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Arctic watchdog says pipeline fight is a “race to the bottom” Canadian Arctic Resources Committee fears Northwest Territories and Yukon will “bargain themselves into the ground”; studying cumulative environmental impacts Gary Park PNA Canadian Correspondent
The Northwest Territories and Yukon governments, in their “furious” lobbying to be the primary route for an Arctic gas pipeline, are doing no favors to themselves or their citizens, says John Crump, executive director of the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee.
He told a recent Calgary conference that the “obvious result of such a contest is for both territories to bargain themselves into the ground.”
The upshot is that the governments will lower their standards for environmental assessment and controls, Crump said.
“In a race to the bottom neither territory will win,” he said. “Instead we encourage both to take a strong and similar position on their expectations for development and to lay down clear and unambiguous rules that would government any development in either territory,” he said.
Founded during first Arctic push The Canadian Arctic Resources Committee — CARC — was founded 30 years ago in response to the first major push to develop Arctic oil and gas and is the primary non-governmental watchdog on northern development.
With the primary objective of limiting the impact of resource development and keeping the economic benefits local, CARC has started a major cumulative impact study of the Northwest Territories.
Although the initial focus will be on a rapidly growing diamond industry in the Northwest Territories, CARC is promulgating guidelines to protect the environment, which include:
• Using the best available technology and leaving the smallest possible footprint.
• To the greatest possible extent, directing benefits to local populations.
• Channeling a portion of royalties and taxes to economic diversification and alternative energy sources.
• No development against the wishes of aboriginal peoples who have yet to settle land claims with the Canadian government.
• Examining the impact of northern oil and gas development on Canada’s international obligations, such as those touching on climate change and bio-diversity.
Group favors gas, conservation Crump said there is no longer any doubt that combustion of hydrocarbons is a factor in global climate change, but CARC believes Arctic drilling could also lead to the discovery of relatively clean-burning natural gas.
He said Arctic exploration should continue only in harness with a shift away from dependence on hydrocarbons that could include conservation measures, incentives to lower consumption and a search for energy alternatives.
Crump said such initiatives should not mean the extinction of petroleum companies.
“Instead of defining yourselves as oil and gas companies you become energy companies finding cleaner and more sustainable methods of providing energy,” he said.
Crump conceded that judging when the cumulative effects of resource development reach a crisis level will likely remain for some time the “science of best guesses,” placing an obligation on non-governmental organizations, government and industry “to make sure we make those guesses better.”
He said there is now some urgency to pay attention to cumulative effects, with northern development in its infancy.
While 15 percent of the Arctic was affected by industrial activity in 2000, a continuation of current trends will push that level over 50 percent in less than 50 years, said Crump.
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