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THE NEW TANNER8THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010 Editorialwith Frances NiblockWho stands on their convictions?Would you want to work or do business with a company with 301 employees that has the following statistics? 30 have been accused of spousal abuse nine have been arrested for fraud fourteen have been accused of writing and passing bad chequesMAYORS TOURNEY: Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville perfected his putting skills ninety-five have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least as volunteers Colin Ash and Marsha Batchelor looked on at Blue Springs Golf Course on Mon-two companiesday as 126 golfers hit the links at the annual Mayors tournament to benefit Heritage Acton. four have served penitentiary time for assault Denise Paulsen photo fifty-five cannot receive a credit card due to a poor credit ratingOur oil addiction has always been messy twelve have been arrested on drug related chargesBy David Suzuki tine waters of Prince William Sound Supertankers are huge, up to with Faisal Moolaoff the Alaska coast.300 metres in length, and can haul four have been arrested for shopliftingToday, tens of thousands of wells enough energy to fuel a small city. sixteen are currently defendants in lawsuitsThe explosion on BPs Deep-operate on land and at sea, massive It takes three kilometres and 14 min- and sixty-two have been arrested for drunk driving in the water Horizon platform in the Gulf supertankers move huge quanti-utes for such a vessel going at full of Mexico and subsequent uncon-ties across oceans, and pipelines speed to stop and reverse direction. last yeartrolled release of millions of litres and trucks transport oil over land. Although most newer supertankers Can you guess which organization this is? It is MPs in the of oil a day is a monumental dis-Stuff happens: earthquakes, acci-are equipped with double hulls to re-aster. But why are we surprised? dents, storms, tides, icebergs, and duce the threat of a spill in the event Canadian Parliament the same group that effects our way Oil drilling and transportation are of course, human error.of a collision, many ships still sport of life.not like brain surgery; they involve What can we learn from the dis-single hulls.brute technology to obtain and move Oaster in the Gulf of Mexico? First, Corporations dont focus enough f course, not all MPs have such nefarious credentials but crude oil, and oil is slopped around theres no such thing as a fool-on prevention nor do they consider the list first printed in the Ottawa Citizen is sure an eye in this process every day. Over the proof technology because, as the victims of their accidents a high pri-opener as is watching our elected officials in action yell-years, numerous major spills have computer Hal in the movie 2001: ority. The Exxon Valdez spill led to occurred on land, from drilling plat-A Space Odyssey knew, the big-litigation by several citizens groups, ing, booing, rudely interrupting and acting in a way that would forms at sea, and after collisions and gest threat to a mission is a fallible, including fishers, tour guides, and get most five-year-olds sent to the naughty chair.breakups of ships. imperfect human being. We should First Nations. The courts awarded Back in 1967, the Torrey Canyon also learn that relying so heavily on them money, but the oil company A list like this indicates that Canadians need to know more spilled 117 million litres of crude oil non-renewable fossil fuels for most appealed numerous decisions. Dur-about the candidates that stand for election how much do off Cornwall, England. In 1976, the of our energy needs carries numer-ing almost two decades of stalling, Argo Merchant dumped 29 million ous risks, from devastating spills to Exxon continued to earn record you know about your MP?litres of fuel oil off Massachusetts. catastrophic climate change.profits.A blow-out at the offshore Ekofisk In 1979, I hosted a program Supertanker accidents and the Bravo platform in 1977 released called Tankerbomb that warned of Gulf spill reveal how little atten-about 30 million litres into the North the hazards of supertanker traffic tion is paid to prevention. As oil Sea in 1977, and the Amoco Cadiz from Alaska past the treacherous continues to gush from the deep-dumped 260 million litres off France B.C. coast. A decade later, the sea well in the Gulf, BPs response Looking Backin 1978. Weve seen oil spilled in Exxon Valdez spill confirmed that has been pathetic. We have to plan dozens of other collisions, blow-warning. More recently, a ferry, the in exquisite detail for any exigency, outs, deliberate releases (in 1991, Queen of the North, ran into Gil Is-not play fast and loose with our Iraq released up to 1.9 billion litres land on B.C.s North Coast. Human claims of having everything under Ten Years Agoof crude oil into the Persian Gulf), beings are fallible, and in B.C., our control. And we really must start Halton Hills Community Support and Information received a and storms (in 2005, hurricane Ka-coast is marked by numerous rocks shifting from fossil fuels to cleaner $38,752 Federal grant for community-based youth crime preven-trina caused the release of more than and reefs. Thats why coastal First renewable energy sources. We can tion imitative.25 million litres). Closer to home, Nations are unanimous in their op-all do our part as well by conserving A delay in getting necessary development permits means the in 1970, the Arrow spilled almost position to the proposed Enbridge energy and by reducing our reliance $2.2-million expansion and renovation at St. Joseph Catholic School 10 million litres into Chedabucto pipeline to transport oil from the on cars. And here in Canada, we will not likely be ready for the start of the new school year.Bay in Nova Scotia, and in 1988, the Alberta tar sands to the West Coast can let our leaders know that were Acton residents mourned the death of former teacher Ted Han-Odyssey dumped 159 million litres where it would be loaded onto ships. counting on them to make sure our off St. Johns, Newfoundland. And senThe possibility of a tanker accident oceans and coastlines are protected , 83, who was the first principal at Actons new high school in 1989, the Exxon Valdez spilled is too great a risk to their commun-from catastrophes like the one in the when it opened in 1954.over 40 million litres into the pris-ities and fishing grounds. Gulf of Mexico.Five Years Ago Former chair of the Halton board of education and current trustee Ethel Gardiner called the board dysfunctional and wants the Ministry of Education to step in and take control. Although Haltons physician recruitment initiatives have lured 35 new doctors to Halton, not one has come to Acton, which has the most acute need of new doctors. Town staff anger many when they remove items from graves at Fairview Cemetery without informing anyone. Now banned are beer or liquor bottles, glass jars with candles and plants with thorns.Distributed to every home in Acton and area,EditorPublisheras well as adjoining communities.Ted TylerFrances NiblockEvery effort will be made to see advertising copy, neatly presented, is Editorial Contributorscorrectly printed. The publisher assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors or omissions in advertising, but will gladly reprint Mike OLeary Angela Tyler Denise Paulsenwithout charge that part of an advertisement in which an error may occur provided a claim is made within five days of publication.373 Queen Street East, Unit 1Advertising and Circulation Acton, Ontario L7J 2N2 All articles, advertisements and graphic artwork appearing in The Marie ShadboltNew Tanner is copyrighted. Any usage, reproduction or publication email: thenewtanner@on.aibn.comof these items, in whole or in part, without the express written consent Composing Ken Bakerof the publisher of The New Tanner is a copyright infringement and (519) 853-0051 Fax: (519) 853-0052subject to legal action.