As The Debate Over The Northern Gateway Pipeline Heats Up

 ...it will be important to keep a level head.  The GreenPolicyProf blog is a good place for a level headed assessment of the situation on the ground in B.C..

Incidentally, there is some question as to whether the regulatory changes suggested by Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver would apply to Northern Gateway itself.  This report suggests they would.  I have read elsewhere, but can't remember quite where, that any statutory change would apply only to later projects. 

You can see, though, why Mr. Oliver would want to speed things along.  A late 2013 approval date for the pipeline would put its actual construction into 2015, the year of our next federal election.  Given the crap storm that will likely become (Rafe Mair laying down in front of a tractor, mass arrests, and whatnot), the gov.  probably want as much of it out of the way before the next vote as possible. 

Incidentally, its worth noting that Vivian Krause, the gal behind the "foreign billionaire's influencing Canadian policy" line of argument, has been making an identical defense of the fish-farming industry for years now--ie Suzuki and co. are taking foreign money to help Alaskan salmon fisherman at the expense of B.C. aqua farmers.  Its just been re-purposed for this debate.  Her research is typically shoddy; here's something I wrote on her last year.