RECONCILIATION day: The REAL Truth of BC's Beginnings..

[Written to Ecojustice the day after Canada's 1st Truth & Reconciliation day]

Subject:  Appeal to back Old-Growth forest defenders in legislating a transition out of destructive deforestation & into protection of BC forests

[excerpt from a Mclean's mag article - full article @this link: McLean's article ]

How a smallpox epidemic forged modern British Columbia

Article by Joshua Ostroff  August 1, 2017 (excerpt)

On Mar. 12, 1862, the San Francisco steamer Brother Jonathan pulled into the colony of Vancouver Island, a former Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post that had exploded in population after a mainland gold rush.

  

Along with merchandise and mules, the ship carried 350 passengers to Victoria — home to 4,000 to 5,000 colonists, with slightly more Indigenous people from various nations camped nearby for trade and work. Most of the passengers were heading to a new strike on the Salmon River...

But along with his pickaxe and gold pan, one of these miners brought another piece of unexpected cargo: smallpox.

The man was quarantined. But the British Colonist noted that, without preventive measures, “we fear that a serious evil will be entailed on the country.” And the measures the colonial government chose —limited vaccination efforts, and declining to try a general quarantine, which would have kept the crisis localized— wound up leading to an epidemic when police emptied the camps at gunpoint, burned them down, and towed canoes filled with smallpox-infected Indigenous people up the coast...

Over the next year, at least 30,000 Indigenous people died, representing about 60 per cent of the population — a crisis that left mass graves, deserted villages, traumatized survivors and societal collapse and, in a real way, created the conditions for modern-day British Columbia. Less than a decade before BC became Canada’s sixth province, the colonial response to this crisis formed the basis for the fraught relationship between First Nations and government...

“The smallpox epidemic […] changes everything in British Columbia,” says John Lutz, the head of the University of Victoria’s history department and an Indigenous-settler relations specialist. “The citizens of Victoria, one could say, panicked. Or, one could say, with a less charitable view, that they deliberately drove the Indigenous people out of town, and that spread the disease back to their home communities up and down the coast.” 

It was a betrayal that hasn’t been forgotten by many Indigenous people. “The sad thought is, if they had contained those people who contracted smallpox within the Victoria area, the Indigenous population would be far, far higher today,” says Marianne Nicholson, a Victoria-based 1st Nations artist and anthropology Ph.D.  “The colonial authorities […] knew that would spread smallpox throughout British Columbia,” she says. “That was an act of genocide against Indigenous people.. At that point the [government] wanted to be able to claim those lands without having to compensate or recognize Indigenous title."

That thinking —that the colonial response was part of an active land grab as opposed to a tragedy they made much worse and took advantage of— is pervasive. And while there is no concrete evidence of it, historian Robert Boyd did argue in his landmark book The Coming of the Spirit of Pestilence that “the Whites knew” the epidemic was avoidable, and that it “paved the way for the colonization of their lands by peoples of European descent.” 

The Colonist even reported at the time that First Nations were worried Governor James Douglas “was about to send the small pox among them for the purpose of killing off the tribe and getting their land.” (Douglas dismissed this at the time as a hoax)

Taken together, the smallpox response, the creation of the residential school system and a ban on the potlatch —a tradition that helps pass on oral histories— have been seen by Indigenous people as efforts to force them to “accept the colonial grand narrative that British Columbia acquired Indigenous lands fairly and in a legal manner,” says Nicholson.  “The significance of the 1862-1863 crisis lies in the presence of a rapidly expanding white population due to the Gold Rush...  newcomer numbers surged as Indigenous populations fell by as much as 90 per cent in some areas." 

Whether or not smallpox began as a colonial conspiracy, settlers started occupying the flat, fertile land that was left seemingly abandoned as devastated Indigenous communities consolidated with hopes of later returning home, says Lutz. “A lot of First Nations village sites were lost to that.”

A belief in terra nullius, or the settlement of “empty land,” spurred land commissioner Joseph Trutch in 1864 to refuse recognition of Indigenous title, kiboshing treaty-making and reducing reserves mapped out pre-epidemic by 92 per cent. “The Indians have really no rights to the lands they claim,” he argued, doling it out instead to settlers, miners and loggers.

That’s why, unlike the rest of Canada, the bulk of B.C. is built on disputed, unceded land; there are almost no treaties establishing rights.

One Indigenous nation, though, did fight back in defence of its land. In 1864, the Tsilhqot’in declared war after being threatened with smallpox by the foreman of a road being built through their territory. This battle, the Chilcotin War, ended with the hanging of six chiefs, an act that then-premier Christy Clark apologized for in a 2014 speech that acknowledged that “there is an indication [smallpox] was spread intentionally.”

“If one applies generally the principles of the Tsilhqot’in title case, British Columbia is a province unlike the rest in that it owns comparatively little of its natural resources,” says Tom Swanky, a Quesnel, B.C. author of books that allege that the epidemic was a “war of extermination” for land.  Without smallpox, B.C. would look like the numbered treaty provinces, Swanky believes. “The Crown eventually would have purchased native title, little by little or territory by territory, as needed and, under the Canadian system, the province now would have had some more understandable claim to resources.”

While Indigenous consent is an issue across Canada —the Supreme Court recently ruled on the Crown’s duty to consult Indigenous people on development projects— few First Nations have as much leverage today to address environmental and economic concerns as those in B.C. because treaty-less land is in legal limbo; governments can still overrule opposition, but now must prove “development is pressing, substantial and meets the Crown’s fiduciary duty."

[END ARTICLE EXCERPT]

Surely, current forestry/logging practices cannot be proven as fiduciary nor pressing -- although they are substantial enough to jeopardize our thriving future.. 

Since Ecojustice was instrumental in the groundbreaking Tsilquotin Nation treaty process, it makes perfect sense to support the Fairy Creek forest defenders in their (/OUR) efforts to save our precious biodiversity & old-growth forests from disastrous DEFORESTATION by logging operations.. Unless that'd require a separate process of which I'm unaware?

I leave you with one last link, to an excellent article which shows BC Forestry is NEITHER economical NOR sustainable:

https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/issue-analysis/35/

Selective, sustainable harvest - i.e. what NO BC forestry co. has EVER done, nor been required to do by our Govt. - apparently hasn't been proposed by ONE of the logging giants operating in BC:  clearly they intend to keep on honing the status quo, which is most accurately described as SYSTEMATIC WIPING-OUT OF OUR RARE & VALUABLE 1,000-YEAR-OLD GROWTH FORESTS ALONG WITH EVERY DEPENDENT LIFEFORM IN A DESIGNATED CUT-BLOCK.  One thing is clear:  if we don't stop this unconscionable rape of our only protections against cont'd degradation --> extinction, it won't be long b4 the forestry industry will bring that eventuality by their stubborn refusal to upgrade their activities to align with required climate action (incl. emissions reductions) 

Thanks so much for considering! I look forward to hearing your response..

SINCERELY,

SC.

BC-NDP KILLing our wiLd COYOTES? NOT on MY WATCH!

