BC needs to REJECT Tilbury LNG!

In case you haven't heard, the BC govt. is considering a proposal by FortisBC to build new expanded LNG infrastructure @ Tilbury LNG -- another fraught political megaproject that promises increased shipping for the fracked gas along with risky methane emissions & outsize GHGs, as well as exacerbated Climate imbalance -- right between densely populated Richmond & Vancouver, on the Fraser River's threatened habitat of our last few orca & salmon populations.  While the public commenting period is over, the govt's decision is delayed -- so you can still express your opposition to this disastrous project thru StandEarth's letter page.. Click link:  

Tell the BC government to reject the Tilbury LNG jetty (stand.earth)

Here's my own edited letter -- unapologetically lengthy!  Cuz this BC govt needs to WAKE out of its corporate-captured fog & realize exactly what's being proposed by Tilbury LNG..

Dear {contact_data~salutation}{contact_data~lastName},

As a B.C. resident I am appalled that you & your government continue to ignore the overwhelming mass of evidence of the disastrous impacts that will -- not might -- result from approving the Tilbury LNG expansion project, for which this new tanker dock ('Jetty') awaits your immediate permission to ruin BC's future.

How is it that, having received reams of detailed expert opposition to this project's undeniable harms, your govt has not already rejected this proposal & denied FortisBC permits to build another ecocidal monument to climate catastrophe? 

I am tempted to reassert here -- again -- Tilbury LNG's significant cumulative effects & fundamental flaws (including:  Project splitting, Failure to address GHG targets, Methane emissions 86X deadlier than C02, Economic viability incl. dearth of data thereof, Marine shipping impacts incl. likely extinction of southern resident killer whales & salmon populations, Impacts on Indigenous rights & title incl. non-adherence to UNDRIP...) but blah blah right?  You've already read -- & apparently decided to ignore -- the numerous persuasive public comments detailing these ills, including my own posted input, on your govt.'s Tilbury LNG web page.

No, it's clear what you need to read -- not reported by our captured corporate media -- addresses your govt's baseless hopes that future LNG sales will justify BC's expanded natural gas production... & your repeated claims -- echoed by PM Justin Trudeau -- that BC produces “the world’s cleanest natural gas.”

*  *  *

The fiction of BC producing clean fossil fuel originated with Premier Christy Clark’s Liberals -- a claim as dishonest as the one about LNG rewarding the province with one trillion dollars in a “BC Prosperity fund.”  I.E. irrefutably FALSE...

National Geographic examined “the cleanest liquefied natural gas in the world” & concluded it was a hypothetical notion repeatedly promised by political leaders to build public support for the fossil fuel.. Quoted here:

"There’s no such thing as “clean natural gas.” It’s a fossil fuel, and it releases climate-disrupting greenhouse gases all the way up and down the chain of production, from the wellhead to the burners on your stovetop or in your furnace.

"This is especially true for LNG. In order to ship it, energy companies must first chill the gas to -160°C (-256°F) in giant coastal plants that are essentially industrial-size freezers. The process consumes vast quantities of energy. After it’s shipped across the sea, companies then return the LNG to its gaseous state before shipping it off to customers.

"Because of these extra steps, LNG carries a whopper of an energy and carbon footprint compared to unadulterated natural gas." [End National Geographic quote]

*  *  *

Both natural gas producers & transportation companies conceal the true climate impact of LNG. The New York Times reported that shipping produces as much C02 as all of America’s coal plants combined. The newspaper explained why regulation of shipping emissions by the powerful International Maritime Organization (IMO) is so ineffective:

"The I.M.O. is a regulatory body that is run in concert with the industry it regulates. Shipbuilders, oil companies, miners, chemical manufacturers and others with huge financial stakes in commercial shipping are among the delegates appointed by many member nations. They sometimes even speak on behalf of governments…

"Next week, the organization is scheduled to enact its first greenhouse gas rules since Paris — regulations that do not cut emissions, have no enforcement mechanism and leave key details shrouded in secrecy…

"Although some suggest LNG powered ships could moderate transportation harm, the International Council on Clean Transportation determined there is no climate benefit from tankers burning LNG, regardless of ship engine technology." [End New York Times quote]

*  *  *

The Natural Resources Defense Council states:

"Historically, gas has been considered a “bridge fuel”— cleaner and with lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal or oil— and a potential tool to help address climate change.

"However, LNG is neither clean nor particularly low in emissions. In addition, the massive investments in new infrastructure to support this industry, including pipelines, liquefaction facilities, export terminals, and tankers, lock in fossil fuel dependence, making the transition to actual low-carbon and no-carbon energy even more difficult.

"Our analysis shows that using LNG to replace other, dirtier fossil fuels, is not an effective strategy to reduce climate-warming emissions..." [End NRDC quote]

*  *  *

Your govt. is therefore considering inflicting a dirty polluting megaproject on hapless Lower Mainland residents, which will undoubtedly cause health problems & bring deadly risks into the lives of already-stressed BCers.  How grossly unfair..

Clearly, FortisBC don't care!

You must also realize that the EAO has taken steps to ignore clear evidence of project splitting & has accepted unsubstantiated & misleading representations made by FortisBC about the supposed climate benefits of the Jetty.

