Editor:
Re: Fuel-use fizzles pipeline protest, Dec. 16 letters.
This is in response to Maria Walsh’s letter and her lack of support for those protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
I am an SFU student currently studying environmental psychology. I understand the point of view that it is hypocritical to protest something people use every day.
However, this protest is not just about a pipeline. It is a movement of people who are demanding an alternative source of energy to be made more widely available, so we can leave harmful fossil fuels behind. This is a time when we should be divesting from fossil fuels, not building new infrastructure to support environmental harm.
The assumptions made in the letter were unfair, as many people, such as myself, make a considerable effort to buy natural, local products and used items as much as possible.
Even if the protesters at the event are not doing everything “right,” they are making an admirable effort in informing leaders and other members of the community that climate change is something that requires immediate action.
If people wish to know more about the effects of climate change, 350.org/about/science/ is a good place to start. Perhaps by learning more about the severity of the issue, they could see that this is not ‘their’ cause.
The planet we live on is everyone’s concern.
M. Cook, Surrey
