Did you know that a recent decision by the National Energy Board makes it possible for suppliers to ship an extra 27,000 barrels of oil a day out of Vancouver?

Well, you do now.

And what do you think about that? Not that it matters, as the NEB didn’t bother to consult anybody about its decision, and that includes the mayors of our fair region.

The NEB says it doesn’t have to consult anybody because the application from energy company Kinder Morgan to increase volumes doesn’t require any expansion of facilities.

Except that in a separate decision, the NEB allowed Kinder Morgan to twin the Trans Mountain pipeline from Edmonton, also without consulting anyone.

Oh, so is that where the extra oil will come from? The oilsands?

OK, so we have a new pipeline pumping new oil to the same old port and nobody told the people anything.

And if that’s not bad enough, the Coast Guard readiness plan to deal with a possible oil spill hasn’t been updated in a decade. It’s not clear that we’re able to cope with a spill at the current levels of shipping, never mind at an increased level.

I’m sitting here trying to visualize 27,000 barrels of oil lined up along the docks. And then what that 27,000 barrels looks like dumped into Burrard Inlet. Even worse, one tanker carries 550,000 barrels of oil. At that point, the mind goes TILT.

Thoughtful people never forget that Canada is a fortunate country because it sits on a vast supply of natural resources and has the wealth and capacity to develop them and generate more wealth. And that wealth means jobs and education and health care and 70-inch flat screen TVs. (It’s my list, OK?) The oilsands will pump trillions into the Canadian economy, and we should keep that in mind.

But thoughtful people also look a gift horse in the mouth. Just ask the Trojans what happens when you don’t. And it’s hard to trust when the people safeguarding that trust don’t even bother to include you in the discussion.

Sure, it takes longer. And the usual suspects get out their soapboxes and start whining and complaining. If they had their way, we’d live in yurts and eat fungus. But if you ask me, I’d rather live in a yurt than in a puddle of toxic sludge.

Not that anyone bothered to ask me.