This weekend the Guardian newspaper in the UK published the Along the Pipeline project. I am very excited to see this major international publication pick up this body of work and share it with a wide audience. It will drive much needed attention towards the massive Energy East pipeline proposal. Check It Out.
Tag Archives: along the pipeline
Exhibition Opening – Along the Pipeline at Nuit Blanche
T
his Saturday, Feb. 28, the Maison du Développement Durable in Montreal will play host to the Along the Pipeline photography exhibition. Presented within the confines of the Nuit Blanche, this promises to be an exciting evening with cocktails, pipelines and lots of people. If you are in Montreal and free, please stop by. Afterwards you can continue on to one of the many numerous events happening all across the city.
Can’t make the opening on Saturday? Don’t worry, the exhibit will be displayed until March 17, 2015.
Where: Maison du Developpement Durable
When: Saturday, Feb 28 – March 17
Time: Opening at 20:00 on Saturday, Feb. 28
The Stories TransCanada is afraid you’ll see – Energy East
Recently my work creating Along the Pipeline was singled out by TransCanada and their (former) PR firm Edelman as a threat to their Energy East project. The statement in question comes from a Reasearch Synthesis that was leaked to Greenpeace and can be found on page 11. It reads:
I don’t know if I should be shocked or honoured that I seem to have the ability to ‘create an emotional response that can override logic and reasoning.’
Along the Pipeline has always been about the stories and opinions shared by people that I met on my journey. Along the way I encountered people that agreed with the project, disagreed with the project, and those that are still making up their minds.
These documents clearly show that TransCanada was considering using deceitful tactics to attack environmental advocates, and also one of their key worries is the spread of real stories from real people. They would prefer to write the script for stories from a fabricated grassroots movement – with comments disabled – while attacking and silencing the voices and opinions of regular people along their pipeline route. It is clear that TransCanada is interested in pushing one-sided spin, and is not comfortable with an honest, open debate about impacts on communities and the climate.
Targeting artists that share real stories is the sign of a company that knows it’s losing its social license. If they can’t be trusted to engage in fair, democratic debate, can they be trusted to build a pipeline 4500km across Canada, over hundreds of waterways, enabling an explosion of tar sands growth? Or do we want a different future?
If you believe in the value of real stories then take a moment to watch and share this one from Nora Gould in Alberta.
Energy East Multimedia – Along the Pipeline
The following five multimedia pieces were completed for my Along the Pipeline project focusing on the proposed Energy East pipeline. They include Nora Gould, a mother, poet and rancher (in that order) from Alberta, Henry Harris, a fisherman on the Bay of Fundy and Ryan Theriault, owner of Tranquil Acres. Also included are Crystal Greene, an Anishinaabe Activist and Serge Simon, the chief of the Kanesatake Mohawk.
All five individuals are concerned about the potential impact that the Energy East pipeline could have on their communities and livelihood.
Meeting the Canadian’s Energy East would affect – Exhibit in Toronto
This blog post originally appeared on Environmental Defence’s website.
Meeting the Canadians that Energy East puts at risk
It was a typical northern Ontario day on the shores of Shoal Lake, when I really got it.
I was a month into a photography project to highlight the voices of people along the proposed Energy East pipeline route. I was interviewing Chief Fawn Wapioke of Shoal Lake 39. We had retreated from the mosquitos outside to a couch in the living room.
Fawn was talking about making decisions based on how they would affect future generations. I’d heard other individuals share similar sentiments before. But that day, Fawn’s toddler twins were playing at our feet. Listening to Fawn’s words and watching those kids play, it really sank in.
This was clearly about more than one pipeline. This was about building a different system – one where a clean environment and a sustainable economy provide a resilient system for future generations to thrive.
Last spring, I traced Energy East’s proposed 4,600 km route. All those kilometres provide a lot of stories, a lot of opinions and a lot of cups of coffee. This country we call Canada is a beautiful land full of beautiful people. Everywhere I went on my journey along the pipeline, people gave me hours and days of their time. They shared their life stories, homes, and food with a photographer determined to find out what Canadians and First Nations thought about plans for a massive new tar sands pipeline heading east.
