Fletcher's Meadows Secondary School students speak out against the Northern Gateway Pipeline

To Whom it May Concern,
My name is Raagini Tyagi and I am a grade 11 high school student at Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario and I am truly appalled at the lack of concern the current government holds for nature and the environment. The Great Bear Sea is not only one of Canada’s most ecological treasures but also one of the world’s most spectacular ecosystems. Just the thought alone of building an oil pipeline through this beautiful and richly diverse area infuriates me.

Sea lions, (Otariidae sp) after hauling out on the rocks at Garcin Rocks, Gwaii Haanas in the Great Bear Rainforest, BC.  (C) Andrew S. Wright, WWF-Canada

The Great Bear Sea is one of the world’s last intact temperate rainforests and some of the planet’s last large wild rivers and most productive coldwater seas. It is home to many extraordinary animals such as bears, wolves, dolphins, whales, birds, and fish to name a few. Not to mention, it is also home to many endangered species including the rare white Spirit bears which, as a matter of fact, are only found in the Great Bear region of British Columbia’s north coast. Placing an oil pipeline in these creatures’ habitats is potentially putting them under threat of endangerment and perhaps eventually, dare I say it, extinction.
The proposed Northern Gateway pipeline would bring millions of barrels of toxic crude oil and hundreds of gigantic oil tankers to this wonderful place. The objectionable risk of oil spills presented by oil tankers and a pipeline would threaten the ecosystems, jobs, cultures and communities of this region. In conclusion, due to the unimaginable risks that are presented on our environment by the construction and operation of the proposed oil pipelines, I am against the Northern Gateway project. I am a Canadian for the Great Bear.
Sincerely, Raagini Tyagi