#1 ECO-ACTION: BAN CLEARCUT LOGGING & PROTECT FORESTS!

Me @ Hayward Lake park, by Frank V.

Here's a letter to Govt. I customized thru Sierra Club BC - & encourage you to write your own, at this link;

https://t.co/JPeTvZWs7U

Dear Minister Conroy, 

RE:  PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS FORESTS NOW!

Your govt's announced intentions to protect BC's old-growth forests by deferring logging contracts are a step in the right direction, but recent events have shown we need lasting changes on the ground today, not tomorrow. 

The climate crisis is jeopardizing the health & safety of BC's communities -- & clearcut logging is further increasing the likelihood & severity of droughts, erosion, fires, floods & landslides.  

Yet your govt can effectively mitigate & prevent these catastrophes before the crisis worsens by protecting endangered old-growth forests, restoring healthy ecosystems & reforming forest management.

Without immediate action, not enough old-growth forests will be left to sustain the web of life, support a diverse economy & limit the climate risks communities across B.C. are facing right now. 

As 1 of millions of affected citizens, I demand that you:  

- Do your sworn duty & apply the [sizeable] federal grant $$ to its intended purpose of enacting & enforcing BC's long-overdue Species At Risk law, to support threatened wildlife species & their habitats.

- Immediately commit to adequate funding for forestry workers & Indigenous Nations to address the impacts of logging deferrals, as well as conservation financing for effective Science-based solutions.

- Reform B.C. forestry practices & climate adaptation strategies with actual LAWS that PROTECT healthy forest/watershed ecosystems & REDUCE risks of catastrophic climate impacts -- including BANNING harmful clearcutting & spraying of our forests!  

- Expedite real engagement with [rightful hereditary] Indigenous decision-makers to implement all recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review, in line with the B.C. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. 

Your govt's woeful inaction on these urgent measures defies all logic.  In fact, it's inexcusable that few intact old-growth forests remain standing across BC — & worse, that most are slated to be logged despite clear evidence that these forests are KEY DEFENSES against impacts of the EMERGENCY in our midst.  

These deadly impacts promise only to increase in magnitude unless we transition to Nature-restoring sustainability in all sectors now.  Time is running out.

Science says so.  & Science doesn't lie.

I implore you to do the right thing NOW to save our precious forests -- 'Lungs of the Earth' -- & thereby ensure the health & safety of communities across BC.

Sincerely, 

[your name will go here]

[your email address will go here], [your location will go here]

CC: Premier David Eby; Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nathan Cullen; Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman; and my local MLA.

FOREST BIOMASS: Letter to Govt.

Stand.earth has numerous opportunities to TAKE ACTION on Climate change, which I urge everyone to do now - including their key campaign against the unsustainable destruction of our primary forests for export as pellets that are burned as fuel, called FOREST BIOMASS..

Forest Biomass is an ecocidal & polluting cycle that Trudeau's Liberal Govt. claims is a "Carbon-neutral climate solution" -- another blatant LIE that perpetuates rising emissions & the catastrophic loss of our non-renewable Old-growth forests by irresponsible corps like UK's DRAX INC.

I've written the following letter via this Stand.earth link:

FOREST BIOMASS IS A FALSE CLIMATE SOLUTION - click to add your own letter!  All letters written on this Stand.earth page are sent to:

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson (Liberal Party of Canada) & The Honourable Steven Guilbeault (Liberal Party of Canada)

Subject:  FOREST BIOMASS is noT sustainable! 

Dear Ministers,

The evidence exposed by Stand.earth is shockingly clear:  our primary forests are being logged to produce wood pellets for global export, to burn for fuel.

Burning forests for fuel is FAR from a "climate-friendly solution" to the fossil fuel economy, & its claims of carbon neutrality have been SCIENTIFICALLY DISPROVEN AROUND THE WORLD.

Industrial use of forest biomass is at odds with national & global carbon emissions reductions goals for a livable planet. 

We deserve true investments in clean energy, & climate protection that does not mechanize away union jobs & devalue/ disrespect our important forest ecosystems!

The time to move away from high-GHG, polluting energy production is NOW, by meaningful consultation with [hereditary] indigenous leaders & scientists -- NOT by pandering to fossil fuels/ logging firms whose historical contribution to Climate change is utterly defeating- & damning. 

We need climate solutions that prioritize healthy ecosystems & local production, to safeguard aLL Canadians' future wellbeing.  It can be done.. but only if you cut Govt's ties to corrupt industry lobbyists & dictatorships like Brazil.

We're watching you closely, because so far you've only failed Canadians on key Climate action:  & that's unacceptable!

Thank you,

Sarah M. Chesterman 

BC's CLimate iNaCTion wiLL BURN us aLL..

Half-baked plans won’t cut it in a #ClimateEmergency! Pls. join me in using #SierraClubBC's letter-writing tool to tell #bcndp that BC desperately needs effective actions to combat #ClimateChange B4 deadly effects worsen.. Click link:

Tell your MLA we need a full climate plan for B.C.! - Sierra Club BC

My (edited) letter using the tool:

Dear [Premier Horgan, Mr. Heyman],

I am writing to you today to express my dismay at the BC Government’s woeful lack of action to combat Climate change, "the Challenge of our times" according to experts, leading financial institutions & the scientific community at large.

Therefore I strongly support Sierra Club BC's Ecojustice-backed legal action against the BC Govt for failing to devise & implement legislation to achieve the targets set out in its own Climate change plan.  And I'm calling on your help to ensure Premier Horgan moves quickly to protect us from worsening Climate risks.  

With the increased frequency of deadly Climate events like floods, landslides & wildfires, anything less than a plan without blind spots & loopholes is unacceptable.  Govt's 2021 report on the Climate Change Accountability Act falls short by failing to include a plan for 2025, 2040 & 2050 targets -- & by omitting plans to cut GHG pollution from the O&G sector.  

The latter is a real worry, due to BC Govt's ongoing support for fracked gas/ LNG projects.  Also missing is the C02 footprint of BC Forestry, which continues to deplete our critically key -- globally rare -- C02 sinks/ wildlife habitats at an unsustainable rate. 

Without addressing these top risks, we have no reason to trust our Govt is serious about taking action to combat dangerous -- increasing -- Climate.catastrophes.

BC brags about being a "Climate leader", yet continues to emit more [cumulative] C02/GHG pollution as Climate effects batter our province.

How many more deadly “atmospheric rivers"/ "heat domes" will it take for the Govt to realize that claims about "bold Climate action" without implementation is an abrogation of its basic duty to keep all BCers safe in an emergency? Claims that "BC's Climate plan is the best in North America" -- if even true -- mean NOTHING without actual emissions reductions.  ESP. if our emissions counts exclude the very industries that continue to make BC a significant material contributor to Climate change!!?

