Pipeline expansion has been a trendy topic in Vancouver recently as US energy company Kinder Morgan is proposing a Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project. The new proposed pipeline will carry tar sand raw crude oil for export, which is more hazardous to the neighbourhood environment and creates much more greenhouse gases than existing light crude oil.

After the Burnaby Mountain oil spill back in 2007, people started to have greater concern on pipeline accidents. In fact, Canadian Oil and Gas incidents have doubled from 1 incident per 1000km of pipeline in 2000, to 2 incidents per 1000km of pipeline according to the National Energy Board. The recent rally took place in Vancouver Science World was to protest against the passing of Northern Gateway pipeline project proposed for Enbridge, a Canadian Oil and Gas giant. Thousands were gathered in protest of the oil and gas development

Video below is a short documentary of the construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline taped in 1953.  It might be slightly lengthy ( 12 minutes), but its well worth the time.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Digital%2BArchives/Science%2Band%2BTechnology/Engineering/ID/2139973472/

With the vast amount of valuable natural habitat our beautiful British Columbia carries, it is important to have the pipeline build on areas with the least disturbance to our nature. The purpose of this project is to discover whether there are other alternatives in building a more environmental friendly and nature friendly route. Multi-Criteria Evaluation was used to in making a  and the model “cost-distance” and “pathway” was used in creating the best route with the least interaction with endangered species ecosystems, ecological reserves and protected areas, rivers and streams.