My letter to editors --via LeadNow's tooL @ this link:
https://act.leadnow.ca/tmx-letter/
Dear editor,
The indigenous-led movement opposing the Trans Mountain expansion project (TMX) is solidly backed by Raincoast Conservation Foundation -- https://www.raincoast.org/ -- whose exemplary studies of Southern Resident Killer Whales show that our Killer Whale population --only 73 individuals as of Oct. 2019-- is critically endangered, facing serious threats "exacerbated by noise, physical disturbance & contaminants" that are having "substantial cumulative & negative effects on their chances of survival & ability to recover." Raincoast's scientists deem this an "unquestionable emergency" requiring immediate "vital actions" to prevent the "high likelihood that Southern Resident Killer Whales will continue their spiral towards extinction" -- these include "operational measures to reduce noise & disturbance from commercial vessels traveling in/near Southern Resident foraging areas" & taking "steps to limit the cumulative effects of vessel traffic", consistent with the Species At Risk Act's Killer Whale Recovery Strategy.
Evidence submitted to the National Energy Board (NEB) showed the TMX project would lead to a sevenfold increase in tanker traffic through critical Southern Resident habitat, & the NEB in its project reconsideration report concluded “Project-related marine shipping is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects on the Southern Resident killer whale". The Federal Court of Appeal ruled in Aug. 2018 that Cabinet's approval of TMX failed to comply with the Species At Risk Act, yet despite updated evidence presented in Jan. 2019 by Ecojustice showing TMX-related shipping would impact endangered killer whales, federal govt. approved TMX again in June 2019.. & in Sept. 2019 Federal Court of Appeal declined to hear Ecojustice's challenge on behalf of Raincoast..
It's CLEAR our federal/provincial govts, aided by the Courts, are guilty of their own FAILURE TO UPHOLD RULE OF LAW in dismissing Canada's Species At Risk Act & reneging on their own stated intentions/promises vis-a-vis 'climate emergency' -- primarily to advance private corporate interests of the polluting fossil-fuel activities proven by leading science as KEY CAUSES exacerbating global warming. Recalling Premier Horgan's promise to do "whatever it takes" to stop TMX, the utter hypocrisy of govt's TMX approval is further exemplified by RCMP raids on Wetsu'wet'en land defenders fighting for BC's future VS. ongoing Govt-approved UNSUSTAINABLE resource development that MAKES A MOCKERY OF 'CLIMATE ACTION' & 'RECONCILIATION'. We need to RALLY IN SUPPORT OF INDIGENOUS-LED, SCIENCE-DRIVEN EFFORTS & show Govts we'll no longer sit in silence while they fast-track global warming & jeopardize our futures with old policies & subsidies that only guarantee THE WORST OUTCOMES!
Sincerely,
SARAH CHESTERMAN
Vancouver, BC