IPCC scientists have warned Canada -- & specifically BC -- are failing by continuing to invest in GROWING Climate-wrecking, ecocidal industries like LNG & Tar Sands pipelines (fossil fuels) & logging.. as well as rewarding them with tax breaks that belong to renewable, sustainable new operations.  Such clear neglect of public duty (Govt malfeasance) -- aided by an equally ethics-light MSM -- keeps Cdns misinformed in endless loops of Govt 'announcements'/ 'decisions'/ 'goals' etc. --> momentary public appeasement/ distraction/ doubt --> exposure of Govt corruption/ inaction/ ineptitude--> helpless hand-wringing at yet another after-the-fact done deal turned deadly resulting from Govt's undying (inexplicable & inexcusable) loyalty to corporate/ industrial status-quo profiteering at BCers' expense, eg. Deadly fires/ mining disasters/ Salmon & Species-At-Risk die-off/ Watershed contamination --> Deafening Govt silence over their utter dearth of trust-buildibg action/ fines --> Public despair --> Back to more Govt plans/ platitudes (& still no actual progress bringing us a Just Transition!!?)

The Green party -- STILL -- provide the only voice of reason, responsibility & sound solutions -- studiously ignored by the vastly inferior duds in office.. (whether Liberal, NDP or -- god help us -- Cons)

Canada's outsize contributions to Climate change NEED to be exposed & curtailed -- INCLUDING exported GHGs via shipped Coal, LNG & pipelined TarSands oil.. as well as raw logs from our criminally CLEARCUT FORESTS -- sold to foreign corps for unsustainable uses, which further lock in global rising GHGs..

Anything less than proactive legislation that restores healthy ecosystems & forests, & works at meeting Paris-Agreement targets in every sector, is bound to fail:  Science says so, & Science doesn't lie..

The stakes couldn't be higher for ensuring a livable & prosperous future for all BCers! 

I expect you, my elected representative, & the B.C. Govt to take this emergency to heart & UPGRADE -- IE. implement effective Science-led Climate actions NOW

Thank you very much, 

Sarah (Saz) Chesterman

CC: Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman and Premier John Horgan.

Spotted owl, endangered & unprotected native of BC

& here's my comment on this relevant article at Falcon calls B.C. NDP economic plan ‘propaganda document’ – Nelson Star

Saz Sarah Chesterman

The fact that BC recently emerged -- not unscathed-- from 2 consecutive climate-brought calamities (last summer's extreme heat-dome that directly claimed 60 deaths + 1,000s of hectares of wildfires accelerated by rampant dried-out clearcuts; AND Nov's catastrophic floods/ landslides that crippled our key agriculture industry) would be #1 URGENT priority in a budget drawn by Greens, the only BC party with the brains, guts, heart & science-backed souL needed to tackle this overriding 'Challenge of our Time' that's hit BC -- smack on schedule, as shown by every scientific study of the last 30+ yrs (which inform the Greens' initiatives..)

ALAS-! My fellow BCers have glibly -- infuriatingly -- decided 'en masse' that we don't DESERVE Greens' carefully-considered, in-depth expertise.. & so by default, THIS 'LACK OF' [EVERYTHING WE NEED TO SUCCEED] is what we get -- in a majority, no less. AGAIN. Only now, it's heating up 4ReaL.. & we need to GET THINGS RIGHT to make any inroads at all reversing these unlivable extremes-!?

BCers' profound ignorance of all but what they read/see on #MSM isn't helping, as unfortch Premier Horgan's BC-NDP is failing hard at every turn -- this budget included++ -- but confidently claims/ looks otherwise: HOW do the majority of BCers NOT SEE THRU this Govt's double-speak, promising all kinds of high-sounding Climate ACTIONS but delivering only more inaction & ineptitude?

EG. Agreeing with scientists in words is 1 thing -- saying THIS should alert most peops we've psychopaths in Govt:
"Science shows fossil fuels burning/ use is a major driver of climate change.. but we're going forward on/ funding massive NEW clean [= dirty: LNG isn'T clean OR renewable!!?] energy 'projects' like LNG/ TMX to RAISE REVENUE FOR THE 'JUST TRANSITION' WE'RE PLANNING FOR.." 

WHEN? 2030?? 2050??? That's too late - esp after locking ourselves & all Earthlings into polluting fossil fuels for another decade or 2!!??

THAT'S NOT A SOLUTION -- it's trying to quit smoking using cigarettes, & BCers' ever-compliant silence at these constant Govt INSULTS [implying our weak-&-easy acquiescence of same-old junk/ inaction] means MORE & WORSE CLIMATE CRISES are coming -- & even scarier, our Govts don't CARE they're leading us like lemmings off the cliff -- rather than improving our prospects for success!!?

At this late hour, only the latter will do - the rest simply deserves NO CONFIDENCE in this Govt's ability to lead us into an ACTUAL 'JUST TRANSITION' (starting with protecting all our intact OldGrowth forests from being clearcut, as our last & only C02-sinking saviours -- our 'Lungs of the North' which BC govts from day 1 have permitted the wholesale destruction thereof)

It's clear this govt has no interest in protecting our best interests or the natural features that make BC 'Beautiful':  we're losing the crucial fight of our lives -- & only the Greens have what it takes to lead us into actual, measurable, real-life success.

To Canada's Climate deniers..

With the U.N. Climate Change Conference - COP26 - under way, this time in Glasgow (with Canadian PM Trudeau's presence belying our country's worse-than-ever dearth of Climate-Action progress) I feel obligated to consolidate local focus on some prevailing, relevant truths from those with the inside edge - i.e. the scientists on the frontlines of climate studies - (a) in emails with Sierra Club BC, below (b) Comments on articles such as the one reporting Extinction Rebellion's latest 'die-in' protest, here: 

Link to Vancouver Sun article

YOU & the blind 'majority' need to realize extinction & downgrade of Nature's ecosystems has been the creeping, insidious adjunct of human activity/industry since the start of the Industrial Revolution, with the worst of it concentrated in the past 2 decades - as officially confirmed by the world's top scientists - despite urgent warnings of the dire consequences of rising GHG emissions caused by polluting industries like agriculture/ logging (deforestation), mining (fossil fuels/ pollution) etc.

Science has also outlined specific counteractions we can (& must) take to mitigate & reverse outcomes such as climate change / global warming - eg. Reducing GHGs & ending deforestation of our oldest ecosystems (i.e. 'Lungs of the Earth', along with Brazil's Amazon rainforest).  Ignoring Science's calls to action exacerbates the worst effects - yet that's exactly what our leaders have done from day 1, with catastrophic results like wildfires diminishing our defences & putting whole populations at risk!

The global Climate Conference is again upon us, at which Canada - once again - must report our woeful failure to meet EVERY commitment made to IPCC-led GHG goals:  i.e. We're NOT 'doing our part' per climate action by honing the most ecocidal industries (like LNG/ TarSands) instead of transitioning to the eco-forward options available in every sector.

None of this comes solely from me/ the 'minority' - it's globally-acknowledged Science SPELLING OUT our obligations & responsibilities of the most urgent order, which we'd be fools to downplay and/or dismiss.