I implore you to take into account all of the information before you, to arrive at the only decent decision:  for all these reasons, Tilbury LNG (& this Jetty) should be assessed as NOT in the public interest & should be denied all permits. 

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Sarah (Saz) Chesterman

PS. For more complete & updated info about methane, check out this article on Norm Farrell's excellent 'In-Sights' blog:

in-sights.ca/2022/02/08/economic-interests-rank-higher-than-human-life/

Time's running out for systemic changes to make aLL BC sectors eco-safe & sustainable -- not just talk about 'Just Transition' while pushing status quo, as BC NDP & BC Liberal Party do (& BC Conservative Party treat #ClimateAction like the joke THEY are). In case you didn't notice, the BC Green Party -- led by Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley -- is the sole entity to consistently hold Govt. to task on its #ClimateAction failures, proving she & her Greens work tirelessly for US & not wealthy corps driven solely by profits. So Sonia & Co. deserve our support -- & esp. our VOTES -- for the chance to deliver Greens' Science-backed V I S I O N for #RealReconciliation & the sustainable future we aLL want!! So E M E R G E from your #MSM-fed FOG & learn the DISCONCERTING TRUTH of the BC Govt's 150 years of abrogation of duty, bigotry & malfeasance--->that still prevails today with ecocidal policies that promise only fast-tracked Climate disasters (heat domes, wildfires➕➕) boosted by increasingly corporate-aligned press. Despite #MSM's baseless derision, the BC Green Party stands out with the integrity & smarts to lead BC out of this mess & transition to a livable, prosperous future for every BCer: Science says so, & science doesn'T lie..🐸🐛🐝🦉

🤞

ReViLing TMX's Risky Re-Up

I did - & you can too, thru Dogwood at this link:

 https://dogwoodbc.ca/petitions/pipelines-not-essential/

(It's important we communicate with Govt. any way we can - calling, letters etc. - because it has an impact.. esp. when you join organizations that are direct-dialled to their offices, like Dogwood & Stand.Earth & many other good people making a difference to bring about a better future for everyone!)

It's also recommended you add your own comments, for extra impact!  Here are mine added to this letter expressing dismay at govt's ill-timed & misguided reopening of COVID-rife work camps in BC:

I'm hugely disappointed in our govts - provincial & federal - for their utter hypocrisy in favouring polluting corporate interests over Canadians' health & wellbeing.  COVID-19 has only heighTened this dangerous disconnect between policy & practice, as leaders like yourself continue to endanger our communities by advancing the policies & projects proven to exacerbate catastrophic climate change/ eco-harms:  i.e. the VERY ACTIVITIES YOUR GOVT. URGENTLY NEEDS TO CURTAIL!!?

Trans Mountain - along with LNG Canada & Old-growth logging - rates among our WORST EVER eco-disasters-in-the-making, guaranteed to drive our native Orcas to extinction & our GHGs through the roof.  Advancing construction of this deadly project - AGAINST key climate/ environmental/ public concerns - threatens us ALL..

Building new pipelines at this stage - i.e. the end of the polluting 'oil era' - cannot possibly be classified as an 'essential service'(!!?)  Doing so makes a mockery of our climate goals & any COVID-related public health measures:  SHAME!

[K guess what?  THIS  is the comment added to that petition.. NOT the comment I submitted to the --yes!!?-- BC Govt in response to their call for public comment on their "Reconsideration" "report" -- which is official, so i upped the ante.. then my phone died & I thought I hadn't copied it.. so the post just after THIS one is my final submission - totally rewritten - as it turns out, I hadn'T properly contained the topic to their specifics --which my final comment DID, after reading all their bs palaver - so why shouldn't MY input be just as long?.. Anyway it all panned out, as they say..]

(Hopefully they'll include it, attached links & all, which are jusT as relevant to my words.. I'll add em when I have a sec to spare ok??  Cheers!)

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

HeLp me SAVE THESE SPECIAL TOADS!

(Letter to Govt)

Written with Wilderness Committee's letter-writing tool --you can write one too! --here:  

Wilderness Committee -TAKE ACTION for TOADS!l

Photo from WildernessCommittee.org

my letter:

TO: Nakusp Mayor & Councillors, Premier Horgan, Minister Heyman, Minister Donaldson, Minister Beare, Mr. Andrew Weaver

RE: PLEASE PROTECT SPECIAL TOAD HABITAT!

Dear Madam/Sirs,

I was so very dismayed to learn of plans for more logging to take place at Summit Lake, home to the largest population of western toads in the world. Every summer thousands visit to watch baby toads migrate from the lake where they are born to the forest they spend their lives in. In fact the BC government once called it “one of the greatest wildlife migrations in the world”.

I recently learned that the Nakusp & Area Community Forest Company (NACFOR) has cut some core toad habitat for timber in recent years. These new cuts could easily endanger these famous toads --& I cannot stand for that to happen!

I am still reeling from this terrible news, as I am shocked you would allow this iconic species to die out due to destruction of their habitat for a one-time profit grab! This shows a very UN-CANadian disrespect of our iconic, precious native wildlife - especially in light of recent exposés on BC's ruthless & unsustainable logging policies. This obsolete attitude is the very antithesis of what we want to honour here in beautiful BC, & i find it unacceptable.

