To Alberta Views (one of my favorite magazines!)
I am concerned about the biased view presented in your Jan/Feb issue concerning the pipeline debate. Bias in a writer is natural, and difficult, if not impossible, to prevent. I have lived a long time and have learned that peoples’ realities are dependent on their position in life. What is real to the radical environmentalist is not real to the labourer who lives and works in an oil or gas town. A person’s viewpoint is formed by his or her background and position in life, particularly the current situation. I believe that the closer one is to the front line, or center of the situation viewed, the more focussed and informed one is of the problems involved, and therefore of the alternatives for problem-solving.
However, the further away one is from the front line, the more able s/he is to see the big picture.
What is lacking in the pipeline debate is the big picture. As I read the pros and cons of the pipeline divide, I learned a lot that I didn’t know before. I rely on Alberta Views to inform me, particularly about front line concerns. However, my jaundiced and somewhat cynical mind thinks, “They’re not addressing the big picture.” Perhaps the writers are too close to see the full context of the issue. I try to see the big picture, and I have lived simply for the last six decades, hoping that our country can move forward to a more sustainable future. I question what is presented on all sides of a debate. I ask, “Where is this person coming from? What parts of the big picture does s/he bring? What parts does s/he not comprehend? What is missing from this analysis?”
This forces me to listen, to read, to think, and to learn. I examine my responses to see if these learned opinions will cause me to change my behaviour and attitudes. The big picture in which climate change is embedded includes economic structures, government regulations, capitalism, how governments are funded, the Canadian constitution, treaties with indigenous nations, population growth, global financial agreements, war and violence across the world, immigration, poverty, economic inequality, diverse religions, and societal attitudes to gender roles. All these factors are part of my big picture. There are no minimally palatable solutions within the pipeline debates, or to changes in individual’s viewpoints, feelings, and thoughts. Most Canadians appear to build their lives upon the central belief that the bottom line is measured in financial terms, and money matters more than anything else. I hear others claim that our current situation is more important than historical evidence, or future dreams.
The debate is complicated, and will not be resolved within the life span of any democratically elected government. Nor within my lifetime. Sad. Sadder still for my great grand children.
