Re: (B.C. Views, March 5).

Thanks to Tom Fletcher for shining a light on how American forces are negatively impacting Canadian interests.

These foreign and domestic individuals are at best hypocrites. If the Canadian oil industry were shut down completely, it would not result in one drop less of oil being consumed globally. The oil would simply come from somewhere else and that somewhere else would likely be the U.S.

That they are attacking the supply side of the oil equation and not the demand side speaks to their hypocrisy. If one really believes in the unproven theory of CO2 creating catastrophic global warming then work to eliminate the demand for oil.

If there is a demand, it will be supplied. The war on drugs showed us that.

Glenn Duncan, P.Eng (ret.), Chilliwack

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Mr. Fletcher had it all wrong, when he declared that the 鈥減rotest industry鈥� was going to war against Alberta oil.

No, it is not 鈥渕anufactured people power鈥� at work fighting for environmental protections. It is ordinary citizens, like myself and my husband, who are on a mission to protect our common property; the oceans, the air and the forests.

And, No, Mr. Fletcher, we鈥檙e not part of any 鈥渋ndustry鈥� at all. The petroleum industry, with its deep pockets and paid lobbyists, is the real 鈥渋ndustry鈥� at work here.

Yes, as private citizens with no memberships in 鈥渉ive鈥� organizations, we attended the recent 鈥淧rotect the Inlet鈥� gathering in Vancouver at our own expense. We are among a growing number of people world-wide who are looking to a better, more just national and world economy which will gradually move away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable, clean energy sources.

Environmentalists are often derided as being naive about the reality of our dependency on fossils fuels. Those who are not in favour of the Kinder Morgan expansion realize that a transition period away from these energy sources is realistic. What is not, is to continue on a path of growth and expansion of the production in polluting fuels. There are other, better ways of growing our economy.

The real money, power and influence today exists in the hands of the corporations, which have historically directed public policy by their well-funded and savvy use of the media and unfettered access to politicians.

Linda Grant, Saanich