I am asking you today to please set aside a minimum of 670 hectares of this prime wildlife habitat instead of cutting it for timber. The toads rely on intact forest habitat across Highway 6 from Summit Lake, where they migrate & spend 97% of their lives: losing this unique endangered living species would be an unmitigated ecological tragedy that your decision noT to log could prevent! The Wilderness Committee of BC states:
"We ask that no more logging occurs in the 670 Ha of NACFOR’s tenure that has been research-identified as core terrestrial toad habitat. This small area is 'Species at Risk' habitat.. As of 2018 over $800,000 has already been invested to prevent toad deaths on Highway 6, which cuts off Summit Lake from adult toad forest habitat.."

Please: Let’s not waste this investment by recklessly destroying toad habitat across the highway! Many thousands of people would be utterly destroyed by such a callous, careless action..

These world-renowned toads are responsible for Toad Fest, a raging ecotourism success drawing thousands of visitors each year. This event alone can provide sustainable economic opportunity in the growing sector of ecotourism if the native toad population is preserved, being the largest of its kind for this species..

This forest is also home to wild grizzly bears, great blue herons, couer d’Alene salamanders & other species at risk. Protecting its rich biodiversity is a critical imperative, if we are to survive this global crisis let alone thrive -- which isn't likely if we keep logging the healthy forests & wilderness areas that sustain us!?

Instead of irresponsibly cutting down this forest & undermining all cherished values except the one-off sale of timber (which in my opinion would be criminal given the global state of things due to deforestation etc), Nakusp should respect its native local wildlife species & preserve their important habitat, thereby facilitating peaceful enjoyment of this favourite tourist spot for decades to come..

As the sole owner of NACFOR, Nakusp can choose not to log & instead be key conservation partners going forward: this option is preferable for everyone -- except perhaps the habitat destroyers, the logging co's that have unsustainably raped too much of BC for far too long. We cannot afford to lose more carbon-sinking forests, or drive more wild species to extinction..
Enough is enough: a climate emergency is underway, & Canada's performance so far has been shameful at best -- ie. our destructive resource-mgmt methods have contributed to this 'climate crisis' - & we must transition to liveable, sustainable methods that protect remaining healthy ecosystems from harm - for future generations at the very least..

Please do the right thing & protect these toads from unnecessary habitat destruction!

Thank you very much.

Sarah Chesterman
Maple Ridge, BC

Powered by Ne



& some nice.after-effects *beam*

Original message------

From: Charlotte Dawe

Date: Thu, Jul 4, 2019 8:09 PM

To: Sarah Chesterman

Subject:Thanks for being a toad person 🐸

Thank you for speaking up for the toads, Sarah! You are an awesome “toad person” whether this is your first or fifth action to protect species at risk in BC.
Please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity for action:
Post to Facebook ►Share on Twitter ►Share by email ►

------ Original message------

From: SaRaHC. .

Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2019 10:06 PM

To: Charlotte Dawe;

Cc:

Subject:Re: Thanks for being a toad person 🐸

Awesome Charlotte, & thanks for the copy of my letter!  I am honoured..🐸 --& as always, i'll keep sharing & writing..

This iS THE most important work I do sooo-- I'll see all campaigns thRu.. come what may!  One thing's sure:  we're on the right side, with more people-power added daily to quash the evil dunderheads who think they'll always get by on their disinformation, lies & pollution that'll topple them all in the end, exposing their ACTUAL hold on things.. 

(I've no doubt it's less than we believed, & disengaging from polluters will ROLL once the tidal wave of CLEAN GREEN BETTER WAYS defeats their toxic ops -- hopefully before aLL forests are felled & extinction has set in..)

Together we wiLL make it happen!

Guess our biggest challenge is our own Govt that gets away with shirking their sworn duties to us people, in favour of pandering to the evil corporate forces that control them.  We'll prevail --we must!-- by (finally) learning from 1st Nations, our rightful leaders from the start..

Cheers!! Keep me posted please..💚

SARAH CHESTERMAN

Sent from my Mobile

------ 

LetteR 2 BC GovT: PROTECT SKAGiT VALLEY! [UPDaTed]

KEY UPDATES ON THIS HEINOUS PROPOSAL:
The Narwhal: Coalition Determined to Save Skagit Valley
&
The Narwhal: U.S. Senators to BC: Clean Up Your Mining Mess!

To write your own letter, use this LINK:
Wilderness Committee's tool to save Skagit Valley from logging


Here's my letter (sent to Premier Horgan & MLAs)

I am writing to express my horror upon learning of BC Timber Sales' plans to log in Silverdaisy Valley & in 26 Mile Valley this year.  This is devastating news for one of BC's most biodiverse ecosystems & key conservation imperatives..

Both of these valleys, the areas being targeted, encompass beautiful old-growth forests within the Donut Hole (surrounded by Manning & Skagit provincial parks) which contain critically endangered species' habitats & provide clear clean water to the Skagit River system, renowned for its abundant wild fish populations.  Logging this thriving ecosystem --one of the last old-growth forests in BC's interior-- would have calamitous effects on all living species in this area & beyond..

