Investments in dirty oil pipelines
A group of electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts and business owners are headed to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area Friday morning to show solidarity with the hundreds of protesters who have gathered to oppose the Kinder Morgan pipeline drilling, according to a press release. The event is being organized by small business owner, J-M Toriel, whose company Big Green Island Transportation installs electric charging infrastructure.
“We don’t want investments in dirty oil pipelines that put British Columbians at risk, and we are tired of hearing people say that ‘we all need gas to drive’ in defense of new fossil fuel infrastructure,” said Toriel. “We brought electric vehicle drivers here to show we can all be part of a clean energy future – no pipelines required.”
Toriel is driving to Burnaby Mountain in a plug-in Nissan Leaf, owned by the car-sharing service Modo Co-operative to show that you don't even need to own an EV to make alternative transportation choices. EV drivers are bringing slogans and banners with positive messages of a future that does not rely on fossil fuels and new pipelines: “BATTERIES INCLUDED - NO PIPELINES REQUIRED,” “LESS OIL, MORE COURAGE” and “NO, WE DON’T ALL NEED OIL”.
CEO of Vancouver-area printing company International Web Express Printing, Byron Sheardown, owns a Chevy Volt.
“I proudly drive an electric vehicle,” Sheardown said. “Why risk our coastlines and communities for a resource that will be refined and consumed elsewhere? Alternative energy is abundant and supports the local economy. Governments and drivers need to support green energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”