(Nature iS our sole provider that holds the keys to our future survival & signals how & where we're lacking/remiss:  we need to heed her messages, else follow our leaders off the cliff like lemmings)

NOW, here's Sierra Club's important email to me (my response below that, & Elisabeth's reply below mine):

B.C. old-growth announcement confirms ecological emergency 

Dear Sarah,

Your hard work, calls, emails and ongoing pressure is working.  Finally, the B.C. government has released new information and mapping on the state of old-growth forests in B.C. that confirms what we have been saying all along: we are in an ecological emergency.  Thanks to thousands of people like you, the B.C. government identified 2.6 million hectares of the most at-risk old-growth forests that require deferrals. But the government offered little details on when those deferrals will take place.

Because we've been told false promises before, Sierra Club BC remains very concerned about the lack of certainty on how the province will ensure that all logging companies in B.C. pause logging in the areas identified. Also noted is the lack of funding for Indigenous Nations and forestry workers that would enable a paradigm shift in how we manage forests.  Jens Wieting, our Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner explains:

“The work by the technical advisory panel shared today by the B.C. government shows the province’s ecological emergency in unprecedented detail and pinpoints which old-growth forests need immediate interim protection. Despite delays, it’s not too late to use this new mapping to stop the ongoing destruction of the most at-risk old-growth forests and implement the paradigm shift towards ecological integrity while respecting Indigenous jurisdiction,”

“Making the paradigm shift a reality will depend on quickly offering clarity on where and when the next logging deferrals will hit the ground and what level of support communities can count on. Without these steps, today’s announcement would be equivalent to adding tigers to the red-listed species, but not ending the hunt immediately."

The good news is that we no longer have to argue with government and industry about how much old growth is left. But with only $12 million in capacity funding for Indigenous Nations while they make decisions on logging deferrals in their territories, today’s announcement falls short on giving communities a safe and clear path to safeguarding ancient and intact forests.

We didn't see any financing to support forestry workers and there was no information on financing for Indigenous-led conservation solutions. Making the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples a reality requires adequate funding to give Indigenous Nations a real choice when it comes to ending destructive resource extraction on their lands and waters.

We don't want you to think it's all doom and gloom. Another bright spot in today's announcement is that the province announced that BC Timber Sales will stop selling logging licenses in the most at-risk forests that were identified. BC Timber Sales controls one-fifth of logging in the province, meaning this step should result in interim protection for about 500,000 hectares of the most at-risk old-growth forests.  Of course, there's always a caveat and Jens warns:

“Without binding mechanisms for all operators, there is a risk that the new mapping could unleash a race to the bottom if operators decide to cut down the identified at-risk forests before interim protection is in place."

For now, ancient trees will continue to fall but it's important to remember that our efforts are working.  The progress is not as fast as we would like, and it's not time to rest on our laurels.  But we need to celebrate the fact that today's announcement is a step in the right direction, and it wouldn't have happened without you and thousands of people around the globe who love this place and want to change our relationship with forests.

For the last year, international news from B.C. has been about police violently arresting forest defenders to clear the path for clearcutting some of the last old-growth forests on Southern Vancouver Island. The world is watching from the UN COP 26 conference in Glasgow and elsewhere, eagerly waiting for news on when at-risk old-growth forests in B.C. will be truly protected.

Thanks for being part of our community.  Every voice is needed - especially yours.

Warmly,

Elisabeth Noble
Manager of Donor Engagement

(My reply to that email:)

Thanks for this Elisabeth – & while it’s good to hear the BC Govt’s latest announcements, I trust by now we’ve all learned that their words (almost without exception) have meant exactly ZERO vis-à-vis their claimed ‘paradigm shift’, i.e. Real changes in the forests/ on the ground.. As Jens Weiting said, “Without binding mechanisms for all operators, there is a risk that the new mapping could unleash a race to the bottom if operators decide to cut down the identified at-risk forests before interim protection is in place..” – May I be so bold as to suggest that scenario is ALREADY HAPPENING, RE-confirming your subject-line’s EMERGENCY like a delayed siren & demanding extra renewed efforts to make Govt honor their intentions, B4 it truly iS too late~!?

 

With Govt delays making a mockery of their Old-Growth Panel’s URGENT recommends, I strongly feel NOW is the critical time to consolidate all individual, disparate initiatives (eg. in your Action Takers Guide) into an ALL-IN concentrated & coordinated push (pref. in alliance with other forest-defending org’s!) that UPS THE ANTE on DESIRED RESULTS:  I.E. Ensuring Govt’s permanent legislated protections for our old-growth forests.. ASAP.  We need to show Horgan’s govt. their words have lost all credibility – while more At-Risk forests are lost forever thanks to Govt’s total absence of supportive actions!?

 

We forest defenders have been valiantly doing aLL we can – taking actions, on repeat – for months/ years, to no real avail besides Govt’s endless intentions stated over actual ACCELERATED CLEARCUTS/ DEFORESTATION:  continuing more of the same will presumably prove as pointless!?  If we don’T increase pressure NOW & show Govt. we REFUSE TO LOSE (led by  non-profits we support) we risk losing our priceless Old-Growth ecosystems forever.. & THAT is unthinkable.

 

 

In solidarity, SC.

(& Elisabeth's response to mine:)

Hi Sarah,

 

We completely agree.  The work is not happening fast enough.  But I really do think there is some hope.  No question we will lose more ancient forests…but everyone who we know in government says this is the most pressure and momentum they’ve ever seen in their lives.  Changes are coming, some old growth will be protected permanently, and we cannot let them off the hook.

 

We are already seeing “The Sky is Falling” type Op-Eds from the Steelworkers and ResourceWorks.  Now is definitely the time to call your MLA, thank them, and make sure they know you’re not giving up and will continue to hold them accountable!

 

Thank you so much for sending in a donation and for your work on the front lines.  I’ve only been out for a few days – never overnight.  So grateful for everyone who is stepping up to the plate.

 

Elisabeth Noble, CFRE

Manager of Donor Engagement

Sierra Club BC

Lekwungen Territory

Inspiring generations to defend nature and confront climate change, so families, communities and the natural world can prosper together.

My letter to Premier Horgan..

(Via Conservation North's tool - here, so you can write too:  LETTER re. OLD-GROWTH FORESTS)

It's time to act for BC’s primary & old growth forests, some of the world's most important rainforest ecosystems & critical wildlife habitats.  Your govt. won a majority on promises to abide by your OldGrowth Panel's deadlines, & your delay is proving catastrophic..

BC's intact living primary forests have dwindled down to critical levels due to a century & a half of Govts' appropriation of sacred lands inhabited & used by 1st Nations for centuries.  Notably, at inception BC's forests were largely intact & teeming with biodiversity.

What's happened since is Forestry's continual wipeout by logging corps of entire swathes of BC's most precious 'Lungs of the Earth' -- i.e. our oldest living forests -- for the low-balled value of their marketable "timber":   A TRAGIC LOSS of priceless eco-benefits that virtually guarantees BC's failure to mitigate climate change-!?