More than ever now, as our survival depends on Nature-friendly non-violent activities, we have a duty to uphold our responsibilities as stewards of the land (per our Constitution) by protecting wildlife & their habitats from severe human-caused degradation which cannot be mitigated.

I am asking the BC government to act now to cancel current AND future logging plans in Silverdaisy & 25 Mile valleys, to place the entire Donut Hole off-limits to logging.. & to extinguish ALL logging & mining tenure in the Skagit watershed immediately.

Please uphold BC's best interests & First Nations Reconciliation with a public show of faith by LEGISLATING protection of the Skagit watershed & surrounding lands, ASAP, to instate a critical addition to BC’s protected area system supporting Manning & Skagit Provincial Parks.  Our future depends on retaining such protective zones to avoid dire loss of biodiversity & critical eco-health, as well as honoring previous agreements with Washington re. groundwater health.

It cannot be stressed enough, strong legislation protecting this important WILDLIFE HABITAT from all forms of development is required by the BC Govt. immediately, in order to ensure reversal of any & all pending destruction via logging--> water pollution etc.

SAVING OUR FORESTS & WILDLIFE HABITAT IS CRUCIAL TO BC's SUSTAINABLE FUTURE:  please prioritize conservation & protection of this key BC wilderness, before it is too late.  Time is of the essence with this urgent initiative!

Thank you very much.

Wildlife 'KILLING CONTESTS': W.T.F. BC? (Letter 2 Minister Donaldson)

I am sick to death of being bombarded by local newscasts featuring the most heinous, repellant activities with provoking indifference, adding insult to injury by interviewing the participants thereof more often than the experts who have dedicated their careers/ lives to in-depth studies of impactful relevance today.  Have fearmongering & sensationalism replaced the tenets of good Journalism as BC's media standard? Or is our trajectory into EVIL hastening our demise, by our media's blasé disrespect toward life itself?

The latest assault on everyone's sense of decency & peace of mind --not to mention deeply upsetting to children who are sensitive to such horrific violence-- are depraved groups who openly carry out & promote 'Wolf wacking', ie. egregious 'Wildlife KILLING CONTESTS'!?  Such blatant harbingers of hatred' make my blood boiL --doubtless due to the inexplicable AIRTIME somehow allotted these murdering creeps, to promote mass killings of the wildlife we are beholden to cherish & protect!?  NO:  this shit is THE depth of wilful depravity/ignorance & the opposite of values we hold dear here.  I don'T want to hear the views of sadistic sickos who revel in bloodsports -- i need to know such disrespect for life will not go on unchecked -- & those involved in/ perpetrating these heinous crimes do NOT deserve to operate freely in BC!

Thankfully, thru the LeadNow group of caring activists i took the opportunity to use their easy letter-writing tool to impart my strong feelings on this topic to the BC Minister of Forests Doug Donaldson -- @ this email, if you are compelled to email him yourself (please do) -- FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca


Minister Donaldson,

I am writing this with a heavy heart, having lately been inundated with overwhelming proof  my provincial Govt doesn'T care about its public (ie. those whose best interests you promised under oath to protect & serve).

Nevertheless i must express my deep concern at the recent gross preponderance of BC news exposing sadistic & un-Canadian acts of violence toward our native wildlife -especially the sickening 'killing contests that defy all sense of decency/ respect.  What appalls me most, Minister Donaldson, is youR publicly casual dismissal of these activities, as if remotely acceptable!?  They are noT.

These contests embody gratuitous violence against defenceless animals, have no cultural linkage or science-based purpose & are thus pure bloodsport threatening the lives of BC’s most beloved wildlife.  BCers CANNOT & WILL NOT CONDONE psychotic delight in killing our wild animals!! (Isn't this a given?)

Doesn't this disrespect of Cdns' lifelong caring/duty towards wildlife (as outlined in our Constitution) TELL YOU SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG HERE?  WHY DO YOU CONDONE WHAT OBVIOUSLY OFFENDS OUR LOVE OF THE WILDLIFE WE ARE BOUND TO PROTECT?  DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN SUCH HATE TOWARDS INDEFENSIBLE WILD ANIMALS, MINISTER DONALDSON?

IF as you say these disgusting killing contests run by murdering haters are perfectly legal, then as a lawmaker you must UPDATE THE LAW to ban them ASAP!

Please do the right thing immediately, in keeping with your position as a lawmaker/ leader/ public servant..

Thank you.

Letter to Govt via Nature.com

You can write a letter too, @ this link:
NATURE.COM

Here's mine (cuz i care):


Dear Premier Rachel Notley and the Bighorn Country consultation team,

I’m writing you to express my grave concern for the future you wish to build --ie. Honing status-quo [harmful] fossil-fuel developmemt & tar sands expansion:  We are at a crossroads where protecting old-growth forests & wildlife habitat is critical to our future existence -- noT destroying them to make room for more of what is killing us, ie. the cumulative CO2, GHGs & pollution exacerbated by fossil fuel extraction, fracking, tar sands etc..

