowman remained concerned that the whales may eat fish that are covered in oil.

Experts from the Vancouver Aquarium, Environment Canada and BC Parks are on the scene. The barge owner had hired a company to contain the spill, but the equipment was expected to take some time to arrive.

Copyright © CBC 2007