The Great Bear Rainforest
Great Bear Rainforest is a 6.4 million hectare area along (what is commonly known) British Columbia's central and norther coast. This area is part of the largest temperate rainforest in the world. This is one of the largest unspoiled and uncivilized areas of temperate rainforest left in the world. This area is home to a wide verity of life including healthy salmon, coastal wolves, grizzly bears, black bears; and the famous sub-species of black bears called the Kermode bear or "spirit" bear. This is the ONLY place where this spirit bear lives. The native people kept the location and existence of this sacred bear secret from the fur traders/trappers/hunters. It's probably why they are still here with us; Nonetheless, some estimate there are less than 200 left. Here is one of the last places in the world where a wild forest and wild ocean meet each other. This area is one of Mother Earth's most beautiful creations.
The Threat And The Resistance
A group of multinational energy companies (Chevron, TransCanada, and Enbridge particularly ) have been trying to build a series of tar sands and natural gas pipelines through the territory of the UNCEDED Wet’suwet’en Indigenous People WITHOUT consent for about 7 years now. In 2010, the Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet' suwet'en People built a cabin in the exact place where these corporations wanted to put these pipelines. This cabin has grown into a homestead that has since created a permaculture garden, a solar powered mini-grid, and a healing lodge/cultural center. Volunteers of various walks of life have dedicated their time to build this amazing symbol and place of resistance. Headed up by Freda Huson, they have been legally defending their terrritory from exploitation from these corporations. These pipelines would head to the west coast to Kitimat, British Columbia from the interior of Alberta and British Columbia for export to foreign markets. The most famous of these proposed pipelines is the Norther Gateway Pipeline which would run from the tar sands in central Alberta to the BC coast. The construction of pipelines is a destructive process. The everyday operation of an oil or gas pipeline have regular leaks that are to be expected. These people have resisted the corporate monsters because they know the consequences if they don't. The probably consequences would a poisoned water supply and poisoned local wild life for GENERATIONS to come.
Quoting from the Unist' ot' en Camp's official webpage
"The proposed pipelines are a threat to the watershed, as well as the plants, animals and communities that depend on them. The Unist’ot’en are fighting for the future health of the land. They are protecting the traditional hunting, trapping, and fishing territories to ensure that the natural beauty and bounty of the earth will be enjoyed for generations to come."
This oil would be loaded onto tankers that are 10 TIMES bigger than the Exon-Valdez tanker. These tankers would then have to navigate through a series of narrow water ways, reefs. This area isn't even safe for small boats. The rational question isn't "If" a spill will happen; But rather "when" because of the nature of the waters along the Great Bear Rainforest and the history of this industry.M/V Queen of the North was a ferry that sank in 2007 in this same area. The ferry ran aground about 70 nautical miles south of Prince Rupert, BC. The ship had about 220,000 liter of diesel fuel about along with 23,000 liters of lubricating oil spill into the ocean.
Exxon Valdez Spill
This massive, infamous oil spill that happened March 24, 1989 has effects that still linger with us today. The initial effects were devastating to the local wildlife as about 42 million liters of crude oil spill into the ocean. According to Scientific American, about 2,000 sea otters, 250,000 sea birds, and 302 harbor seals died within days of the spill. The aftermath contamination of the food chain effected all the sea life in the area. Some say that it could take up to 30 years for the shoreline life to recover. The cost of the incident is immeasurable in some peoples eyes. This reality could repeat it'self with the current proposal these energy companies wish to manifest.
Charles H. Peterson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill remarks, "In a developed country like the U.S., an amount of petroleum equal to the Exxon Valdez oil spill is spilled annually for every 50 million people." ----!!!WOW!!!
A Little About Tar Sands Oil
In Alberta, from 1990 to 2000; there were 16,000 "releases". These oil companies now call spills/leaks "releases". The public relations people hard at work. So, what are tar sands? This tar sand oil is called bitumen which is essentially oil mixed in with sand, clay and a bunch of other materials from the ground. After a few million years or so, this oil would become the oil that is traditionally now used. So, they have to artificially go through this process of making it usable. The first, brute force way of getting this stuff is by clearing away the forest, bulldozing the wetlands, ripping up the grasslands, and strip mining it. They then bring in these massive trucks which can burn up to 100 gallons of diesel/hour to move it out. The second way to get this stuff is called "in-situ". Similar to hydraulicfracking; they drill holes in the ground, inject super heated steam, and then it liquefies the bitumen so they can suck it out. So, the first method leaves a massive, open pit in the ground and this second method leaves the area void of wildlife with access roads and pipelines everywhere. In general, the process of extracting this bitumen is destructive to the local ecosystem.
Refining The Tar Sands
They then take massive amounts of water to wash away the sand, heavy metals, and other impurities that's mixed in. Roughly, it takes 5 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of oil here. This left over water is a a toxic sludge mixed with arsenic, benzenes , and other toxic by products. The BRILLANT way these assholes decided to deal with this toxic water is to dig a hole in the ground and dump it in.....with no protective lining or anything. This leaches into the ground water. The birds tend to die within minutes of landing on these leftover ponds. These tar sands projects have been considered the most destructive industrial project in world. The local Native People and all the wild life within/around the beautiful Great Bear Rainforest is at danger from this project. The regular operations of these oil pipelines poisons the land and water by their "releases" that are already calculated into the equation. A spill from just ONE of these massive tankers would devastate so much of this sensitive habitat that is home to so many Beings.
Unist'ot'en Clan Refuse All Pipeline Projects
How You Can Help
You can help by checking out the UNIST' OT'EN CAMP website where you can find contact information to donate or participate in solidarity work. Secondly, is to EDUCATE yourself more about the tar sands projects/pipelines/fracking/the monster that is the corporate oil/natural gas industry; SO THAT you can inform people in your life. Education is key. Lastly, is to upvote, reesteem, and share this article where ever if you feel so inclined.
Thank you for your valuable time and attention.
Peace, Love, and Understanding Everybody.
Sources
(1.) Great Bear Rainforest
(2.) UNIST' OT' EN CAMP
(3.) Deep Green Resistance
(4.) Scientific American
(5.) M/V Queen of the North