I am asking you, for the sake of all our futures, to stop supporting deadly polluting projects -- & instead support the creation of a new provincial park to protect Bighorn Country. I believe we need a Wildland Provincial Park designation in the area that prioritizes wildlife habitat and responsible recreation.

The current proposed park boundaries, from Banff and Jasper National parks in the west to the Forestry Trunk Road in the east, are the best way to safeguard the area from development pressure and protect species-at-risk like Grizzlies, Bull Trout and Wolverines. Preserving our wild rivers, forests and mountains is a legacy for all Canadians, & ought to be your govt's top priority -- rather than honing yet more building/mines for polluting tar sands development/ expansion :  THAT is unacceptable today given the tenuous climate we are facing, along with Canada's pledged goals thereto, largely caused by the ravages of unsustainable industries - e.g.. forestry, fossil fuels, mining - on our environment, health & our very future..

Thank you for listening, & for prioritizing this important project.  Real Canadians care about our parks & wilderness, & we take our job as stewards of the land seriously.  We can no longer keep ignoring the toxic wasteland that's replaced carbon-sequestering oxygen-rich forests/ wilderness by the tar sands industry:  ie.   ie. A mega-calamity that will (& already has) put us in dire straits vis-a-vis emissions targets, future prosperity  & renewable-energy goals if allowed to grow unchecked:  that's not climate action!

What we need now is real leadership - ie. helping us transition into thriving sustainability, of which protecting wildlife & their habitat is a key part.
Please protect Alberta wilderness by creating this new provincial park - which will not replace the precious old-growth forest further north, e.g.. The Boreal - along with the legislation/ policies to ensure their protection.

Yes it's time for our leaders to focus on strengthening Canada's wilderness/wildlife protection laws, which are a woeful testament to years of stodgy old-boy politics preoccupied largely with corrupt wealth accumulation of the few &  unsustainable resource mgmt instead of building a prosperous thriving province for all.  Please don't be another backward economic-growth-addicted self-serving premier leading this province into ruin at the expense of our natural environment's health, upon which our own depends:  we cannot afford such idiocy at this critical point..

Yours sincerely,

Sarah (Saz) Chesterman
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Letter to PM re. #StopKM (via 350.org)

The fight to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline from being built is going strong as KM hurls toward their May 31st deadline to decide.  WE Cdns are cringing @ Justin Trudeau (ouR own PM!) desperately offering to bail out the Big Oil giant with billion$ of PUBLIC DOLLARS!  Disgusting.. (He's supposed to be on OUR SIDE!)

Here's what the pipeline is expected to support: (Expansion  of Tar Sands!)
Rainforest Rescue petition

THRU 350.ORG I wrote this letter to PM Trudeau:


PM Trudeau: Bailing out the Kinder Morgan pipeline = Canada's RUIN

Like many Canadians who wanted to 'Stop Harper', I was hopeful for a fresh, gReeneR way when you were elected Prime Minister.  What Canadian wasn'T excited about a platform that promised reaL action on climate change, reaL Reconciliation with First Nations & an end to fossil fuel subsidies?  Like the rest of the world, we've been waking up to the horrors humans conTinue to  inflict on our environment --& our future.  Science confirmed results of its most in-depth research on the past century of industry on the natural systems on which all life on Earth depends to live --30 years ago-- & we cannnoT aFFoRd to continue clearcutting life-sustaining forests & poisoning our air, earth & water by prevailing unsustainable means of agriculture, energy, industry, manufacturing ET AL..

We're now @ a critical crossroads --& YOU are the leader Canadians elected to take us out of the polluted darkness into the lighT:  AWAY from corporate-sponsored, unlimited (+ unlivable)  'convenience'/ 'growth'/ pollution/ profiTs/ waste.. & TOWARD livable, sustainable processes that put requisite RENEWAL/SOWING back into aLL WE REAP --before it's too late..

WE CANNOT ACCEPT that your government now wants to use biLLion$ of public dollars to build a massive climate-disturbing pipeline that supports toxic Tar-Sands expansion, withouT Indigenous consent!???

WE ARE DEPENDING ON YOU, JUSTIN TRUDEAU & Co., to act in OUR best interests & serve YOUR public as promised!  If you continue to back this destructive project, you wiLL LOSE THE RESPECT, SUPPORT & TRUST OF THE CANADIAN PUBLIC..

OUR EYES ARE OPEN:  this generation is NOT FOOLED BY YESTERDAY'S STATUS-QUO/ BIG-BIZ BS:  OUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE STARTS NOW --by transitioning out of Climate-warming GHG-emitting processes like deforestation & fossil-fuel extraction/ use into renewable-energy innovation & reduced-footprint sustainability-- OR NEVER.. (Please DO NOT let us down!)