Only in the last 3/4 decades have the BC govt's dire Natural Resource policies  come to light, & they hardly embody Canada's Constitutional stewardship needs.  But despite steadily-growing heartfelt opposition to BC's disastrous logging practices (ie. clearcutting), successive govts have charged forward in blind ignorance of its public & of science's best info.

Your govt has claimed to  better previous govts re. eco-improvements/ laws that protect BC's best assets & give communities false hope of Climate Action, with vows to "support" our vital forests & nice-sounding words like "decolonization" -- & even promises to implement the "paradigm shift" called for by your own Old Growth Panel -- yet our forests continue to be felled at such a sickeningly sped-up pace (backed by BC's Supreme Court as proof) that makes it clear your govt still supports logging corps' rapacious & unending greed/speed to KILL our ONLY natural climate protectors/C02 sinks.. i.e. FAILURE

Your govt could have begun to 'Build Back Better' by keeping your promises to implement the Old Growth Panel's forward-thinking recommendations - of which protecting Old Growth is KEY to Building Back Better & protecting all BCers' best interests!?

Failing those basic steps is disastrous enough.  But claiming otherwise in the name of reconciliation, WHILE forcing impoverished 1st Nations to participate in egregious clearcut wipeouts of their once-lush & proud great stands (whose pristine abundance had testified to deep native knowledge/ skills  capable of LEADING a renewable industry rooted in nature-based longevity) is grossly unacceptable!  

We will not win unless ALL remaining intact old growth ecosystems are left intact!

The best & newest science agrees:  industrial logging in BC is unsustainable -- & V. worrying, with resultant 'hotspots' causing critical biodiversity loss, droughts & other climate disasters.  Tho less than 10% of BC's old growth forests remain, most are slated to be logged -- which puts aLL of BC (if not the entire biosphere) in jeopardy..

Deforestation exacerbates human errors/weaknesses in this climate Emergency -- eg. Our emissions keep rising & adding to global warming.  In coming months/years, your actions TODAY will define our future -- & being 1 of few 'green' (forested) refuges left on Earth, we wait.. (but the safety-net a Just Transition to sustainability can give us NOW, cannoT!)

Old-growth forests, despite scientists' best efforts/R&D to invent effective C02 sequestration, are still the most -- no, the ONLY -- effective C02 sinks known to humankind. Allowing them to be cleared -- & our multi-billion$ eco-tourist industry to die out along with Old-Growth's threatened biodiversity -- is a sure suicide/ SPECIESCIDE we just cannot afford..

Please SEE how many educated BCers are choosing to be arrested rather than allow our last OldGrowth elders/ lifeboats to be logged like so much wood!? Then fire Katrine Conroy & save our best trees' lives (it's only fair!)

You yourself have said our ancient forests are "worth more standing" -- & you're right:   i.e. Keeping their entirety alive & intact is CRITICAL to mitigating biodiversity loss/ climate change, providing clean air/water, capturing/storing vast amounts of atmospheric C02, regulating ground/ surface water flow, preventing  fires/ floods: the list goes on & on of Old-Growth's uniquely timely qualities:  our living SAVIOURS, which you & (appare only ½) your govt want to deny us/ the world!? 

Right now, BC communities are seeing & feeling the deadly, direct effects of decades of destruction of these MOST IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS.  Yet status quo clearcuts & extraction continue apace!!? & Fairy Creek forest defenders are still being arrested -- proving your govt. is stalling on real Climate Action, with an old-school pro-logging puppet of a Forestry Minister dooming us all to a future of fire & Hell & orphaned investments:  WHY!!? 

At this point, clearing our last intact ancient forests equals the stupidity of demolishing the Great Pyramids for the value of their stones-!!?  (Actually worse, given our ancient forests' invaluable benefits that ensure successful outcomes for us all).  It's up to you & your govt. to intervene NOW with actual laws that protect BC's oldest wettest forests:  our globally-unique temperate rainforests, the giants of global Just Recovery, Beautiful BC heritage, Climate Action & so much more..

The world needs these key forests as much as we do, having cleared most of their own indigenous H²0-/ 0²-supplying forests long ago (which they doubtless regret, having become drought-ridden deserts like the others:  Iran, Iraq, Australia, California.. Brazil..?)

Isn't it time you & your govt SHOW US that you actually care, & have the integrity to do what's right -- for our kids' (& their kids') futures, if nothing else? 

Even industry pro's know climate change is real -- with insurance pull-outs from TMX just the start of the REAL recovery from Colonial oppression's ugly hold on our destinies.  YOU & YOUR GOVT. can put us on top (with our friends Old-Growth) oR doom us to the bottom of a bitumen spill -- but either way, change is coming.. & it won'T be kind to the culprits of Climate's/ Nature's downfall:  ie. polluters & their champions..

Thank you Premier Horgan, for hearing input from one whose family's dedication to the NDP ended with me, as I'm young/old enough to see only eco-INaction from your party, which i can't condone.. (I trust you understand)

Sincerely from my heart,

'Letter to the Editor' on BC's last intact rare Old-Growth Forests

A Western Screech Owl, one of many S.A.R.A.-listed species that rely on BC's old-growth forests for their survival.. (Screech owls mate for life, with both ma & pa involved in co-parenting their young)

You can read the CBC article at the link (below screen capture) re. Premier John Horgan's lame announcement on his latest 'Intentions Paper' vis-a-vis his/BC-NDP's 'new paradigm' on BC's precious Old-Growth Forests - which does little to assure forest defenders that these iconic 1,000-year-old forest ecosystems (/C02 sinks/ wildlife habitats) won'T be logged to extinction in 3 years.. 

CBC Article on Horgan's Old-Growth intentions

Dare I say the issue of whether or not to save BC's old-growth forests should not be the decision of any human(s) putting short-term personal gains ahead of larger considerations, ie. Climate Action/ Nature's revival?

To pretend these are not dilemmas facing govt. leaders today is to deny the overwhelming body of science that has been telling (& showing) us the catastrophic results of our century-long ever-increasing crudely-executed/  heavy-handed 'harvesting' of Nature's once-rich, now-reaped bounty -- of which intact rainforest ecosystems are the 'Lungs' thereof.

Literally, BC's untouched 1,000-year-old primary (unlogged) forests -- of which only approx. 3% remain intact -- are among the world's ONLY climate-balancing wilderness ecosystems left to cover the herculean C02-sinking/ O2-emitting job that once was shared by myriad forests all over the globe..

Having picked Earth almost-dry of its invaluable 'resources' without ensuring their ongoing regeneration ('SOWING WHAT WE REAP'), in the process humans have left behind gluts of toxins/waste that continue to accumulate as long as those inefficient processes are still being used to 'harvest' what we need/use to live!?

It's true:  the systems we've developed/installed -- & now rely on heavily to 'keep us going' -- are the same mechanisms fast-tracking Nature's demise, & thus our own..