Please see my Letter to Govt. (also posted to this blog) OPPOSING their heinous Wolf Cull program - @ this link:

I Oppose BC's UNETHICAL WoLF CuLL: Letter 2 Govt

Culling protected urban wildlife like these cherished coyotes in Stanley Park is NOT a solution to the "problem" (?) of wildlife in our parks, it's yet another abhorrent sign that elected officials are UNFIT to govern this once-thriving province; their every decision spells 'FAIL' for our biodiversity, our precious old-growth forests & our very own Stanley Park urban paradise..

Even Conservation Officers are FAILING US by acting with psychopathic insensitivity toward the many beloved species with which we share our home - for as any true, legit Conservationist knows, CULLING IS NEVER THE ANSWER!

Where's the RESPECT for Nature & all its variety of species (Flora AND Fauna), which Conservationists (& BCers) have a long-held & proud tradition of HONOURING?  Now, instead of prioritizing co-existence with all BC's endemic wildlife (as their jobs dictate) they think nothing of setting barbaric LEG-HOLD TRAPS (which should have been banned years ago) & MASS-MURDERING these blameless creatures, when they should be doing everything in their power to PROTECT THEM, per our Constitution?

What happened to the City's plan to amend Park hours to close it to the public from dusk to dawn - LIKE EVERY OTHER PARK IN BC??  They didn't even TRY to enforce that policy!  Instead, we were suddenly informed of some ridiculously ill-advised 'Malkin Bowl' concerts planned for AFTER-DARK HOURS in Stanley Park!!?  Talk about hypocrites!!!

I'm with Bryan [Adams] 100% - TRAPPING & KILLING urban wildlife is an utterly ABHORRENT, MINDLESS decision by an inept govt. that's woefully OUT OF TOUCH with what makes Vancouver LIVABLE!  Having a giant forest paradise in our midst -- along with other parks & beaches & numerous natural wonders -- inevitably brings abundant urban wildlife to these areas. It's one of the greatest joys of living here, & the vast majority of residents are ON BOARD WITH 'doing our bit' to nurture & respect the thriving biodiversity around us. NOT by feeding/luring them irresponsibly of course, but by enjoying them from afar & LEAVING THEM BE!

The few who act in ignorance -- acclimatizing wildlife to human conflicts/attacks -- should be seen as the problem that needs fixing -- i.e. NOT THE FAULT OF BLAMELESS ANIMALS with whom we've coexisted happily for decades!!? "Getting rid of" ANY of them is unthinkable.

Stanley Park is our JEWEL, & as such should be a protected park, NOT A FREE-FOR-ALL FOR TOURISTS TO ABUSE & DESECRATE!!? Invading its peaceful serenity with inhumane LEG-HOLD TRAPS (which could easily hurt other creatures, not just coyotes) & terrorizing every lifeform sheltered in this forest sanctuary VIOLATES its every purpose & PUTS OUR CITY ON THE MAP OF SHAME!

It's nothing short of an indecent act of terrorism by govt. officials who've lost touch with the limits of their "power" as public servants.. 

PS. If we can't train/inform the population, how can we enjoy our city?  Problem is, people can't be BOTHERED to teach each other to coexist with nature - which is their lame excuse for doing what's "easier" & KILLING OFF whole groups of species in which they've NO BUSINESS INTERFERING!?  That's not progress, it's IGNORANCE!  Canada's constitution enshrines protection of native wildlife - which our govts forget in their blind rush to "get rid of" inconveniences that make our world LIVABLE.. (Wish we'd get rid of THEM, they're making OUR city UNLivable!!)  Fact is, coyotes are V helpful for balancing ecosystems like Stanley Park.. so we're better off learning to live with them, not harming/ killing them.. (We've harmed Nature enough - to the point that our biodiversity & ecosystems & environments are downgrading, FAST.

We need to instill healthy respect for ALL nature's lifeforms in every resident/visitor of BC.  MODIFYING OUR BEHAVIOUR, NOT CULLING WILDLIFE, IS THE ANSWER TO HUMAN-BROUGHT PROBLEMS.

Cdns: VoTe 4 Climate Sept.20

Below is my response to a MUST-READ guest post on Norm Farrell's blog, insights.ca, by long-time BC environmentalist Bill Henderson - @ this link:

This Abominable Scam of a Climate Election 

 

                                                {illustration by me}

Such a powerful piece as this instils not just fresh hope & [non-GMO/ smart] food for thought, but the re-charged resolve to get its contents INTO the mainstream of 'must-reads' on this top-rated topic -- not least for the preponderance of denial drivel [STILL!!?] spouted & re-hashed by politicians, popular pundits & people-in-passing alike..

We need scientists to replace industry lobbyists working closely with our govts ASAP -- to unite BCers with the updated facts of Climate change & stay on top of REAL science-advised solutions of merit that'll help us tackle this giant climate crisis b4 us - together!?  The time for proactive measures is NOW..

The days of Govts [public servants!] getting away with corrupt misuse of their positions of leadership must end:  we cannot afford more of the same BS!

It's plain as day the Old Guard needs replacing -- i.e. the same-old wealthy banks, polluters, BigPharma monoliths, logging/mining co's that, up until today, have had their way [&Govt approval] to keep digging/ grinding/ logging/ mining/ polluting/ wasting Mother Nature to extinction.. Modern science shows their rapacious & unsustainable extractive industries NEED TO BE CURTAILED -- YESTERDAY -- to have a hope in hell of saving life on Earth & leaving living legacies for our kids..?

And yet it seems the purveyors of pollution are -- still!!? -- WINNING over those with the actual working solutions for clean GHG-free sustainability in all sectors.  Why?  Because banks, govts etc. -- having acknowledged & announced the Climate crisis in our midst -- refuse to match their actions with words & actually WORK ON making the transition, starting with divesting from polluters & investing in the CLEAN GREEN RENEWABLE innovators with the future-forward jobs of tomorrow..

The increasing # & size of rampant wildfires across Canada are the most obvious -- & frightening -- sign that the old rapacious, unforgiving pace of clearcut logging (having wiped out 95% of our protective primary forests -- ie. Our most prodigious C02 sinks/ endangered species' habitats/ Salmon refuges/ OXYGEN PROVIDERS+++) CANNOT CONTINUE APACE!!?

Once these precious & globally unique rainforest habitats are clearcut (emitting most of their stored C02), the barren ravaged wastelands left behind DESERTIFY & turn into TINDER that fuels fires+++!!??  Anyone who thinks planting replacement seedlings of 1 tree type --along with spraying all deciduous 'pest' trees [which act as key barriers to fires] w/ deadly carcinogens like Monsanto's [now Bayer's] glyphosate-- EVER restores those critically beneficial 1,000-yr-old fire-resistant 'Lungs of the North',  is sorely out of touch with reality!

But let's face it - mainstream media (MSM) has been keeping Cdns misinformed, persistently keeping the lies dished by the BigIndustry lobbyists alive.. & supporting Govts push to let the [mostly foreign-owned] extractive corporations gauging out the last of our precious natural resources -- while steadily stripping down Mama Nature's last best defences (i.e. what makes 'Super, Natural BC' thrive)  Those who blame the 'big polluter' highest-emissions giants such as China for 'holding back the rest of us' should know:  Canada's Govt subsidizes (!) the very industries keeping Climate crises escalating globally, & positioned to keep the world's MOST polluting countries dependant on our tar-sands' dirty bitumen for years to come!!??