You can write a letter too -- @ this link:
Act.350.org/letter/no-big-oil-bailout/#action-

STEPS to SUCCESSFUL ACTIVISM

Being an activist, participant & supporter of many grassroots campaigns (successful & not), the blow of losing the #StopSiteCDam fight despite strong campaign & overwhelming support has weighed heavily. Time to step up my game --& that of fellow activists-- & prioritize WINNING causes/fights we believe in! Borrowing heavily from the huge volume of advice on the timely topic, i've started this Work In Progress - a 'must-do' list:

●(Feb.14) To offset Site C disappointment & celebrate a long-awaited victory re. Prosperity Mine's rejection (Article: Taseko Loses Court Battle Over New Prosperity Mine), I'm adding this one at the top of list:  PERSEVERANCE.. along with a link to my original letter to CEAA (ya it's good.. & long!) with strong arguments opposing Taseko's first bid for Prosperity Mine: Letter to CEAA: Prosperity Mine

●Face-to-face
You can write all the scathing tweets & heartfelt FB posts you want, but the truth is rhetoric rarely persuades. The way to change minds is through face-to-face engagement. This is what President Obama meant when he said he won Iowa in 2008 because he “spent 87 days going to every small town, fair, fish fry & VFW hall.” Similarly, progress on LGBT rights has not been made just because of eloquent arguments, but because of all the many personal interactions between straight people & their gay friends, neighbors & colleagues.

●Listen & Learn
Talk to those around you; actively hear their stories & learn how the issue affects their lives. By listening, you show the fight isn't just about you --  & you build relationships & trust.  History has shown lasting change is made collectively not individually, by groups/communities with a common belief at their core & a bond of trust among participants.

●Simplify
The more complicated a strategy or tactic, the harder it is to carry out, and the less likely it'll be successful. You can ask a few people to do a lot of things, particularly if they’re committed activists. If you want hundreds or thousands to participate in a campaign, you need to ask the majority of them to do just one thing @ a time, together.

●Common interest
Most people are motivated primarily by self-interest. As a creative community organizer, you must try to figure out people’s common self-interest, the glue that binds political organizations & movements. (Eg. Huge wave of support against our City Council's plan to shut down Insite is what kept Insite open in the end.)

●Create a clear goal
One of the greatest reasons for the DAP protesters’ success was the adherence to a clearly outlined goal & reasons for it:  ie. do not construct this pipeline, as it will infringe upon sacred sites & jeopardize Native Americans’ necessary water supplies

●Social media
Social media has expanded membership bases & enlarged participant pools by proving itself to be a constant means of spreading news & gaining supporters.

●Diversity
The key to any movement’s success is variety in its participants. Because DAP hosted everyone from Vietnam vets to Lissa Yellowbird-Chase (Murdoch-Crane’s guide through the encampment) to multiple sectors, it boasted the multiplicity in its membership that ensured success.

●Connect with other groups
While we usually notice successful movements after they have begun to attract large crowds & hold massive demonstrations, those are effects, not causes, of successful mobilization. It is when small groups connect --which has become exponentially easier in the digital age-- that they gain their power.

So like, STOP the fucking Seal Hunt NOW!?

[First, the FACTS - please read:
http://liberationbc.org/issuescat/the-canadian-seal-hunt/ ]

Second - SO U know:  i'm a diehard activist/ animal-rights advocate/ 'Earth-warrior'/ eco-activist whose first forays into activism over a decade ago began with the Stop Canada's Seal Hunt campaign -- which i've been actively supporting ever since.. (Doesn't say much for my activist's skills i realize.. but I'm still learning - ALWAYS learning!) but this issue has almost every activist/citizen/animal-lover STUMPED: WHY IS THIS DISGUSTINGLY CRUEL, ATROCIOUS, POINTLESS EVENT KEEP HAPPENING DESPITE BANNED MARKETS WORLDWIDE & GLOBAL PROTESTS BY MILLIONS?  OUR GOVT. NEEDS TO STOP SUBSIDIZING THESE SADISTIC 'HUNTERS' (they aren't even human!?) & END IT!

In light of news that Polar Bears (whose preferred prey = seals) are starving due to polar ice regression, those same useless 'fishermen' (= welfare bums who mostly just rely on Govt. handouts now, having over fished the seas to death) could migrate seals north-wards to let Nature take its course.. NO Canadian has the right to murder wildlife, let alone in such a cold-blooded & demeaning manner:  our Constitution says we must be STEWARDS OF OUR LAND & WILDLIFE! & the Seal Hunt violates these tenets X10 - as well as the laws of decency.. It's wrong & must end!

Third - this article was originally posted same day in 2013:  & STILL NOTHING'S CHANGED!  I'm FURIOUS!  FUCK THIS GOVT.. & #FuckTrudeau! (=Yet another Cdn. PM unfit for office..)