But Nature -- yes, still! -- provides everything we need to live!  Doesn't it follow that protecting Nature should be everybody's -- incl. govt. leaders' -- top priority? 

 

Scientists recently issued yet another dire warning that the measurable outcomes of continued reliance on our clunky old wasteful ways include warming temperatures which will lock in further degradation of our life-support system, ie. Nature itself.

Govts cite 'jobs' as a key reason for continuing to permit & subsidize industries with the most devastating impacts on Nature's balance -- of which deforestation is among the worst, not due solely to emissions (which are high when huge old trees release the total C02 they've sequestered over centuries) but also to ensuing LOSS OF FORESTS' COUNTLESS PRICELESS BENEFITS, as our ultimate protectors/safeguards against the harmful human processes endangering whole populations now..

JOBS that work to restore Nature's balance -- in conservation, education, renewable energy, transitioning OUT OF polluting industries etc. -- are what's desperately needed now;  jobs that exacerbate the status quo (GHG emitters like logging, mining..) ALL have imminent expiry dates.

(Widely-known) FACT:  the oldest intact forests ARE what's staving off the worst effects of climate change:  the droughts, famine, fires, floods that threaten mass upheaval on a dime -- brought to the very brink by Big-Biz's last 'all-in' mad pillage for profits (by 'extraction'/ logging/ pollution/ whatever they can get away with) before public pressure forces govts. to shut 'em down..

Thus govt's DELAY on legislating old-school harmful practices OUT before Nature-restoring replacement systems are put IN, could be exactly what tips Nature into irreversible decline..

It only makes pragmatic sense to protect our sole defense against this decline AT ALL COSTS -- along with all the non-human species whose lives depend on keeping these [whole] old forests intact!!?  Without their essential habitats, biodiversity will go extinct -- & guess who will be next.

At this point, the prospect of letting these important ecosystems be cut down is as unthinkable as demolishing the Great pyramids for the price of their stones :  as someone said, it's psychopathic - no matter who is doing the cutting..

Thank you.

PS.  Please sign & share my petition on Change.org:  ProtectOurForests!

Amid forestry struggles, panel finds ‘surprising’ consensus on old-growth logging concerns in B.C.

[This is my - since-deleted - comment to the above-named article in The Narwhal 1 year ago]

But our C02/ GHG emissions continue to RISE --& logging our last remaining old-growth forests ADDS to those emissions daily, due to the massive amounts of C02 they SEQUESTER (& CONTINUE TO, IF LEFT INTACT!!)

It is simply sheer CLIMATE SABOTAGE for our Govts. to keep giving forestry co's the right to CLEARCUT -- at criminal rates, as this expert source elucidates: www.ancientforestalliance.org -- our onLy significant safeguards against accelerated eco-breakdown by climate change, I.E. HEALTHY ANCIENT RAINFORESTS, which must be protected & allowed to expand AT ALL COSTS..

When you factor in the added GHGs logging itself emits (which is considerable --see that same link) it's clear that cutting down these life-saving forests along with their rich biodiversity AND massive C02 sequestration powers --KNOWING the proven rapacious effects of deforestation exacerbating global warming-- amounts to DESTRUCTION of our best (if not onLy) defence against the dire effects of climate change..

There can be no other way to assess it (as Australia has proven): NO GOVT. can credibly argue FOR allowing continuation of clearcut logging of our last remaining 10% intact old-growth forests!?

Of course most Canadians are concerned Canada isn't dealing with global warming, as our elected GOVTS. ARE FAILING TO ACT ON ANY OF THEIR PLATFORMS/ PROMISES of 'REAL Climate Action', 'Reconciliation' ETC. In BC, Premier Horgan has betrayed constituents AND his minority GREEN PARTY opposition by reneging on aLL NDP climate plans/ promises & instead simply furthering same-old Colonial/ corporate status quo BS that's directly diminished our defences against looming climate disaster..

Informed BCers (rightfully) REJECT Govt's ongoing --infuriating-- inaction/ ineptitude in legislating the changes we desperately NEED to revise our fortunes/futures. First plan of defense = BOLSTER EXISTING DEFENSES -- I.E. enact immediate moratoriums on all old-growth logging -- & any activity that requires destruction of our drastically-diminished (life-saving) forest ecosystems -- including aLL new projects involving eco-ruin, eg. polluting dams, fracking (LNG), open-pit mining ETC. that current infrastructure does not need to function NOW IN THE INTERIM WHILE TRANSITIONING TO CLIMATE-SAFE/ RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, regenerating/soil-replenishing agriculture/ non-GMO farming, locally-focused production cycles ETC.. ALL of which will create & require new employment growth/revitalization, & ALL of which should already be INCENTIVIZING leading suppliers in all sectors (eg. Big Oil's ongoing UNCHANGED, UNSUSTAINABLE resource extraction, cited as global warming's main culprit by the legit global scientific community!?) motivating ECONOMY-DRAINING, TOP-HEAVY POLLUTING CORPS TO TRANSITION TO ECO-SAFE & SUSTAINABLE OPS.. OR GET OUT OF THE WAY TO GIVE SUPERIOR SCIENCE-BASED SYSTEMS (EG. RENEWABLE ENERGY -- ELECTRIC VEHICLES..) OPPORTUNITIES TO PHASE IN C02-NEUTRAL LOW-FOOTPRINT DISTRIBUTION/ MANUFACTURE/ PRODUCTION METHODS THAT OPTIMIZE RESTORATION OF ESSENTIAL NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS.. NOW NOT LATER!

(Anything else insults us all -- & justifies the widespread panic & despair seen in areas already most affected by devastating global warming, eg. Australia) We are next if we don't get on it & ACT - NOT JUST DISCUSS..

[Since then, logging of BC's rare old-growth has continued.. Premier Horgan has broken his election promise to protect these ecosystems from logging (as predicted by many).. Wilderness Committee has estimated all but 1% of these precious forests have been ruthlessly clearcut.. & forestry giant Teal Jones has been allowed to bring an injunction against the brave forestry defenders blocking their destructive designs on the important Fairy Creek key ancient forest on Vancouver Island.. These are shocking times for BC on the brink of catastrophic climate change - & our govts. MUST step in & save these last intact habitats of 1,000s of species at risk of extinction (which the BCNDP also promised to work on legislating, crucial if our kids are going to thrive in a sustainable future)  If we don't work together to protect nature's health NOW, we're going to be in big trouble.. (i.e. Califerno's coming here next)]

Just for good measure, here's another comment i made on this same crucial issue..

In this perilous time of global-wide biodiversity loss & eco-degradation --on top of the cumulative GHGs emitted by logging & resultant loss of large valuable C02 sinks-- this recent rash of clear cuts (& subsequent threats to native wildlife habitats) is a dire sign that prov. Govts past & present have wilfully mismanaged BC's key natural resource, to the detriment iF NOT EXTINCTION of the many species dependant on these forests for their very survival. Including humans..