Those of us who've invested everything to transition out of fossil-fueled pollution into clean green livelihoods -- eg. organic regenerative non-GMO farming & growing bamboo/hemp to save our last living OldGrowth forests -- CANNOT accept such colossal ineptitude from Govt:  WE'RE ALREADY LIVING THE GREEN FUTURE -- proof of its efficiency -- but we could use influxes of public $$ to keep expanding as required!  What's holding us back -- & darkening our rosy outlook -- is the constant evidence around us of cont'd Govt FAILURES, past & present..

Unfortch, all 'Big 3' main parties -- Cons, Libs & NDP -- are pushing same-old status-quo of cont'd extraction, fossil fuel growth, logging our last living breathing IRREPLACEABLE forest ecosystems, ETC. ETC.. Yup they've decided our kids don't deserve a future.. & we're supposed to be reassured by such dishonesty!!??

NO:  we can't be OK with such blatant insults from our public servants, who appare don't mind if our entire land base (& all the freshwater lakes & lush green wilderness therein) is sucked dry & shipped to Asia, with what's left used for grazing beef cattle for fast-food exports:  HELL NO (As a vegan, I'm appalled..)

The ONLY viable alternative to such disastrous outcomes is to VOTE FOR YOUR VALUES NOT CONTINUED DEGRADATION/ ECOCIDAL TERROR -- & that means backing the only ones with ethics, integrity & smarts -- THE ONLY PARTY CAPABLE OF BRINGING A BRIGHT RENEWABLE FUTURE:  THE GREEN PARTY (duh?)  Anything else is a re-hash of past errors/injustices, which we're MUCH better off without..

We deserve better than these tired, useless throwbacks to polluter-culture don't we?  So let's KICK EM TO THE KERB SEPT 20th & VOTE GREEN.. CUZ WE CAN!!!!

Letter #14 to BC-NDP - Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy

 

Written using Sierra Club's letter-writing TooL (ALways besT to personalize!)  You can write one too, @ this link:  

CLICK HERE 2 WRITE YOUR OWN Letter 2 BC's Forest Minister 

Here's mine:

Dear Minister Conroy, 

I am writing to denounce you & your appalling govt's inaction on Fairy Creek & FAILURE to follow through on promises to fully implement all recommendations from the Old Growth Strategic Review, as an urgent priority in your mandate.    

So few of our iconic, important old-growth forests remain due to clearcutting/ over-logging & egregious clearcutting which has had DISASTROUS results due to the devastation wrought by clearcut logging of whole ecosystems (including the hundreds of species of biodiversity that depend on these forests for survival, many of which are now critically endangered)..

Clear evidence of this needless destruction has been exposed this summer by dangerous -- & PREVENTABLE -- wildfires that continue to burn, despite all efforts to control them..

AS your Old-Growth Strategic Review Panel advised well over a year ago, BC desperately needs a new paradigm for forest mgmt. implemented NOW to avoid an even deadlier fire season next year!?

Without immediate action, not enough will be left to sustain the web of life as we know it & support a diverse economy.  

Last year's election made it VERY clear that the majority of BC citizens want to protect endangered Old-Growth forests before it is too late!  And the majority of us are strongly opposed to the shameful bullying & violence of the RCMP against peaceful defenders in the ancient Fairy Creek stand - despite the injunction granted to Teal Jones (in bad faith & against your govt's stated intentions for our precious forests) as well as overwhelming public support for our heroic Fairy Creek forest defenders..   

The deadlines from your expert O-G Panel have long passed, thanks to your wilful refusal to act on your party's promises, but WE cannot forget our dedicated friends who know the priceless value of these forests --ALIVE NOT LOGGED-- & remain determined to protect them from destructive, greedy & unethical logging corps.

Equally heinous is federal govt's ongoing refusal to intervene on behalf of the Species At Risk which Canada's constitution expressly delineates responsibility to prevent their extinction!!?  At this rate, under your mismanagement, we are set to lose the valuable benefits -- incl. essential habitat provision, C02 sequestration at unequaled capacities, water purification & other essential services -- that only these primary forests can effectively provide.

Allowing these few Old-Growth ecosystems to be exploited, knowing their wealth lies in their preservation (i.e. preventing them from being logged), is akin to violating Canada's constitution -- which YOU can rectify & upgrade by implementing legislated protection for all Old-Growth forests in BC. 

Please Minister, do your job & turn around the fate of our beloved forests & the lifeforms --flora & fauna-- they support.  Shrinking into the background hoping this urgent issue will disappear is what only a coward would do:  Surely you have the knowledge of the requirements of your privileged position to know that banning Old-Growth logging is the ONLY solution with any merit -- along with its assurance of a hopeful future for our kids, the next-gen recipients of results from your actions today.

Please do the right thing & resolve this matter for the best interests of BCers:   legislate protection for all remaining BC Old-Growth & commit at least $1 billion to implement the 14 recommendations, provide funding for Indigenous-led conservation solutions & support transition for forestry-dependent communities.

Time is of the essence.

Thank you very much for taking action -- your immediate intervention will be a proud moment in your career, one in which you can claim a groundbreaking part on the right side of history!!?

But you need to act now to make this happen -- for the health & wellbeing of our communities, for salmon habitat, for essential carbon storage, for tourism jobs & to help defend our communities from fires, flooding & other worsening impacts of climate change. Considering all that BCers have endured of late, it's the least you & your govt. can do to lift some of the worry from our present outlooks!!?

These big, rare old trees are vital to our resilience in the face of climate change - please don't let down our kids' hope for a thriving future!  We're counting on you, because you were appointed to protect these living elders:  a grave responsibility, & one which you should not take lightly.

(Our future health - & that of our sustaining ecosystems/ 'Lungs of the North', without which we are nothing - relies on your urgent action today..)

Sincerely, 

SARAH (SAZ) CHESTERMAN

Vancouver, BC

CC: Premier John Horgan and Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nathan Cullen 

HERE'S THE SITCH, PEOPS:

 (My reply to another short-sighted article LINK 2 ARTICLE that slams Canada's indigenous policies while promoting our most destructive & polluting practices..)  WHERE DOES IT END?  Well, here's the Big Pic kids..

Canada's 'resource-based' economy = extracting/ logging/ mining (STEALING), by THE most destructive, non-renewable & unsustainable methods, the natural 'resources' that sustain us (that we need to live) to supply other 'starter' economies around the globe with THEIR means to become self-destructing extinction cultures like ours -- & sustain the wealthiest co's/ people so THEIR (polluting & prodigious) needs are met!??

To illuminate this sick (doomed) scenario, see what dictator Pres. Bolsonaro & co. are doing in Brazil right now: driving indigenous native people from their territories; grabbing land/stealing Amazon rainforest to re-purpose for beef cattle, mining etc.; & igniting the last pristine 'Lungs of the Earth' while lining their accounts with the profits.. 

Well guess what?  That's exactly the basis for Canada's economy -- only we're much further along than Brazil, catching up to economies older than ours which are now mostly barren desert, by continuing those same ecocidal industries apace - despite science's dire & repeated warnings.. 

One would think we'd learn from past mistakes, as those former 'star' empires struggle now with droughts & famine & water shortages, having raped THEIR 'natural resources' that enriched THEIR long-dead ruling elite centuries before..

