Oil & Gas

Too often, filling up means adding a Toxic Tiger to the gasoline in your tank.

by Delores Broten

The war at the gas pump rages un••• abated, with the oil and gas companies and consumers lined up in unequal battle over gasoline price hikes. Meanwhile, the toxic assaults from benzene, Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons and other natural components of this fuel so central to current industrialized society continue to wreak havoc.

The "unconventional unidentified" oil that the global economy is counting on has not yet been discovered, and just might not exist.

by David Fleming

I have missed my vocation. I should have been a pick-pocket. I like dipping sneakily into heavy tomes full of small print, and seeing what I come up with. Very occasionally, I find something quite extraordinary.

Hard times in BC's export economy are fuelling an effort to lift the moratorium on offshore oil and gas development.

by Oonagh O'Connor, Living Oceans Society

The exploration and development of offshore oil and gas have been prohibited on the west coast of Canada for almost 30 years because of the threat they pose to our environment and coastal economy. Now downturns in BC's resource export economy have some people promoting offshore oil and gas.

by G. Leona Green, Hillspring Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility, Dawson Creek BC

The Pine River, born in the Rocky Mountains in the Pine Pass, meanders for many kilometres through still and peaceful valleys, deep canyons and stands of ancient timber. It finally spills into the "Mighty Peace" at Taylor Flats. The Pine is a fast flowing, gravel bottom river with many backwaters and muskegs. A few farms and ranches scattered along her way and the town of Chetwynd depend on her for life-giving waters.

The Northeast of BC is a large area of mountains, rolling hills and wooded valleys, dotted with farm and ranch land. There are many large rivers and streams as well as crystal clear lakes. It is home to a multitude of species of wildlife. Unfortunately, there are also untapped reserves of oil and natural gas.

For the last few years exploration for this wealth has been in full gear, to the extent that drilling companies are like a lot of crazies in the gold strike eras of years long past. It appears they will stop at nothing to drill a well anywhere they have the smallest evidence of

Myth #1: Coastal BC communities will gain thousands of long-term jobs if offshore oil development proceeds.

Fact: Research reveals that many of the jobs created from the oil industry are short term and employment is often granted to workers outside of the development area. On Canada's east coast, Hibernia did little to help the economies of rural communities. The construction of Terra Nova has employed more foreigners than Canadians and the Sable Island gas project produced many short-term jobs but few long-term jobs. Our commitments under international trade laws, such as NAFTA, prohibit us from guaranteeing local employment.