The problem with the greenhouse gas argument is that the oil doesn't just disappear. It gets transported by rail instead which is far more dangerous. Or it gets substituted by heavy oil out of Kuwait. Steam injection using desalinated water or puts more money into Russian oil and gas. Or contiued use of Coal fired plants
The pipeline should be assessed on its merits as a pipeline and not on if it will increase local greenhouse gas production in Canada. Wether Canada slowly extracts or quickly extracts its oil that oil or other countries oil is still going to get burnt based on energy demand.
Now the issue with shipping heavy oil through the narrows at kitamat is a real concern and certainly hasn't been properly addressed.
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