Canada's been among the world's richest economies for barely 150 years & look at the predicted results!  Our lying, thieving leaders have betrayed us -- & we're dumb enough to keep accepting the 'status quo''s continuation instead of wisely choosing ethical green leaders who'll make the changes needed to restore our forests (if there's any old-growth left) & make a viable future for our kids.. & their kids..!!???

Letter#13 to Cdn. Govt - #ProtectNature

MSM (Mainstream media) is warning Cdns a federal election is imminent.  If you go to David Suzuki Foundation's website you too can edit your own letter to Govt. on issues about which you care -- & have them sent for you via their database!  This particular one gets sent to all Cdn. political leaders..

Dear [recipients' names and positions will go here], 

I’m writing you & all federal party leaders because I’m deeply worried about Canadian governments’ efforts to protect & restore nature. 

Changes are needed- now - to ensure future generations will thrive. We can & must do better!

Our landscapes — from coast to coast to coast — are part of our identities. Yet keystone species, like the boreal woodland caribou (honoured on our 25-cent coins), are on the brink of extinction throughout Canada. 

We continue to allow industrial development in the boreal forest — “the lungs of the north” — & logging of our precious old-growth forests at unsustainable rates. Traffic & pollution in our oceans is jeopardizing the future of key aquatic species, from orcas & North Atlantic right whales to salmon. We use systemic pesticides like neonicotinoids & glyphosate that are proven to harm ecosystems & essential pollinators. 

The science is clear: our current marine & land use practices are degrading & destabilizing oceans & remaining wilderness, putting millions of species on the brink of extinction. Canada must protect & restore our most at-risk ecosystems so that nature can continue to support biodiversity. 

We’re already experiencing the devastating consequences of decades of over-exploitation. As we learn more about nature’s capacity to sequester carbon & protect us from the impacts of climate change - eg. Disease, flooding, wildfires - the need for action becomes even more urgent. 

The 2020s must be our transformation decade. Research shows that in nature the entire system benefits when individual species thrive. We need to heed this lesson & prioritize the health of the planet, our only home. 

Please commit your party to working on measures to ensure that by 2025: 

●At least 25% of Canada’s land & water is under formal protection, & the majority of Canada’s natural areas provide conditions for abundance; 

●Federal incentives & resources are in place to enable communities to reduce their environmental footprints & embed nature-based solutions in their operations. 

A mass species extinction & biodiversity loss crisis is upon us, but so are solutions. Let’s urgently protect nature & the most at-risk species. Because when nature thrives, we all thrive. 

Thank you for your commitment to protecting nature’s diversity & the well-being of all life, now & for the future. 

Sincerely, 

SARAH (SAZ) CHESTERMAN

Latest letter#12 to BC-NDP Govt

 (From an app on David Suzuki Foundation website)

Dear [recipient name will go here], I am deeply concerned that under your watch, industry continues to log some of the last old-growth forests in B.C. You are failing to meet your election promise to protect these ancient forests & their globally rare ecosystems! By now you must know that few old-growth forests with huge trees remain.. & we need your leadership to keep these ancient trees & their ecosystems alive!? Please act now to: 

●Immediately curtail logging in all old-growth forest areas in B.C., giving special attention to preserving high-productivity forests, not just individual trees. Without immediate protection, many of these forests will disappear before your Old-Growth Review Panel recommendations come into effect in 2023. 

●With much of BC's forests now burned by wildfire, limit logging co's to harvesting affected trees only (as they've a maximum of 2 years to do so economically) to limit waste & allow regrowth - & to make co's responsible for their practices' consequences; 

●Work with Indigenous communities to implement the Old-Growth Strategic Review Panel’s recommendations now. Provide a timeline, funding & resources to support this work throughout B.C. & ensure their free, prior & informed consent. Current permits & plans don’t meet this standard. 

●Provide a transition to Indigenous- & community-led sustainable 2nd-growth forestry that focuses on value over volume models. If done right, switching to logging secondary forests can ensure our precious old-growth forests remain intact; 

●Commit to a green & just recovery that puts people & ecosystem health first. 

We need thriving nature to build back better: this means protecting non-timber values of old-growth ecosystems like drinking water, flood/ fire mitigation & biodiversity while also addressing the needs of workers & communities transitioning out of old, unsustainable practices. 

Please save our remaining old-growth forests or they may soon be gone forever! Old-growth forests are irreplaceable. With their huge trees, multistoried canopy & large amounts of woody debris, they create unique conditions for life that younger forests do not: 

■They provide homes for many species, including western screech-owls & other endangered wildlife that we, as stewards, are supposed to protect; 

■They have an unparalleled ability to keep carbon out of the atmosphere - but when logged, all their stored C02 is released into the atmosphere, causing further rising cumulative emissions; 

■They provide us with essential services such as clean water & fire/ flood protection; 

■They support essential community jobs in tourism & other sustainable industries. 

In the midst of climate & biodiversity crises, we can’t afford to destroy the last of these ancient ecosystems that wildlife, communities & future generations depend on to thrive!!? B.C. can still become a leader in old-growth conservation, respecting Indigenous rights & sustainable forestry - as 85%++ of BCers want - but only if you act now.. 

Sincerely, 

[your name will go here] [your email address will go here], [your location will go here] Cc'd: Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Latest letter#11 to BC-NDP govt.

Dear Premier Horgan and Minister of Forests Kristine Conroy, 

When you launched CleanBC in 2018, I applauded your plans to confront the Climate Emergency. But 3 years later, I’m concerned that B.C. is failing to implement adequate climate action to protect our future!! 

Fact is, emissions in B.C. keep rising. CleanBC's initiatives are obvs noT bold enough to achieve the 2030 target of 40% below 2007 emissions. Time to ACT.. 

It's V clear we won’T meet climate targets iF we keep expanding fossil fuel developments & allowing clearcut logging of our vital Old-Growth forests! With so much of our forests burned by fire, logging should be kept to harvesting burned trees only (as they've only 2 years to do so!) 

The O&G industry produces 20% of B.C.’s emissions - yet contributes only 3% to GDP! - & LNG Canada is set to become BC's largest point source of C02 emissions, crushing all hope of meeting our 2030 & 2050 targets.. 

And exports of LNG/ coal will keep adding to the world’s cumulative emissions inventory, exacerbating global warming to unlivable levels.

 Subsidies to fossil fuel projects are nixing all chances of reaching our climate targets! 

This summer’s royalty review should address & correct the current royalty regime & the hugely generous Deep Well Royalty Credit, which do nothing to benefit the public.. 

The International Energy Agency’s 'Net Zero by 2050' report calls on the world to rapidly wind down ALL O&G extraction & add no new developments: B.C. must do its part by putting the brakes on the planned LNG export industry expansion - for starters..

 Independent research shows B.C. must strengthen & pass key policies to uphold its climate commitment. You must respond to the Climate Emergency by: 

●Committing to a managed decline of fracked gas production/ exports --> a just transition for workers & communities; 

●Ensuring the O&G royalty review is fair, independent & tasked with eliminating fossil fuel subsidies; 

●Committing to protection of all BC's intact OldGrowth forests (which you agreed are Worth More Standing) & mandate logging co's to end their disastrous practice of clearcutting/ replanting/ spraying which is causing & spreading BC wildfires; 

●Accelerating the 100% zero-emission vehicle sales mandate from 2040 to 2030; 

●Increasing the low carbon fuel standard to reduce carbon intensity by 40% by 2030; 

●Requiring all industries to respect the rights & title of Indigenous Peoples AND avoid damaging/ harming BC's wildlife & their all-sustaining habitats. Science has unanimously warned THIS is the crucial decade for Climate Action - as you'd know if you consulted with leading-edge scientists rather than biased industry lobbyists!!? 

