Skip to content

Do you believe only what you want to hear?

One important question the letter raises in regard to the truth about "dilbit" is: where is a non-technical person to find the truth?

Re: "An education on bitumen", (Citizen, March 8)

One important question the above-mentioned letter in Wednesday's edition raises in regard to the truth about "dilbit" is: where is a non-technical person to find the truth?

Just because information is easy to find and not secret (take a look at advertising!) doesn't necessarily make it objective, reliable or credible, especially when very simplified information comes from sources (i.e. the resource extraction industry and associated special interest groups with scientific sounding names) who have high financial and professional stakes in both the extraction and transportation of bitumen.

While the writer accuses Tides, Sierra Club, Greepeace and "radical" environmental organizations of spreading lies, hysteria and bogus studies, I cannot imagine that the NACE, API, Natural Resources Canada or any of the organizations the writer referred to are less biased or likely to misrepresent facts in order to further their agenda.

As for studies, it is well-known that studies can be, and are, conducted to prove any hypothesis; it's just a matter of manipulating, omitting and presenting the right data, and coming up with the appropriate conclusions. Study or no study, expert or no expert, the more critical question to ask when we choose to take a side in any controversy is how willing are we to believe only what we want to hear?

D. Engelhardt

Chemainus