Editor: We are the people who make up British Columbia — the honourable, strong, united, creative and peaceful citizens who strive to make a better world. We cherish our diverse environments and surroundings, but the thing we adore most is our extraordinary natural habitats.
It is exceptionally upsetting to know that as our population grows, our need for land and trees also increases. In a 2005 report, we cut down 60,000 square kilometers of trees in one year. And now with the Kinder Morgan pipeline being installed, we aren’t only losing valuable trees; we are risking many beneficial ecosystems along the way.
Kinder Morgan is a U.S. energy transport company, looking to expand its already-existing pipeline by 1,150 kilometres through B.C.. This $5.4 billion project has the ability to cause catastrophic and irreversible damage to the environment.
The company claims to have good intentions, but how can we take its word when it has already managed to spill more than 770,000 litres of oil into our earth. Protesters have stood up for their voices to be heard, only to get shut down and fined for their freedom of expression.
We have all seen our world slowly start to change, but just how long are we going to stand by and let businesses like Kinder Morgan alter our world for the worse? I have stood up for my opinion, by signing petitions and attending a protest in Fort Langley. If you would like to make a difference, go to the website below and make your voice heard.
http://dogwoodinitiative.org/no-tankers/petition
Kayla Schulz,
Langley