UNFORTCH we won’T meet our urgent biodiversity/ climate targets while honing SAME-OLD export-directed forestry, LNG, O&G & ecocidal/ extractive industries & projects - as Australia & California learned too late.. 

I implore you to move from promises to ACTION in these crucial next few months - ie. Ensure B.C. does its part in responding to the Climate EMERGENCY in ways that protect people, nature & our (kids') future: NOTHING is more important now! 

Sincerely, [your name will go here]

[your email address will go here], 

[your location will go here] 

CC: Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Premier and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

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,

On encountering bears, by a BC-raised exPERienced animaL..

I was compelled to write this in response to disturbing reports of (what should be rare) attacks by bears on humans here in the Lower Mainland of BC. - the worst parts of which have been the subsequent interviews with 'attackees' revealing they'd followed common advice to "make lots of noise"  on seeing a bear(!?)

I can't help feeling concerned that such misinformation is so widely dispensed - it's irresponsible, & as a hiker/ naturalist BCer who's had many encounters with bears - in the wilderness & (more recently) closer to home in my own backyard - I feel the need to set the record straight.. & hopefully prevent any more unnecessary bear attacks!

First, let's debunk the most obvious myth apparently making the rounds: the 'make-lots-of-noise-to-scare-off-a-bear-as-soon-as-you-spot-one' approach, which in my mind is much likelier to provoke a bear attack than anything! This is especially true if the bear is a mom with cub(s) nearby, of couRse. 

In fact, that myth has led to at least one recent publicly-reported attack on a human, who when questioned afterward said they "did the right thing & made lots of noise by banging on pots & pans" when they saw the bear.  Luckily they weren't harmed - but if they hadn't followed such misinformation in the first place, chances are their encounter would have been incident-free.

Making yourself visible to a bear - without making unnecessary noise - is the best and easiest way to survive bear encounters unscathed, as a bear will usually turn away & take off in the opposite direction as soon as it sees you..

So while bears are considered 'apex predators', black bears (found only in North America) are the shyest & least predatory of aLL the bears - which doesn't mean you can tame one in a day & take it home as a pet souvenir (which is highly illegal!) But bears are omnivores, so they'll get used to eating whatever's most abundant & readily available - including human food, unfortch.  It's sad when people think it's OK to offer food to wild bears - despite being repeatedly & strongly advised not to feed bears, either purposely or inadvertently by leaving garbage accessible/ BBQs uncleaned etc.

That last point is CRITICAL:  from Oct.-March, keep your home & yard food/ scraps/ waste free.. & NEVER offer food to a wild black bear:  once they're used to associating humans with free-&-easy/ reliable food sources, they lose their fear of people & will return to the same spot each year to forage, often becoming aggressive when defending food..

You can find out more fascinating facts about these solitary creatures here:

treehugger.com/surprising-facts-about-black-bears

If you come upon a bear suddenly (eg. Hiking on a trail) assume they're a mom with cubs nearby.  DON'T make lots of noise - that may provoke her to lash out!  Instead, by all means vocalise to warn of your presence, so that with their excellent vision they'll probably see you first & will likely vacate the area.

If you DO startle a bear at close range (which is unlikely, as their hearing is better than ours - but it's happened b4 & prob will again!) try to keep talking calmly as you make sure the bear has an escape-route away from you, & back away from the bear while facing it the whole time.. without making a fuss.

I've read advice that says you must never approach a bear first.  That's not necessarily true:  if you're far enough away from it, that's a way to make yourself visible & give it time to lumber away.  Also, bears are experts at sensing fear & threats:  as long as you don't run at it or start screaming or some other startling/ sudden behavior, bears will in most cases carry on their business & not be interested in you (unless you have unwrapped food on you - NOT recommended!)

After numerous incident-free encounters with bears, I can vouch for these tips to ensure your (& bears') safety in bear country:

(a) Remember you're in their territory (even at home), so be aware & respectful always - of ALL wildlife.  When on hikes/ walks in the woods, never stray from designated paths & walkways.  When at home in bear country decommission bird feeders (bring indoors til Fall), keep all food indoors & well-wrapped, & use bear-proof dumpsters/ garbage cans outdoors.  A few drops of pure pine essential oil scattered around may deter them, as they are said to dislike pine scent.  If you have fruit trees they can access, leave them be if you don't mind their presence on your property (& keeping pets indoors, which is another challenge) - you can't blame bears for finding their very fave desserts to eat!) - believe it or not, this is often your most stress-free option! (Unless of course you live in a built-up, high-traffic urban area:  in that case, you may have no choice but to call your local wildlife conservation service..

(b) REMAIN CALM at all times

(c) Talk in a normal voice to alert bears if your presence, if there's a lack of crunchy vegetation to do the job (they're NOT brain-dead!)  Just like you, bears can find loud obtrusive noises/ irritating too, esp. around their young.  From  their p.o.v. the sole solution is to silence the noise - ie. By attacking it

(d) Just because a bear's 1st instinct is to run away on seeing you, doesn't mean it's scared of you:  if you try & intimidate a bear by confronting it/ imitating it/ roaring loudly/ standing up to it (as I've seen some dumb sites advise) the bear may be provoked or take your behavior as a challenge/ threat, & may lash out at you!  (This may seem obvious - but the fact is, misguided info is circulated regularly!)  Taken seriously - as it's usually meant - could have even more serious outcomes..

(e) The main thing to remember about bears is:  yes they're bigger & stronger than you, but their chief concerns are food (& more food..) & their own families.  As long as you don't try to deter their access/ attention to either, there's no need to freak when encountering bear(s) - say hi & move on.. & they'll likely do the same (minus the 'hi' lol - but they may acknowledge you with a lazy 'wassap' lift of their heads before diving back to their mulberry-tree feast..)🌳

(f)  Don't stick around to get a snapshot if it's close enough to lunge at you/ your camera:  you're already an unwanted intruder in its space, don't push your luck!  Best to keep your distance for photographing these gorgeous creatures- you can always zoom in..

'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?

TMX Reconsideration: Public Input..

For what it's worth, the BC Govt. was accepting public input to its 'Reconsideration of TMX' until March 1st -- results can be read on the publicly accessible list of comments, at this link:

 Projects.EAO.GOV.BC.CA

* NB: Govt. (unreasonably) specified that comments be limited to "Marine Shipping Category ONLY" -- just to throw everyone off & deter inevitable opposition, no doubt.. i.e. Exactly what you'd expect from irresponsible leaders that prefers to trick its public into agreeing to BILLION$ of OUR TAXES going to an uneconomical (Govt.-sponsored) project in a dying industry, one that's already been OPPOSED by the MAJORITY of BCers from the start, due to predictions it's bound to cause unmitigatable harms to our important biodiversity, natural ecosystems, salmon & marine wildlife.. even WITHOUT a disastrous spill, which itself is deemed "highly LIKELY" by the most legit & reputable scientific sources.