I just received an[other] email from one of the big non-profits of which i am a member, requesting [yet more] $upport to stop Canada's Commercial Seal Hunt  --decorated with a disturbingly familiar photo of a bloodied east-coast ice field covered with the butchered bodies of darling baby seals:  their distressed mamas (who are forced to watch) not in view-- & i began to FUME [again].  WHAT ABOUT PROMISES OF AN 'IMMINENT' SHUT-DOWN?  WHAT WAS DONE WITH ALL THE SUPPORT FROM LAST YEAR?  THE YEAR BEFORE?? (Must add up to MILLION$+!!  NO EXAGGERATION)

SO now --provoked to seething, wounded rage (hence a flurry of activism --giving, giving til i'm only good for hangin ouT 2 dry)-- i recall this time last year 'they' had virtually guaranTeed success via Senator Harb's bill proposing buy-outs of those soulless Newfie sadists.  Instead?  I'm forced to guess that Harbie's bill did NOT go thru --WHAT?  WITH ALL THAT BACK-UP? (YES the seal 'hunt' iS one of non-profits' biggest campaigns guaranteeing donations in the thousand$, if not million$, & signatures from 90,000+ people on at least 5 petitions/year:  uh-huh A LOTTA peops want it to end!!)  Doesn't take me long to figure that the wrenching turmoil of another bloody season of heartbreak & indignities inflicted on Canadian wildlife is imminent.. & there's nothing i --nor apparently anyone from PETA, IFAW or any other group 'committed' to ending this ATROCITY-- can do to convince my Govt. to stop the suffering before it starts again..

Now i'm really stressed.. & for the first time since joining that organization i find myself doubting their commitment to this wrenching cause. (cuz i just saw Iggy Pop renouncing it on TV!!?)

So I wrote them a letter - now featured on my Care2.com page:

http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/3555079

Feel free to sign any or all of the petitions shown in that article!

[Photo of Brigitte Bardot with seal pup courtesy Paul Watson of SeaShepherd]

Liberation BC's About the Seal Hunt

HeLp STOP SITE C DAM: Key LiNKS

I urge all my fellow BCers to join the fight opposing Site C dam, a massive wasteful harbinger of doom.  The research is too compelling to ignore:  heRe are just some of the key articles, links, sites + updates with which to become informed on this travesty that is Site C:

Aug. 2016 Article by Emma Gilchrist for DeSmog.ca

OPEN LETTER Re. Economic Reality of BC HYDRO's vis-a-vis SiTE C

Peace Valley Landowners Association FB page

Probing Dereliction of Duty in Site C Approval by MLA Andrew Weaver

Article: BC govt. should have deferred Site-C dam decision

BC's Failure to Investigate Alternatives to Site C

BC BIZ COMMUNITY SLAMS ASTRONOMICAL COST of BUILDING SITE C

MAKE FOOD NOT DAMS: Collection of Arguments + Links to STOP SITE C

PHOTOS: Site C dam would flood this valley

[Please use 'Search' option @ top of page to find all my blog posts on this + other topics]

Act NOW on Site C - beFore it's too LATE!

Just got this important email from PVEA incuding info for sending letters to government - please send one soon + help impact BC's sustainable future!

                                                                  Photo:  Garth Lenz
Dear Sarah,

Our efforts to stop Site C dam are having a strong impact!

“Site C isn’t a fait accompli…we’ll only decide to recommend it to cabinet if it is the best way to respond to (electricity) need. “  BC Minister of Energy, Bill Bennett, September 10, 2014,Vancouver Sun.

Clearly Minister Bennett is starting to see the light when it comes to Site C due to the information he is being presented with by a multitude of sources including you.  Last week, a consortium of interests, representing industry, valley landowners as well as municipal, regional and First Nations governments held a press conference to inform government and British Columbians that Site C is NOT in their best interests!

“It’s going to have a legacy of wealth destruction…It’s going to sap the province’s ability to raise money and borrow money;  to do other things, such as infrastructure, hospitals, schools – all the things we need to do.”  Dan Potts, former executive director of the Association of Major Power Users of BC

Let’s build on this momentum!  Let’s ensure that both the provincial and federal governments reach the right conclusion on Site C before it’s too late!

A decision on the environmental assessment for Site C is expected this fall.  We need to make sure we’re heard NOW!

Please send a letter to Premier Christy Clark and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to ensure their governments say “NO” to Site C...

Say “NO” to:

• Wasting taxpayers’ money on a project that isn’t needed
• Destroying over 30,000 acres of unique Peace River Valley agricultural land that can feed a million British Columbians and will replace traditional food producing lands, now drought-ridden
• Expropriating multi-generational farm families from their homes and way of life
• Flooding First Nations’ gravesites and significantly impacting their ability to carry out rights guaranteed in their treaty
• Destroying over 17,000 acres of boreal forest plus wetlands, home to wildlife and migratory birds, some of which are endangered species
• Causing the complete loss of three species of fish in the Peace River and its tributaries
• Leaving future generations with a legacy of environmental destruction and massive debt

Send your letters to:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
Email: stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca

Premier Christy Clark

PO Box 9041
Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E1
Email: premier@gov.bc.ca

Thank you so much for your continuing support.  Please send your letter NOW before it’s too late! 

For the Peace,

Andrea Morison, Peace Valley Environment Association (PVEA)

Stop Site C http://www.stopsitec.org/

Letter from GREENPEACE re. Arctic drilling..

