Somewhat by chance, last week I found myself participating in…actually, just listening in on…a conference call orchestrated by the outfit in Bellingham, SSA Marine, which will be building and operating the proposed coal export facility at Cherry Point. The call was part of a local community outreach to educate folks and alleviate their fears about this new facility which will bring hundreds of extremely large bulk carrier ships through Rosario and Haro Straits every year to load coal brought in by trains from Wyoming..
The call began with a brief summary of the scope of the project with an emphasis on new jobs to be created and the fact that the company building and operating the facility was a 100 year old local company whose owners and management revere our local waters and environment and would never do anything to harm them. or put them at risk.
Two knowledgeable company spokesmen were on the call and prepared to answer participants questions or concerns…participants who had a question were invited to hit the “#” key on their phone, and one by one, I heard persons with familiar first names from Olga, Eastsound, Friday Harbor, and Shaw ask crisp, insightful, and intelligent questions concerning a broad range of potentially troubling environmental issues…I heard what I would characterize as a polite “nibbling ‘round the edges” of the challenges posed by this extraordinary enterprise.
I have no idea how many islanders participated in the conference call…but it was mentioned that there remained a queue of questions after the hour-long call. I would like to share my question (in 3 parts)…which remained buried in the queue…as follows:
“HOW ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH CAN YOU GUYS SLEEP AT NIGHT WHILE YOU’RE PROMOTING THIS VAST INCREASE IN COAL EXPORTS TO CHINA WHERE IT WILL BE BURNED AND DUMP MILLIONS OF TONS OF CO2 INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND MAKE A MASSIVE CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE?
HAVE WE ALWAYS BEEN SO PENNY-WISE AND POUND-FOOLISH?” WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?”
There…I’ve said it…without using the eff word,
Fred Klein
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Right on, Fred.
The “eff word” is totally appropriate, in all its permutations.
I truly hope that “outrage” boils up and over, but, feel that too many are overwhelmed with just getting through, paying their bills, dealing with fear, and totally stressed given the economy. Many of us are simply and genuinely in “survival mode.” Which is where the powers-that-be want us, f___ it.
Thank you for your words. Jobs! Money!– even if it means continuing to make the planet so toxic as to be unihabitable.
Right on, Laurel & Fred. One good spill around here would ruin us.
I am proud to be a part of the OrcasNOCOALition. We have a lot of work to do to stop the proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point. Be sure to check out this informative web-site and become a member: OrcasNOCOALition.net.