Following is my contribution to this 'Reconsideration' of Trans Mountain's Pipeline Expansion (TMX), for added reference points..

(BELOW THAT are copied-&-pasted public comments posted by a range of concerned contributors -- the majority of which, you may note, are overwhelmingly AGAINST building TMX -- for a wide range of strong reasons.. (Thank you to ALL who took time to add their own!

Starting with mine:

Sarah C.  (Feb. 16, 2021)

The NEB's dismissal of valid fears related to TMX's significantly increased shipping volumes - confirmed in Raincoast Foundation's painstakingly detailed initial (allowed) report - is unreasonable, considering TMX's early environmental assessment(s) projected significant (uncontested) increases in all marine-based activities -- activities which are already proven to be harmful to all BC's coastal marine wildlife species?!!

Equally worrisome reading the Draft 'Reconsideration' (hope I got that right!) is HOW the NEB can dismiss concerns raised regarding GHG emissions from Project-related marine shipping, based solely on Trans Mountain's own "..air quality assessment that predicted GHG emissions from Project-related marine shipping would be reduced as a result of new energy efficiency standards adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), of which Canada is a member state, and the proposed federal Clean Fuel Standard regulations". 

For TMX's own statement (which is what the NEB has used as its reasoning) to be valid, first you must ask, have ANY Cdn/BC actual recorded GHG levels been commensurate -- or even marginally aligned -- with any of the goals/ regulations/ standards set, by anyone (incl. Govt?)?  No.  Canada's actual GHG emissions have risen exponentially - & are expected to keep rising in spite of regulated standards if we don't drastically reduce our actual GHG output (& not just set more heightened 'goals' with fewer industry sectors' measures included!)  As such, Canada's regs/ standards are nothing more than optimistic fabrications at this point.  So TMX's predictions thereof -- which the NEB uses here as its own -- are not accurate or real or true by any measure, so cannot be taken as a good reason to exclude rising GHGs as a VALID CONDITION in this Reconsideration..

Equally valid are concerns expressed by Squamish Nation and the City of Vancouver re. TMX-related rise in "GHG emissions from increased vessel traffic, and upstream extraction activities and downstream combustion of extracted product leading to an increase in GHG emissions and exacerbating sea level rise".  So why does the NEB negate their input based on, in NEB's own words, "Trans Mountain's own view that since Project operations (excluding marine shipping) were not the subject of the NEB Reconsideration process, any amendments (thereto) 'are outside the scope of the provincial reconsideration process'"?  This process cannot possibly contain the required credentials/ scope/ standards to be considered valid if the NEB takes all its reasoning directly from Trans Mountain's own arguments & ADMITS this Reconsideration is too limited to be complete/ valid!!?

We're talking about the future extinction of our iconic native biodiversity - species as endemic as the Resident Orca whale, which is already being catastrophically harmed by EXISTING marine activities/ shipping in BC's coastal waters!!?  If THESE cataclysmic events are not included in this 'Reconsideration' due to arbitrary/ self-set limitations, where is proper accountability/ assessment/ reconsideration for the extreme harms TMX has already been proven to exacerbate in THOSE --ie. in ALL -- categories related to TMX??

Even more confusing, is the question of HOW it can possibly be deemed "unlikely" the very real possibility (according to already-uncontested analyses of TMX projections) of a spill by TMX in BC waters, when ordinary boats/ferries are known to have grounded & sunk & killed people as a result of sailing in these same waters WITHOUT the added risk of TMX's dangerous size & load(s)?   WITH them, it is extremely relevant & significant that there is NO KNOWN CLEANUP/ PRODUCT/ REMEDIAL CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO PROPERLY MITIGATE A SPILL OF THE TYPE OF MATERIAL TMX WILL BE SENDING FROM THE POLLUTING TARSANDS TO OUR COAST & THEN SHIPPING FROM (necessarily) ENLARGED PORTS THRU OUR SEAS TO CHINA, where (if arrived) it will be used in various polluting & toxic processes that will only ADD TO rising global GHG counts -- levels deemed disastrous by most measures (except, naturally, TMX's own team of - biased - assessors in their own product's Reconsideration!!??)

It's all too clear at this point on which side of this "Hearing" our own Govt sits, given the source cited (TMX) as basis for its hastily-arrived - NOT PROPERLY CONSULTED! - conclusions made in this oddly-named "Reconsideration" with parameters so narrow that most heartfelt (highly-wrought, by its very nature of fast-tracking functional extinction!!?) public input Govt will doubtless exclude as "irrelevant" to this specific sub-topic of a sub-category of a MEGA-PROJECT most of us --taxpaying public-- rejected outright from the start!

Given resultant previous Govt approvals of TMX despite the detailed dangers thereof outlined with careful scrutiny by our best related (REAL!) experts/ scientists, we've no reason to expect a positive outcome to THIS latest process ( = pretending to care what indigenous/ public responses say, while using them:   A. to appease the panicked public re. extreme spending on exiting fossil-fuel subsidies that render TMX -- NOT court-forced conditions -- IRRELEVANT & OBSOLETE... & B. to assess how to tailor their Final Approval so the lazy LCD majority will accept TMX with its "new" conditions..)   

In reality, the educated & knowledgeable minority know that construction of TMX will always be the clincher, ie. the fossilized & obsolete old pipeline that set climate change locked into its inevitable outcome that NOBODY will ultimately witness in the end.. (So TMX will have achieved its  widely-predicted genocidal result without accusation of its unmitigatable -wd?- catastrophic effects by a living soul!)  Or so they apparently hope, against all legit info/ records/ stats etc..

TMX's approval, regardless of conditions/limitations set, will guarantee the start of the end -- the darkest day in Canadians' if not humanity's entire history:  a mega-project with the highest price imaginable, that of destruction of all life on Earth!  (Well done, Govt & TMX - your children must be so proud of your devious designs to put our taxes into thwarting all future hope!)

With links to the following documents:

attach_fileBCWF-Response-to-Together-For-Wildlife-Document.pdf

attach_file2018-complicity-in-destruction.pdf

attach_file2019-climatechange-accountability-report-web (1).pdf

attach_fileBanking_on_Climate_Change__2020_vF.pdf

POSTED COMMENTS BY OTHER CONTRIBUTORS:

Anonymous

February 17, 2021

The consultation does not include informed prior consent from the Coast Salish People, this is in direct contradiction to UNDRIP which the Province of British Columbia is a signatory.

Anonymous

February 17, 2021

Please heed the non-consenting Indigenous communities’ objections. Please respect those who are directly impacted by this project. Please heed climate science. Please heed the warnings from studies that environmentalists are publishing about the irreversible impact on endangered species that can’t be rejuvenated (all for the sake of $$) and the ecological devastation that will follow a spill. Which can and DO happen. On land and at sea. Our land, our kids’ futures, species at risk and our environment matter to us even if they don’t matter to you. This is why we object and will continue to do so. This pipeline project is unconscionable. Imagine the difference that money could make if invested in green technology to protect the planet (and inhabitants)? Which will still be around (in altered form) long after the luxuries you pursue from the profits that make their way to your bank accounts have been realized.

