Canadians: Hours to Petition B.C. Premier Christy Clark to Reject Northern Gateway Pipeline

This video presents “spOILed: Enbridge & Tankers in the Great Bear Rainforest?”:

  • British Columbia’s (BC’s) “Great Bear Rainforest is threatened by oil supertanker traffic from the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.
  • See the incredible natural values at risk:”

On July 25-27, 2012, the Council of the Federation (the council of the premiers of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories) is holding their semi-annual meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Right now, premiers from across Canada are in Halifax to discuss the fate of a dangerous proposal — a mega tar oil pipeline that would slice through the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest and put its fragile ecosystem at risk.

Canadians: Only Hours to Petition B.C. Premier Christy Clark to Reject Northern Gateway Pipeline
Canadians: Only Hours to Petition B.C. Premier Christy Clark to Reject Northern Gateway Pipeline

In the following letter, the Avaaz team is asking for our help to:

  • call on Premier of British Columbia Christy Clark to fully reject Enbridge’s proposal to build a 1177 km pipeline from Alberta’s dirty tar sands through the Great Bear rainforest to British Columbia’s Pacific Coast:
    • Enbridge’s track record reveals “over 800 oil spills in the last decade!
    • In 2010, it took Enbridge 17 hours to take action on a disastrous oil spill in Michigan, even though they knew the pipeline was corroded eight years before it happened!”
  • sign the petition below and forward it to everyone:
    • When the Avaaz team reaches 50,000 signatures, it’ll be delivered straight to the meeting in Halifax
    • At the present time of this blog posting, 27,575 Canadians have signed
      • Please help us get to 50,000 signers by signing the petition in the Avaaz”s letter below:

Dear friends across Canada,

Right now, Canadian premiers are in Halifax discussing the fate of a mega-pipeline that would traffic Alberta’s dirty tar oil to the Pacific Coast. But BC Premier Christy Clark knows that the hugely unpopular deal could cost her party critical election votes. Her firm opposition could delay the project and even kill it for good. Hold Christy’s feet to the fire by signing below:

Right now, premiers from across Canada are in Halifax to discuss the fate of a dangerous proposal — a mega tar oil pipeline that would slice through the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest and put its fragile ecosystem at risk. But one woman stands in the way — and our massive outcry could get her to delay, and even bury this project for good.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark knows that the hugely unpopular deal could cost her party critical votes in the upcoming election, so for the first time, she has publicly said she won’t green-light the project, unless Enbridge and others meet several of her economic and environmental demands. It’s a start, but it’s not enough. If tens of thousands of us act now, we can persuade her to stay firm, delay the project and even carry it to its deathbed

Pressure on Christy Clark is mounting — as the head of the province where the pipe will end, she has tremendous power to put the brakes on this reckless deal. Call on her to reject the Northern Gateway pipeline by signing the petition below and forward it to everyone. When we reach 50,000 signatures, it’ll be delivered straight to the meeting in Halifax:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/24_hours_to_landlock_the_tar_sands/?bkyeWbb&v=16574

Enbridge insists that their pipeline — criss-crossing an astounding 1,177km from Alberta’s dirty tar sands to the B.C. Coast — will be safe. But their abysmal track record with over 800 oil spills in the last decade tell another story. In 2010, it took them 17 hours take action on a disastrous oil spill in Michigan, even though they knew the pipeline was corroded eight years before it happened!

Amidst enormous public outcry, Clark has listed a series of demands — including strict oil-spill response systems, protection of aboriginal rights, and more economic benefits to BC — before she gives the project the go ahead. She realizes that the risks of the pipe could outweigh the rewards, and may even cost her party the next election. In Halifax, she will be heavily courted by the provinces who stand to make millions from the pipeline. Now with a massive outcry we can make sure she not only holds her ground, but pushes further to protect us from the pipeline altogether.

The meeting is happening now — let’s come together to place the spotlight on Clark and demand that she keeps Alberta’s deadly tar oil at bay. Sign here and forward to all your friends and family:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/24_hours_to_landlock_the_tar_sands/?bkyeWbb&v=16574

The journey ahead won’t be easy — Harper stopped listening to Canadians about the environment a long time ago. But today, our movement has the power to intervene in this process and demand change, as we did recently with our victory over the Keystone XL pipeline. Let’s act now to protect our country and the world from Alberta’s deadly tar-oil.

With hope,

Jamie, Ari, Emma, Emily, Ricken, Melanie, and the whole Avaaz team

“Sources

Gateway pipeline risks exceed rewards, B.C. Premier says (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/gateway-pipeline-risks-exceed-rewards-bc-premier-says/article4435145/

Feds propose $3.7M penalty for Mich. oil spill (Salon.com)
http://www.salon.com/2012/07/02/feds_propose_3_7m_penalty_for_mich_oil_spill/singleton/

The Anatomy of Enbridge’s Once and Future Oil Spills (NWF)
http://nwcoastenergynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/NWF_EnbridgeOilSpill_LoResRevised.pdf

B.C. Premier Sets Conditions for Tar Sands Pipelines (Environment News Service)
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2012/2012-07-23-01.html

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