As reported in The Vancouver Observer, grave health risks from the Alberta tarsands are both statistically significant and deeply disturbing.
A northern Alberta doctor, John O'Connor, was invited to Washington to brief two U.S. Senators who are against the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline that would carry bitumen from Alberta to Texas. O'Connor told them there have been the devastating health impacts of the tar sands on families – effects, he says, that have been willfully “ignored” by the Canadian and Alberta governments.
He sighted statistics for rare cancers – of the bile duct for example – that have shot up 400 times for what is considered normal for a tiny community, such as Fort Chipewyan – which is downstream, to the north of the oil sands.
“These are published, peer-reviewed studies that indicate that the government of Alberta and Canada have been lying, misrepresenting the impact of industry on the environment,” said O’Connor.
Unfortunately, his warnings have, not surprisingly, fallen on deaf Canadian governmental ears. Yesterday, In Washington, he clearly hoped for more open minds.
Without doubt, Doctor O'Connor has a prominent place on Harper's Enemies List.
.. when the scope of obstruction and manipulation becomes fully revealed in this matter, the legacies of Harper, federal and provincial Ministers and bureaucrats and their energy partners in policy.. will likely include endless litigation..
ReplyDeleteThis is how they perceive their fellow Canadians .. as impediments or bad clients.. and we know that charitable or health advocates are seen as dangerous activists in league with organized crime..
Its always been about Power, Greed, Profit, and Control .. it has never been about Canada or Canadians.. Fraud and Obstruction of Justice are the tools of this conspiracy
That 'they perceive their fellow Canadians .. as impediments or bad clients,' Salamander, is a very apt metaphor and condemnation of the mentality and 'morality' of the Harper cabal. We can only hope that at the next election, they will be ousted by Canadian 'customers' tired of their narrow, corporatist, expesive and self-serving agenda.
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