The Editor
Re. "Welcome to the anthropocene? And what is it?" (Green Scene, The Tri-City News, Jan. 13).
Elaine Golds' column was timely as hearings commenced in northwestern B.C. on the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline.
By my estimate, the 525,000 barrels per day of syncrude pumped through this pipeline, when burned, would release 82 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.
To put this number in perspective, it would represent an increase in Canada's total annual emissions of greenhouse gases of 11%.
Unfortunately, the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency will not weigh these emissions in their decision because they will be combusted in China. But their impact on global climate destabilization will be felt in British Columbia as increasingly frequent and powerful ocean flooding, wildfires, windstorms and urban heat alerts.
We are rapidly running out of time to avoid runaway, irreversible and catastrophic climate destabilization.
Turning down the application to build the Northern Gateway pipeline and investing $5.5 billion in renewable energy infrastructure would be a step toward a new and better Age of Sustainability.
Derek Wilson,
Port Moody