It is noT enough for politicians to pay lip service to critical policy changes needed now: the extreme severity of this unmitigated devastation wreaked by greedy industrial corps with no respect for nature's balance --ie. A huge & unconscionable dereliction of duty that's directly contributed to the climate 'emeRgency' that threatens our very EXISTENCE-- demands immediate & drastic corrective measures, eg. Curtailment of aLL clearcut logging & binding legislation restricting forestry in BC to sustainable 2nd-growth mgmt. & stringent protection of aLL old-growth forest ecosystems, as well as strict 'Protection of Trees' LAWS in every BC jurisdiction!!

But since the current BC govt. --like each one b4 it-- has clearly chosen NOT to act responsibly in the best interests of BC/ taxpayers, thereby exacerbating not preventing probable catastrophes arising from these criminal acts of rainforest deforestation, an emergency court/ panel needs to take over & enact these measures for them..

Drastic? Yes it is -- thanks to a century+ of governmental failure to protect BC's natural ecosystems, the health of which is key for survival & for future generations..

Govt. is obviously out of time required to save our life-supporting forests: despite increasing urgency of rising GHGs, diversity/habitat loss & degraded natural ecosystems threatening all dependent life forms, OUR GOVT. HAS FAILED TO TAKE ONE MITIGATING MEASURE TO OFFSET THESE LOOMING --SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN, INDUSTRY-CAUSED-- THREATS TO THE HEALTH & SAFETY OF ALL BC RESIDENTS!

In fact, our provincial govts past & present have done nothing but green-light dangerous/ polluting projects, encouraged massive environmental degradation by extractive industries & even subsidized high-profiting corps while taxing residents to destroy our forests/ ecosystems!?

If this is not a desperate CALL 4 IMMEDIATE LONG-OVERDUE INTERVENTION --from collective/ federal/ Supreme Court/ UN/ whatever forces more capable than prov. govt.-- to take action preventing further eco-ruin & to save BC's remaining ecosystems/ livelihoods, then WHAT IS?

'Veganic Fanaticism' VS. 'Brave New' Chemicalized Farming

My (as yet unapproved!?) comment (posted July 17th) on BillyGoat's article The (Vegan Ecological) Wasteland @ this link:

https://nowhere.news/index.php/2018/12/06/the-vegan-ecological-wasteland/

Saz-C says:

July 17, 2020 at 11:26 am

 

BillyGoat, you possess a particularly enticing writing style –-esp. your visceral descriptions placing yourself in the thick of a landscape where close contact with the earthy, heady ecology of ‘mixed farming’ inspires your most poetic efforts; ALL V. historic, raw & seductive —tinged with an old-timer’s wisdom of the land.. That is, until your brutally opinionated attempts to turn vegans/ vegetarians into the ‘misappropriated scapegoats for heart disease’ whom you blame for this ‘Brave New’ chemicalized monoculture of vegetable farming..

First, the knowledge that monocropping is an ‘ecologically malignant system’ is surely widespread among farmers (even non-farmers!) everywhere-!?That this most basic of farming fundamentals is ignored –-along with pollinator-starving herbicide spraying & other diabolical insults to key wilderness ecosystems-– has little to do with ‘veganic fanatics’ & more with corporate homogenization driven solely by profits & sales. Most vegans i know are among THE most conscious/ conscientious consumers of all –-at least in Canada, where vegans actively generate ‘continuous learning’ groups/ platforms to share info on ethically-sourced/ non-GMO/ organic/ regenerative farming (markets that continue to expand due to their efforts).

Suggesting vegans ‘unknowingly’ cause ‘degradation of soil fertility’ belie their core beliefs, which are rooted in compassion, evolution & science-forward learning —as opposed to corps laying waste to healthy ecosystems via mass applications of toxins to yield crop outputs & nothing more.. (& there’s NOTHING beneficial/ worthy about corps' undue influence on global food production/ security:  theiR scourge of the Earth needs to die out along with their murderous influence on the future of farming!)

While i empathize with your nostalgia for mixed farming’s magical symbiosis of yore (how can i not, given your expose of modern-day monocrops draining soils of their natural nitrogen-rich healthfulness?), I'm certain most vegans/ vegetarians would prefer to preserve that ‘ethereal relationship flowing between the soil, the crops, the livestock and the landscape’ than support monocropping -- iF the ‘livestock’ in question weren’t destined for inevitably violent, bloody ends on slaughterhouse assembly-lines bereft of an ounce of the compassion needed to bring that idyllic vision to life-!?

The reality today is that meat-eating has become such an aggrandized ‘staple’ in people’s diets that animal-protein-related diseases abound –-including heart disease & obesity.. & in Asian cultures, encroachment on wildlife habitats is widely affirmed to bring contagious pandemics like COVID-19 into human populations. And that’s nothing to ignore. Whereas, even the most small-scale farmers on the planet have learned that the oppressive 'Big 3' demands of modern corporate farming --fungicides, herbicides & pesticides-- are degrading healthy plants & soils with long-term harms such as acidification & pollinator wipeout, which could well NiX the idealized goal of global food security.. & herald worldwide famine instead..

Here on Canada’s west coast, my vegan peers bear no resemblance to youR mistaken IDs of blind but well-meant NAiFs.  So I must refute your view that vegans finagLed these sweeping veg-over-livestock revisions by making meat/ dairy 'the misappropriated scapegoats for heart disease'.  Being vegan myself, i know firsthand that veganism's core raison d'etre revolves not around myopic obsessions with human health --but rather, abhors the way humans have corrupted their innate Dominion over all non-human beings, & thus REJECTS & BOYCOTTS aLL cruelty & disrespect of those whom WE see as our EQUALS who deserve to live happy lives free from oppression by heartless 'humans' who treat them as objects to use & abuse at will, without any thought of their inmates' feelings/ desires..

So while vegans eschew the products of human-inflicted oppression --including animal-derived clothing, 'entertainment' et al-- we welcome all efforts to better animals' lives & ease their pain.  Sadly, the dynamics of yore --wherein humans may have taken to heart their roles as stewards respecting Mother Nature in taking from her what was needed to live (while replenishing that which was reaped--hence, 'SOW WHAT YE REAP') are mostly NO MORE..  Such lofty limits on human consumption/ exploitation, demanding CAREFUL BALANCE in managing nature's abundance, are RARE --if nonexistent-- in today's economics, wherein thoughtless acquisition/ extraction/ harvesting/ mining is the name of the game.. Sadly, it's a 'game' in which animals used for human consumption (of any kind) are condemned to unspeakable cruelty/ discomfort/ violence not of their choosing, from birth to death.  Veganism aims above all to create a world that respects nature's laws & frees all living beings from the misery of entitled human enslavement..

False characterization aside, being a vegan consumer in a largely non-vegan world entails witnessing --daily-- the suffering of those that long to be free of human tyranny (alongside much opportunity for improvement, which i create/ take when i can).. Residing in Canada means sharing this country with miles & miles of treeless prairie grasslands eaten up (literally) by beef cattle ranches providing fast-food outlets with their best-selling menu items –still, despite the growing trend of their meatless/ ‘plant-based’/ vegan burger sectors: {YUP} BeeF burgers..

