Editor, The Times:
“Oil firm accused of lying about gushing crude.”
No. This wasn't about Enbridge — this headline in a Kamloops newspaper applied to the BP oil blowout into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
Remember that one? Probably you do, but very dimly.
After all, how much have you heard lately about possibly the biggest ocean oil spill in history? I say 'possibly' because several other spills are said to be larger.
As Brian Barr, attorney for those plaintiffs affected by the spill stated, BP failed to prepare for a blowout and compounded the problem by misleading federal officials.
As the late Anthony Sampson put it in his book, “The Seven Sisters,” the oil industry feels itself above the normal rules — in other words they are somewhat above the law!
When one peruses the slick full page ads in the Vancouver Sun by Enbridge, one has to think at best these ads are deceptive.
Not only that but our main news sources have thrown their weight behind this dubious Northern Gateway pipeline, especially Post Media. Everything from how safe tanker traffic is (try taking a supertanker down Douglas Channel with 100 mile/hr tailwinds in the middle of the winter) to some far right nonsense from my favourite fellows at the Fraser Institute about how seniors' pensions will be affected if the Northern Gateway pipeline doesn't go through.
In other words, reject Northern Gateway and the sky will fall and the four horsemen of the apocalypse will ride forth to spread famine and destruction upon the land.
Truth in oil spills. Truth in pipeline advertising. Is there such a thing?
No! It appears big oil is above all of that.
Dennis Peacock
Clearwater, B.C.