Canadian Disaster May Change Pipeline Debate

The top story in Canada is an explosion following a train derailment in Quebec. Some far 5 people are confirmed dead but the death toll is likely to rise to 40-60 because firefighters still can't get close to the wreckage because of the smouldering fire.

What's clear is that trains are increasingly the transport method of choice for petroleum products because of the environmental lobby against building pipelines.

According to recent estimates from the Canadian Railway Association, up to 140,000 carloads of crude like the train in Quebec was carrying will be transported by rail in Canada this year. That's up from only 500 carloads transported by Canadian rail in 2009.

I don't understand why pipelines have become such an issue — as if halting pipelines would someone end pollution and environmental disasters. The oil and gasoline will get from Point A to Point B somehow and moving it by pipeline is the safest and cheapest way.