So much for the runaway, tyrannical success of veganism flooding the globe..😔 YES, in a way you’re depressingly right about the viral ignorance of the consumer majority:  even during the most stringent lockdowns forced by COVID-19, they emerged in droves in single-driver bliss to line up end-to-end idling emissions at ubiquitous A&W/ BurgerKing/ McDonalds/ ETC. across North America in ‘social-distancing’ obedience with a renewed catatonia glazing over their short-lived eco-idealism that had so adrenalized NY’s 2020 with promises of rising collective Climate Action — only to be shot down by the sobering (almost freezing) new ‘normal’ of pandemic-paradigm rigidity. A giant PALL over ALL has STALLED the PROGRESS presumed to bring new hope for future gens with the influx of heartrendingly enthusiastic YOUTH to science-based Climate Activism. & THAT's a CRippLing SHAME..

TMX = ECO-RUIN eXposed..

        LeTTeR to GoVT

             (+ RepLies!)

To whit, here is my most recent letter vigorously outlining my opposition to building TMX -- followed by the personal response i received from one of the government recipients -- & ending with my response to thaT reply..

[All i can say is, MP Bardish Chagger's email confirmed my worst fears - that BigOil lobbyists have co-opted the favour of our public servants (GOVT!) to the point of bLinding them with historic (status quo) economic arguments that fail to take into account the human-caused 'climate crisis' (/eco-ruin) that demands global action & puts most existing resource-based industries into their own self-perpetuating category of (yes) OBSOLESCENCE.  Either global/ govt./industry leaders apply climate science - which proves global-wide deadly warming exacerbated by the cumulative GHGs of human-made resource development/ land use - & EVOLVE, i.e. ensure sustainability well into the future by transitioning a.s.a.p. away from harmful deforestation & fossil-fuel extraction/use into regenerative eco-management & renewable energy sources in aLL existing sectors.. OR we are guilty of exacerbating the extinction of all lifeforms already under way..

Accountability & responsible science-based practices must be legislated - rigorously enforced, noT optional - in order to reclaim a (thriving) future destiny for EVERYONE..

[ps. NOONE is suggesting taking away your beloved gas-powered trucks or shutting off your home's heating or reverting to horse-&-buggy transport -- but merely switching our power sources to non-polluting + non-GHG-emitting RENEWABLE energy.. ENDING DEFORESTATION & GOING SUSTAINABLE!  What's wrong with that?  You don'T want your kids to have a thriving future sans #EXTINCTION staring them in the face?  Get off your ignorance & join environmentalists & global populations demanding govts. QUIT subsidizing harmful climate change via BigOil/ billionaire polluters!!]

-----Original Message-----

Subject: Protect the climate: Stop pipelines.

Dear Ministers,

I am writing today as I feel strongly compelled to do the right thing & influence your office's decision vis-à-vis the TMX pipeline expansion project.  To ignore the extensive litany of drawbacks, eco-damage, exacerbation of already-dire degradation of coastal health/welfare and --possibly worst of all-- the certain extinction outcome for endangered wildlife species (to name just some of this project's assessed effects reported by your Energy Board), to allow this guaranteed disaster to proceed regardless would amount to a reckless disservice to Canadians, who count on your Govt. to protect our best interests and those of future generations:  your kids AND ours..

Canada is @ a terrifying crossroads -- our families' futures are in your hands.  Many of us fear the relentless lobbying/ pressure by polluting oil corps on a Govt. that has proven woefully weak in their moneyed midst, resulting in ongoing INACTION --i.e. NO REAL REMEDIES to this [CUMULATIVE] climate crisis!!?   How much longer can our Govt. reps sit complacently favouring fossil-fuel damages/risks, rising GHGs & status-quo stasis over desperately-needed legislation & proper initiatives to GO SUSTAINABLE (even in the throes of what is now officially a climate emergency)?

Aren't you ashamed of such disgraceful ineptitude by our Govt. 'leaders', having led us remorselessly to this tragic point?  We have just 11 years to cut our climate pollution BY HALF to avoid a climate catastrophe, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released last fall.. Canada’s climate is warming twice as fast as the global average, according to an Environment and Climate Change Canada report released last month.. Emissions from the oil sands are as much as 64% higher than oil companies have been telling us.. And Alberta just elected a Govt. whose platform openly rejected all notions of climate leadership, thus proving total irresponsible lack of integrity with no plans to cap tar sands' emissions..

We CANNOT keep making the same mistakes:  our Govt. must TAKE ACTION --NOW-- NOT JUST BY DECLARING A CLIMATE EMERGENCY BUT BY ACTING ON IT!  This is the only decision that makes sense to Canadians -- not because it's an option but because it's a necessity in an emergency.. People's livelihoods are at stake --fossil fuels have long been known as the main culprit-- and our Govt. must lead us into a thriving future by transitioning away from broken, harmful --OLD-- industries and implementing the science-based solutions such as renewable energy, biothermal plants, electric cars.. WE MUST DIVEST FROM FOSSIL FUELS --WHICH MEANS NO NEW OIL/GAS PROJECTS UNDERMINING ALL PRETENSE OF PROGRESS!?  If this is not patently obvious, then obviously polluters --the BigOil lobbyers-- have won over an ignorant, irresponsible Govt... and we Canadians need to change leadership for competent, forward-looking & responsible leaders who will DO THE RIGHT THING FOR CANADIANS AND VOTE IN THE GREEN PARTY.  We cannot afford to wait for Extinction to take over before we enact the changes we need to go sustainable!?  Only two things will rebuild your Govt.'s legitimacy on climate change:

1. Declare a climate emergency
2. Halt all new and proposed oil and gas projects, including the Trans Mountain pipeline/ TMX pipeline expansion project.

The expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline would increase shipments of oil by 590,000 barrels a day. That’s an additional 86 million tonnes of downstream greenhouse gas emissions every year. If this figure is new to you, it may be because in February, the National Energy Board refused to study the full life-cycle global warming effects of the pipeline.  86 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions is the equivalent of an additional 13 million cars on the road, or 75 million acres of forest loss. And certain extinction of the west coast orca whales, an iconic native wildlife species..

In this important election year, you must do the right thing by declaring a climate emergency and halting the Trans Mountain (TMX) pipeline expansion, along with all new and proposed fossil fuel projects. It’s the only way to re-establish your government’s --CANADA'S-- legacy/ legitimacy..


Thank you,

Sarah Chesterman

From: Bardish.Chagger@parl.gc.ca
Sent: July 30, 2019 8:33 AM

Subject: RE: Protect the climate: Stop pipelines.