Every individual had their own opinions informed by their own experiences. I talked to people that supported the pipeline, people still making up their mind and many that were doing everything they could to oppose it.
It’s clear that Canadians and First Nations are giving thought to the complex issues of energy, environment and economy. We are smart people. Many of us aren’t buying the line pushed by tar sands industry and the federal government that ‘we need this pipeline for jobs and the economy.’
Most also recognize the climate implications of the mega-pipeline. Every person I spoke with, whether they agreed with the pipeline proposal or not, talked about the need for Canada to move towards more renewable energy.
This is a complex issue. And, sometimes it takes a personal story, a face, or an experience to drive home what this is all about.
Beginning this Friday, some of the images from Along the Pipeline will be on display in Toronto for the exhibit Exposing Energy East. The exhibit is free and open to the public, October 31 to November 5.
I invite you to come and see the faces of Canadians who live along Energy East’s proposed route. Hear their concerns about this project. I promise it will make you consider not only the issue of the pipeline, but also ask that bigger question – what kind of Canada do we want to build?
Along the Pipeline – Energy East Photography Project Published in Ricochet
I am very pleased to announce that Along the Pipeline, my photography portrait series on TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline has now been published in Ricochet. Ricochet is the new national online media outlet in Canada and I am very excited to partner with them for this publication. They have done an exceptional job of highlighting the 24 select images, the captions and audio files. Please visit their sites to see the stories.
Part One – Published last week
Part Two – Published this week
There is more exciting things coming from this project, including publishing in two different art magazines and gallery openings in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more.
Along the Pipeline Presentations
Recently I had the pleasure of presenting the Along the Pipeline project on the stage in Montreal. I was honoured to share the stage on all occasions with some amazing individuals.
Last week I shared the stories of those along the pipeline at Bill McKibben’s and Ellen Gabriel’s People’s Climate Tour event. Last night I was given the opportunity to piggy back on Naomi Klein’s new book launch, This Changes Everything, to bring these stories to a sold out Imperial Theatre in Montreal.
My thanks goes out to the all the participants and supporters of Along the Pipeline and to the organizers for fitting me into already packed schedules.
Along the Pipeline – Serge Simon from Kanesatake
Serge Simon is the elected chief of the Mohawk Nation in Kanesatake, Quebec. In the following multimedia piece he talks about the his opposition to the Energy East Pipeline. He discusses climate change and the potential impact on the water that the pipeline will have.
Please follow along with developing journey at alongthepipeline.com.
Best viewed full screen.
Along the Pipeline | Serge Simon, Grand Chief Kanesatake, Quebec from Robert van Waarden on Vimeo.
Along the Pipeline Crowdfunding Success
The Along the Pipeline crowdfunder wrapped up a few days ago and it was an amazing success. Over 118 people came together to raise $7547 online with $225 offline. Amazing! I am so touched by the amazing support and community that has built around this project. I look forward to keeping everyone up to date on the project as it develops. Please feel free to follow along through Twitter, Instagram, Fa
While you are at it, take a moment to read up on the project from these great media outlets, Desmogblog, TckTckTck, and Forget the Box
Along the Pipeline featured on DeSmogBlog
My upcoming project Along the Pipeline has just been featured on the popular Desmogblog. Check it out.
I will be following the line of the proposed Energy East pipeline in Canada to take portraits and tell the stories of those along the route. TransCanada, the same company behind the Keystone XL pipeline, is proposing another pipeline but this time across Canada. If approved, Energy East would transport 1.1 million barrels of diluted bitumen a day from the oil sands of Alberta to St. John. It would cross hundreds of waterways and drinking water supplies and would be responsible for greenhouse gas emissions that would equal 7 million new cars on the road.
This photography project gives me a chance to contribute to a larger conversation in Canada about climate change, oil and the future of this land. I am currently in the throes of a crowd funder for this project so please visit and support.