Let’s talk honestly about the oil industry in Canada for a moment. Over the past few years, there has been growing concern about the environment, which has led to more and more protests against pipelines. Obviously at Westcal Insulation, we’re going to be a bit biased. More pipelines means more work for us, but we want Canadians to understand their options and what protesting pipelines really means.
The Oil is Transported Anyways
One thing that many protesters don’t seem to realize is the oil is going to be transported with or without the pipeline. While many may imagine a world without oil as the ultimate utopia, the reality is Canadians need and use oil and gas right now. So the oil found in Alberta will make its way to BC and elsewhere regardless of whether a pipeline is built. The industry will just use rail instead.
Pipelines Do Leak
One of the biggest concerns surrounding pipelines is that they leak. We understand this worry. A leaking pipeline without adequate detection can leak hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the environment. Leaks are also unfortunately not uncommon. Enbridge alone suffered 804 spills and contaminated natural habitats with nearly 5 million gallons of oil between 1999 and 2010. However, the environment can’t be the only thing at stake.
Trains Explode
Even here in Alberta, the 2013 derailment in Lac-Megantic, Quebec made the news. Forty-seven people died, and in the last few years, North America seems to have averaged about 5 such explosive derailments per year. It’s worth noting that the derailment and explosions affect and contaminate a smaller area that pipeline leaks. It’s worth noting that less oil is usually spilled. However, if we as a nation decide to choose the environment over safety by choosing rail over pipelines, we should acknowledge that we are doing so.
In 2015, the Fraser Institute found transporting oil by pipeline is 4.5x safer for people than transporting it by rail. This is important, because often the discussion around pipelines seems to happen in a space that believes preventing pipelines from being created is somehow reducing the amount of oil being pumped or shipped across the country. That simply isn’t the reality. As we move forward in our national conversation about how we ship oil, it’s imperative that everyone understands that not moving the oil at all isn’t actually an option at the moment, and a vote against pipelines is a vote towards rail.