Dear Ms. Chesterman,
Thank you for taking the time to write to me and to share your position. I appreciate hearing from constituents as it allows me to better represent all voices. Your position has been noted. Would you please provide your complete address for our records?
We committed to making real change happen in this country and to grow the middle class. We also committed to building a real plan to protect our environment and fight climate change. We have been clear from day one, the environment and the economy must go together. We believe these goals are not irreconcilable; rather, they are complementary.
TMX solves a core economic challenge facing our country and will support the transition.
In the 21st century, you need to have a plan for the environment, and a plan for the economy. We passed a government motion declaring a climate emergency. We have spent the last four years doing more for our environment than any other government in Canadians history. It is no longer free to pollute in Canada. At the same time, by investing in Canadians, we have created over one million new jobs, lifted 825,000 people out of poverty, and have the lowest unemployment rate on record.
I understand you’re disappointed with the decision to expand our resources to new markets. Currently, 99% of our conventional energy resources are sold to one market – the United States – at a large discount. We need to diversify our markets in order to get a fair price for the products we sell. It does not make environmental or economic sense to sell any resource at a discount. Instead, we will use the extra earnings to fund a clean energy transition.
As the Prime Minister publicly stated, every dollar the federal government earns from this project will be invested to help fund things like electrification projects, investments in renewable resources, and efforts to transition Indigenous communities off diesel-power. Additional corporate tax revenue alone could be around $500 million per year once the project is up and running.
In order to transport our resources across the country, we know that pipelines are much safer than shipping them by rail. By moving forward with TMX, we are creating jobs, diversifying markets, accelerating our clean energy transition, and opening new avenues for Indigenous economic prosperity.
According to former Supreme Court Justice Frank Lacobucci, who was brought in to oversee the consultation process, he said, “The Crown has remedied the defects in consultation identified by the Federal Court of Appeal and has meaningfully consulted with potentially-affected Indigenous groups.”
This decision was based on the confidence that:
-strong environmental protections are in place, and that the effects of the project can be mitigated through conditions and recommendations outlined by the National Energy Board (NEB), as well as measures including the historic $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan and the national climate plan.
-consultations with Indigenous peoples involved meaningful, two-way dialogue, which fulfilled the legal duty to consult and helped identify new accommodation measures and conditions to appropriately address concerns expressed by Indigenous communities.
I too am committed to cleaner future for our kids and grandkids and a greener economy that supports that future. I really do believe we can do both, in a way that it is sustainable. We just cannot afford to lose anymore inches. I would like to reassure you that I will do everything I can to ensure that does not happen. We have a lot more work to do and I am committed to helping to do it.

Sincerely,

Bardish
Office of the Hon. Bardish Chagger
Member of Parliament for Waterloo
360-100 Regina Street South
Waterloo, ON N2J 4P9
519.746.1573

My Reply:_____________________________________
From: Sarah Chesterman
Sent: Aug 14, 2019 8:33 AM

Dear Bardish,

Thank you for responding to my heartfelt letter with such an illuminating explanation of your government’s position on this crucial issue, which affords me unprecedented insight into the wilful refusal of Canada’s elected politicians to be guided/informed by our country’s most forward-thinking experts in the fields of science pertaining to the climate emergency which the Prime Minister recently announced is already upon us..

You have no idea how discouraging it is to find that, beyond this recent public announcement thereof, our own governing bodies possess SCANT EXPERTISE IN DEALING EFFECTIVELY WITH THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS – I.E. LITTLE ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE of what exactly is entailed or meant by this very serious event known as CLIMATE EMERGENCY – I.E. DESPITE ITS URGENCY, THERE HAS BEEN NO EFFORT ON THE PART OF OUR POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES TO PROPERLY DEFINE ITS CAUSES, IMPLICATIONS, REASONS ETC. IN RELATION TO – OR TO ENGAGE WITH-- ADVANCED SCIENCE ON THIS KEY ISSUE!?  YET THE PUBLIC IS EXPECTED TO TRUST IN ITS GOVERNMENT’S INTEGRITY IN TACKLING SAID EMERGENCY-!?

Given our country’s historic lack of public consultation/transparency affecting governance from the time of confederation, to the point that our basic K-12 schooling failed to inform us Canadians about the real truths about Canada’s early foundations – eg. such influential (yet untaught) events as indigenous disempowerment/ reservation/ treatment of natives at the time of first contact!  I myself have learned these shameful facts only SINCE –I.E. AFTER—MY SCHOOLED EDUCATION (as one of the apparent few interested enough to research such critical information).. And now, at this most critical juncture that is now an EMERGENCY THANKS TO THE INACTION OF GOVERNMENTS PAST, your government has clearly done Canadians YET ANOTHER DISSERVICE by withholding the undeniable science dominating the issue of climate change & WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR ALL CANADIANS – FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, MINIMUM~!

Without evidence of our leaders’ informed understanding of the global CLIMATE CRISIS & its many implications, your assurances/ measures/ plans purported to ‘mitigate’ its worst effects & pacify your [complacent, docile] public FAIL AT THE OUTSET TO PROVE THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS UP TO THE TASK OF ANSWERING THE MOST BASIC FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ‘CLIMATE EMERGENCY’ -- let alone tackle the very real consequences of its worst effects..

For starters, the points in your letter HAVE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT MY VERY REAL –AND VALID—CONCERNS & FACTS, AS EXPRESSED IN MY LETTER..  I.E. you fail to address the most prominent dangers inherent in the climate emergency that’s upon us, which are the SAME DANGERS INHERENT & MOST PROMINENTLY PRODUCED BY THE TMX PROJECT (I.E. Increased emissions/ fossil-fuel extraction, increased ecosystem destruction, wildlife extinction etc...)  Which only confirms, with even greater urgency, the relevancy of those fears –EG. THE ITEMIZED INCREASES OF DANGEROUS EMISSIONS WHICH WOULD DIRECTLY ARISE FROM THE BUILDING OF THE TMX DISASTER—SINCE THIS TMX PLANNED PROJECT WILL CLEARLY EXACERBATE THE MOST PRESSING ELEMENTS DRIVING CLIMATE CHANGE!  
Naturally, this points to the UTTER INADEQUACY OF ALL THAT YOUR LETTER CONTAINS –OF ALL DECISIONS & MEASURES OF YOUR GOVERNMENT’S ATTEMPT TO ‘DEAL WITH’ THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY, WHEN THEY ARE THE POLAR OPPOSITE OF WHAT IS REQUIRED TO MITIGATE THESE DANGERS AND THUS GUARANTEE OUR COUNTRY’S WOEFUL INADEQUACY TO PROTECT CANADIANS’ BEST INTERESTS THEREIN.

If you re-read my letter properly, taking in the exact same facts that must have been available to your government from the outset on which the PM would have based his decision to announce the climate emergency to Canada, you will understand why your letter fails in every respect to reassure me of your abilities & sincerity in rising to the pressing occasion with any integrity..

[Naturally, I am terrified at the prospect of your government’s leadership stumbling ineptly into the emergency & fueling its very fires to the inevitable disastrous outcome..]

In disgust & fear,

SARAH CHESTERMAN