Anonymous

February 17, 2021

The Draft Provincial Reconsideration Report fails to place strong conditions on Trans Mountain pipeline project. I do not see clear, measurable and enforceable rules set out in this report for many areas of concern and thus it does not do nearly enough to protect humans and other living beings residing on the coast against a potential spill. Below are some reasons I believe this to be true based on my reading of the report its outcomes for the BC provincial government: - BC is relying too heavily on the federal government for protective measures against the risks of the TMX project. The risk of a spill on this coast is far too serious to leave out the various pathways for action they will take to prevent a spill now. BC should set clear, measurable, and enforceable standards and rules now about what BC can and will do to regulate TMX to prevent a spill. - This report dismisses the concerns of affected First Nations groups, despite affected First Nations not giving free, prior and informed consent to this project. This is despite BC passing UNDRIP and committing to align all government policies with the principles set out in UNDRIP. The B.C. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act provides for the use of frameworks for joint decision-making yet there is no effort to utilize them in this report, essentially dismissing BC's own efforts for reconciliation as well as ignoring First Nations calls for free, prior, informed consent and accountability for Trans Mountain Expansion project that is being pushed through their unceded territories by the federal government. If BC truly cares about reconciliation it will stand up for these groups by leveraging UNDRIP to include First Nations groups in the decision making around this project and its effects. - There is thus a huge gap in addressing spill preparedness, essentially passing the buck to the federal government on this issue. We all have a responsibility to protect the coast on which we reside but as shorelines are a provincially managed ecosystem, BC should not be giving away its powers to the federal government to protect coastal ecosystems. I see no clarity about equipment, labour sourcing, training, how much oil will be cleaned up. If a spill occurs, which scientific evidence points to as very likely should this project go through, there will be irreparable harm to this coast and every being residing here. It is inexcusable not to use every power available to BC to plan for a spill now without relying heavily on the federal government. The health of the environment is the responsibility of all people, especially those in positions of power. - BC EAO should ensure that Trans Mountain issue a report on potential health impacts of a spill that include mental and social determinants of health and make certain that this report from Trans Mountain is turned into clear rules for preventative action, as well as ensure that the costs for preventative action are not paid for by the public. - There must be meaningful plans/framework put in place for post-spill remediation and recovery that respects Indigenous rights and titleholders, and that sets clear rules for post-spill damage and loss that address ecological, economic and social damages. Given the immense risk of this project I would hope to see the government not relying on a polluter pays principle, but in any case there must not be any room for polluters to evade their responsibilities in the event of a spill and there must be clear criteria and timelines for recovery put into place. - BC and BC EAO must make an effort to engage the public in a meaningful and accessible way. The 85 page report and its technical, scientific wording is a huge barrier to public participation and accountability. If the BC government truly cares about being accountable to the people of this province they must create a plain language report summary and plain language documentation on oil spill plans that is translated into many languages and that is make widely available as this is an issue that affects us all. The BC Government must not hide behind technical jargon and instead take on the burden of accountability for letting this risky, climate-change inducing pipeline project to be built on this coast.

Anonymous

February 17, 2021

Why is TMX allowed to reroute the pipeline through the Brunette River and destroy over 1300 trees in our urban forest? Why can’t we stop this madness?

Anonymous

February 16, 2021

Oh please said the trees, the squirrels, the salmon, the robins and crows, please save me. As you move from fossil fuel to green energy you know you won’t need this pipeline. Two legged have take so much. Leave this land as she is, you are smart two legged people think outside your box.

L Nicks, New Westminster, BC

February 16, 2021

Installing a new pipeline makes no sense either environmentally or financially. The environmental costs are obvious: destruction and contamination of water, land, flora and fauna; not to mention the danger to nearby residents or visitors to the area, specifically children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems or other chronic health issues. I notice that the proposed pipeline is not slated for areas like West Vancouver or Point Grey. It's only middle-class or poor neighborhoods that are being inflicted with this potential for widespread and long-term contamination. Don't tell me about precautions or X number of days without a spill. A spill will happen and it will be an environmental calamity. There have been too many spills on land and in the sea around the world as well as here in Canada for any guarantees to the contrary to make me feel reassured. In fact, one spill is too many. Financially, the pipeline makes no sense because we all know the oil and gas industry is dying. Green energy sources are becoming more and more successful in providing energy and jobs. Norway has divested itself of all oil and gas sources, its main source of income for decades. But for the sake of their own environment and the world's, Norway made a forward looking choice. Canada should do the same. Let's make the right choice and move towards a future of green energy.

Peter L, New Westminster, BC,

February 16, 2021

The Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline is opposed by millions of people, many Indigenous nations living along the pipeline route, and dozens of municipalities - including the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby. Tens of thousands have demonstrated against the Trans Mountain pipeline, year after year. If that wasn’t enough, now the Canadian government’s own oil regulator did the math and confirmed that the Trans Mountain pipeline is not only inconsistent with Canada’s climate commitments, but actually completely unnecessary. The United Nations has also called for governments around the world to slash fossil fuel production by 6% per year to have any hope of keeping their Paris climate commitments. That means no 👏 new 👏 pipeline👏 projects. With the Keystone XL pipeline now dead, the spotlight has immediately shifted to Trans Mountain. There’s still time to cancel this pipeline, and redirect the $10 billion still unspent to clean water and energy instead.

Anonymous

February 16, 2021

We are living in the decline of fossil fuels. World wide, countries are trying to reduce the use of fossil fuels because the risk to the world, including the oceans, is indisputable. Canada has the opportunity to be a leader in this, not a follower. Marine life, in particular, is threatened by the inevitable oil spill, and this is not properly addressed. Orcas and other ocean mammals need protection and if we don't provide it, nobody will. I do not want to see this pipeline built. Alberta's oil is heavy and dirty, and it's time to support the people of that province to change to a green economy. It's time to stop supporting a dying industry. This takes courage. For once, let's put life over profit.

Anonymous

February 15, 2021

This pipeline is in violation of First Nations treaties and the unceded territory’s. It is also in violation of UNDRIP. History has been repeated by this government by removing First Nations people from their land and the same treatment has occurred when they were first put on reserves. This is cultural genocide. This Transcanada pipeline has already shown previously that it can and WILL leak. How is it that you can put this pristine eco system at risk for a brief profit and temporary jobs. We moved here to BC because we thought that you were forward thinking ahead of the rest of Canada. Allowing this pipeline does not say that and it shows that profits are more important than the environment or people. This government has allowed the destruction of old growth forests to the point that it barely exists. We MUST protect the environment at ALL COSTS for all of nature, your children and you children’s children. No amount of reforming or reconsiderations is acceptable. I thought governments represented the people and not corporations ?! Once a spill occurs it will not matter what new technology is created the harmful effects will be there forever. Who will be responsible for the homes destroyed? Will the pipeline companies pay full restitution? The past has shown that they will not. Alberta already has a huge problem with abandon drills sites because the oil companies are doing nothing and will do nothing These younger people are our future don’t destroy the eco system, leave them with the things we have been fortunate enough to enjoy in our lifetime. Will everyone in the NEB take legal responsibility when (not if) the pipeline leaks destroy habitats, waters and ocean life for good ? If now who will be held responsible? https://thenarwhal.ca/topics/trans-mountain-pipeline/ https://thenarwhal.ca/canada-needs-more-pipelines-myth-busted/ https://thenarwhal.ca/opinion-keystone-xl-cancellation-canada-oil/ https://thenarwhal.ca/un-rebukes-canada-industrial-projects/ https://thenarwhal.ca/the-story-of-albertas-100-billion-well-liability-problem-how-did-we-get-here/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/10/31/keystone-pipeline-leaks-gallons-oil-second-big-spill-two-years/ https://canadians.org/sites/default/files/publications/EE-Safety-Briefing.pdf https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pipeline_accidents

Anonymous

February 3, 2021

It’s not too late to save our children and grandchildren’s future. By moving forward with this, you are robbing them of a chance to see whales and other endangered marine life. We can’t keep taking from the earth. Do the right thing and cancel TMX.