Dear Sarah, At last! Shell has left Canadian Arctic waters! Two months ago, I wrote to you with the news that Shell was trying to block the creation of a protected area in Lancaster Sound, Nunavut -- using oil exploration permits that expired in the 1970s. What’s worse, Shell said it wouldn’t give up its expired permits and allow the region to be protected, unless it could carry out seismic blasting there first. But today, I have good news: Shell has finally given up its dodgy oil permits in Lancaster Sound! Public controversy around Arctic oil and a lawsuit that was launched to force them to give up the permits have worked. Share the news and call on Trudeau to protect this region for good.  With Shell once again fleeing the Arctic with its tail between its legs, the way is finally cleared for this very important area to be protected. Lancaster Sound, located in the Northwest passage of the Canadian Arctic, is a stunningly beautiful landscape home to a spectacular array of wildlife including polar bears, seabirds and narwhals. Local Inuit - who depend on the region for their food, livelihoods and culture - have been fighting to protect this region for decades! It’s now up to the Trudeau government to protect Lancaster Sound permanently. Share the news and call on Prime Minister Trudeau stand up for Indigenous rights by protecting the Arctic.  Every day we’re seeing more indications that Arctic oil has no future. In order to fight climate change and safeguard the livelihood of millions around the planet, the Arctic must be protected. Working together I know we can secure permanent protection for this amazing region. In solidarity, Alex Speers-Roesch Arctic Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada P.S. Prime Minister Trudeau has pledged to protect the Arctic, defend Inuit rights and take leadership on climate change. Let's hold him to that promise.

We don't accept any money from companies or governments so we can be independent and challenge anyone who threatens the planet or peace. To help us keep fighting climate change, defending our oceans and protecting ancient forests, please make a regular donation. Thank you! Greenpeace Canada, 33 Cecil Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1N1

Letter to GovT: Please uphold the ban on Seal-Hunt products!

{i'm on a ROLL}  YOU oughta write one too -
Use this link:  HSI Letter  


                                                                (from Humane Society website)

This is what i added (inside HSI's intro & ending in blue):

SUBJECT:  Please withdraw Canada's WTO challenge

Dear Decision Maker,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to Canada's request for a dispute panel to be established at the World Trade Organization in response to the European Union ban on seal product trade.

After a decade of increasingly active campaigning opposing Canada's Commercial Seal Hunt, i have come close to despair at Government's strange refusal to even acknowledge its rising swell of opposition - despite record-breaking numbers joining in the rally to 'Stop the Seal Hunt!', via numerous petitions boasting 100's of 1,000's of signatures, global high-profile celebrity appeals & involvement by virtually all large animal-welfare non-profits besides HSI:  PETA, IFAW, WSPA & many others.  I've watched wistfully as other, smaller, campaigns achieve results... cheered when the EU seal-products ban was announced... & cried tears of joy when Putin banned all seal-hunt trade in Russia.  Yet --still-- we Canadians are forced to suffer the shame of seeing our public servants (INEXPLICABLY) dig in their heels, refuse to compromise & stubbornly support the Seal 'Hunt' using lies, misinformation & misnomers via mainstream media.

On video-streaming websites like YouTube, the general public can see exactly what this appalling event is about.  If you have never seen it (& it seems that is the case), i recommend you view for yourself exactly WHO & WHAT you are supporting using OUR tax dollars, against most Canadians' wishes.  You will see why much of this footage comes with warnings of its graphic nature 'not suitable for children'.  You will see that, contrary to what you may be told, there's NOTHING noble, 'traditional' --or even HONEST-- about this supposed 'way of life' (which First Nations don't even support).
Full info @ this link:  The Cdn. Seal Hunt

NOBODY I know (including me) WANTS to watch filmed footage of the Seal 'Hunt':  the most disturbing, sadistic display of cowardly violence i have ever had the misfortune to witness.  Even if the Seal 'Hunt' WERE economically sound, sustainable & humane (which it's clearly NOT), the extreme distress inflicted so brutally would, for most Canadians, cancel out any benefits.  As with other questionable stances taken by Govt. recently, it appears we're being led away from future self-sufficiency/ sustainability, against the wishes of 86% of citizens & against our constitution (which asks us to be 'wildlife stewards') while condoning abuse of young wild seals in their own native habitat (which our constitution says must be protected) in a remote community that becomes more of a burden/drain each year...
[WE MUST DEFEND OUR WILDLIFE, NOT KILL THEM!]

PM Harper's reckless WTO challenge to the EU ban would cost Canadian taxpayers an estimated $10 million --yet another subsidy to the sealing industry stolen from the overwhelming majority of Canadians who want it to end-- just as Canada attempts to negotiate a trade deal with the European Union reportedly worth $12 billion annually to our economy.   It seems incomprehensible to risk beneficial relations with our second largest trading partner (leaders in sustainable technologies as well as our key source of ecotourism) while rushing to push through a dodgy deal (FIPPA) with an undemocratic republic (China) whose environmental record is already the world's WORST! These are not the sound moves of a well-informed government.

I implore you to consider the many benefits of upholding/ respecting EU's ban - aside from purely economic ones, which are no-brainers. We must see this ban as a blessing, an opportunity to free Canada from unnecessary dependencies & thus pave the way for modern, streamlined, sustainable technologies that don't involve destroying crucial wildlife ecosystems, disrespecting other life forms or polluting our environment.

I am asking that you immediately withdraw the WTO challenge against the EU & do everything in your power to put a final end to 'Canada's Shame', the Commercial Seal Hunt.

Sincerely,
Sarah Chesterman
Vancouver, BC