If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Fifty artists will take up paintbrushes and carving tools to portray Canada's fragile "raincoast," the results of which will be published in an art book. Their goal is to bring attention to the dramatic beauty and ecological diversity of B.C.'s central and north coast that will be at risk if tankers are permitted to ship tar sand oil through the region's narrow and dangerous channels.
Public hearings are rarely closed to the public. But that's exactly what happened at the National Energy Board (NEB) hearings in London, Ontario to review Enbridge's Line 9 proposal -- the first part of Enbridge's plan to build a route to move tar sands oil through Ontario and Quebec. In short, they kicked us out.
The 670 kilometre B.C. portion of this proposed pipeline would include 591 water crossings, 532 of which are fish bearing. Should British Columbians be concerned? Those deliberating on whether they support the pipeline would do well to remember this truism: in gambling, the many must lose in order that the few may win.
We're asking all Canadians to join us to help preserve two core national values: nature and democracy. Let's keep Canada strong and free. Please visit the websites of your favourite environmental organizations on June 4th to add your voice.
Not only should China be banned from construction or bidding, but Investment Canada should ban Chinese companies from buying resource companies, or related assets. They low-ball to get contracts, then use shoddy materials, and have no respect for the rule of the law in Canada.
Today, a trainload of First Nations from northern B.C. took to the rails (literally) to protest the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway oil pipelines and tankers project. They're doing it to enforce their legal ban on the project, and to protect their freedom to choose their own future, and live according to their own cultures.
So many questions about Canada today. So few answers. What are the Conservatives scared of, indirectly gutting environmental laws via the budget, rat...
This week an all-out war has been declared on environmentalists -- from Suzuki's foundation coming under attack to a viral American video opposing green energy. What is most maddening is that the new anti-environmentalist approach has become a war on actual fact, being interpreted by audiences as simply a war of conflicting opinion.
I've noticed an increasing number of media pundits talking about how environmentalism has fallen on hard times, or has lost its way. "Environmentalism" is not just something that happens in Ottawa, through the good grace of parliament. It is an attitudinal shift that is well advanced, and accelerating.
Recent federal budget changes to the environmental review process favour industry over the environment. Besides putting the environment and the human health that depends on it at risk, these changes to policy and regulation could actually make review processes more inefficient and time-consuming.
Alberta's election result was a reprieve for the Obama administration. The reasonable Redford government will temper somewhat Harper's enthusiasm for petroleum realpolitik. Had the Wildrose Party won the election, Washington would have been in for a wild ride.
The battle over the proposed Enbridge pipeline represents the clash of the new oil-driven Conservative coalition versus an unwilling province packed with people who have never been known to roll over and play dead. This will rock the country.
All the talk recently about the Chinese building a pipeline through British Columbia is what most threatens the project's future. It's also an indication that the private sector does not get it. The pipeline will only be built if Albertans, British Columbians and B.C. First Nations make a deal.
Just as the Federal Budget spends $8 million to increase the burdens on charities to prove they are staying away from political activities, the oil industry is trying to get Environmental Defence's charitable registration revoked. If the CBC is muzzled by budget cuts, and charities are muzzled or frightened into silence, who will speak up for the environment?
Conservative Senator Nicole Eaton is holding hearings into foreign funding of charities engaged in environmental issues, saying that they should disclose their foreign revenue sources, and that they should disclose their political activities. Uh, the thing is, they already do.
Props to HuffPost for getting Peter Kent into its office to answer some questions. Goodness knows Canadians need better answers from an Environment Minister whose reputation is that of acting on behalf of the tar sands industry rather than the environment. But the printed interview came off very much in the vein of "kid gloves."