Anonymous

February 2, 2021

Unfortunately there is no way to attach sufficient requirements to this proposal. The risks to the marine environment are too high and the inability of the assessment to impose legally binding requirements on the tankers creates even more risk. While I understand that some people feel we should be using our natural resources until we've transitioned to renewable energy, I worry that the money being spent by our government to buy pipelines and subsidize the fossil fuel industry is a very poor investment. This money could have a much greater impact, and employ way more people, if it was invested in a green transition. Even our own government budget office understands that this pipeline does not make economic sense for our country. I believe the impacts to our coast line (another valuable resource) when a spill occurs are too great of a loss both economically and more importantly ecologically. We are already experiencing the impacts of climate change in Canada and the financial benefits this project will bring (if any) and minuscule compared to the costs of addressing climate disasters, not to mention the suffering we will all face as our world change before us. Furthermore, I believe our country has a long way to go to deliver on our responsibility of reconciliation with First Nations and this project undermines any of those efforts. I'm embarrassed that our country owns a pipeline at a time when so many countries around the world are taking steps to be leaders in addressing climate change. Saying that we all use and need oil is ludicrous. If more money was invested in renewables than in fossil fuel subsidies than we would have more choices available to us to stop using oil. Right now the government is supporting a monopoly on our energy and we have very little say. Please, I ask that those in charge of this process exercise whatever power they have to put an end to this short-sighted and dangerous project.

Anonymous

February 2, 2021

This does not make sense...we need to shift our thinking more towards climate action and not what we need as human! That thinking needs to stop we need to get renewable energy which is very possible and Affordable. We all know that’s the truth. Stop all the talking and ACT in order to save our planet and the future. Not spending more money for oil company’s to gain from. Our wild life animals are already paying the price. If anything has taught from COVID 19 is that we can as human live in harmony and live simple. Look at how many COVID dogs there are...we need animals. They don’t need us. They pay the price right away and ultimately we will too.

Anonymous

February 2, 2021

Please go forward with environmental, and creative solutions to energy creation that does not harm the planet or the sacred creatures that exist within it. TMX has no future that is sustainable for long term solutions. There are better options. Fossil fuels are on the way out. Just like coal. Surely this pandemic has shown the ingenuity of humanity. There are so many solutions. And each of us hold the key.

Anonymous

February 2, 2021

Cancel it.

Anonymous

February 2, 2021

A huge mistake if indeed it goes ahead. With our beautiful narrow Burrard Inlet already loading Oil from the existing pipeline, Sulphur and Potash a bit west we are desecrating the legacy for our future. Oil is on the way out. Lets find a better spot for its transfer to refineries in the USA and Asian countries. So, cancel or reroute it.

Mohamad Awada , Burnaby Mountain

February 2, 2021

I’m completely against of the TMX pipeline, because it’s going to impact our environment and our Burrard Inlet. And also it’s bad for BC, I fear the increased tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet will have the permanent, negative consequences to the local marine flora and marine wildlife. Every time I hear of orca spotting in the Inlet, I get sooo frustrated with the fact knowing these waters will be made inhospitable to them as the sound from ships increase and their food sources are disrupted. The increased tanker traffic will add carbon emissions to our community by continuously spewing emissions during the time in transit. The pipeline has little benefit to British Columbians, why should we even allow such a thing to go through our backyards. This is an decadent energy source the world is actively trying to move away from. For us in in BC, it’s all cost and no benefits, We as British Colombians we don’t want the pipeline twinning will require significant disruption to fragile ecosystems already recovered from the existing pipeline. Why build another one? If Alberta wants the profit, let them take the risk. By allowing the pipeline, we are enabling poor environmental practices and dependency on foreign companies to prop up an economy dependent on a failing commodity. No to TMX No to TMX.

attach_file762DF7B5-D06C-4650-B310-39B5ADDBBD4A.jpeg

Anonymous

February 2, 2021

You Can cancel TMX. You will destroy the coastline if you do not. You are living in a fantasy upsidedown world of you think otherwise.

Anonymous

February 3, 2021

I do NOT support this pipeline. We want fewer ships in our waters, not more. Direct funds away from this project, into sources of clean energy.

Anonymous

February 3, 2021

I am firmly opposed to the pipeline and will consider civil disobedience to obstruct it. We need to transition to a green economy as fast as possible. The money we are wasting on Site C should be spent on a renewable energy economy. Drastic action is called for. Absolutely NO more pipelines!

Anonymous

February 3, 2021

This is a terrible new pipeline given that we need to start reducing oil consumption. And Bitumen is toxic, spills would create huge environmental damage. So anything that can be done to make it safer is great but best option is that somehow it gets stopped.

Anonymous

February 3, 2021

I am firmly opposed to the pipeline and will consider civil disobedience to obstruct it. We need to transition to a green economy as fast as possible. Drastic action is called for. Not more pipelines!

Anonymous

February 4, 2021

Oil is dead, dying and killing our planet whether you're talking GHG emissions, plastics in our oceans or poisons in our air and tailing ponds. The only reason it's not gone from our lives is due to lobbyist, subsidies and cronyism. We need to invest in a green recovery before it's truly too late. Which side of history do you want to be on?

Anonymous

February 3, 2021

The money being funneled into pipeline expansions and increasing the production of fossil fuels in Canada should be spent on renewable energy like solar, geothermal, battery technology , and others. Canada needs to be a leader in climate change policy, not following our neighbors to the south. Canadian jobs can be created to create energy for Canadians, not to ship oil and gas to foreign countries. Shipping these products in sensitive marine environments can and will have dire consequences on the ecosystems.

Anonymous

February 3, 2021

Going ahead with the project is madness. They should cut their losses. There is no future in oil. The damage that it WILL cause will be catastrophic and irreparable. Put our tax money into producing hemp made plastics not oil made plastics. Once the damage is done... it’s over. No clean water or food = sick humans = massive cost to healthcare system = massive cost to government. People often complain about job losses due to turning our back on oil, but if you turn towards better environmental options, it creates jobs. Growing pains hurt, but you have to grow because there is no choice and you come out the other end stronger. We will only be weaker if we encourage the oil industry.

Kevin D Lessor (Engineer), Powell River B.C.

February 4, 2021

I think public and private stakeholders should get together on a project that allows the TMX to come to Burnaby and build one or two fractionators and refine our own bunker c.In doing this you can sell all the byproducts .Which will bring other business to process by value added to the byproducts of the process.The fuel we produce will be sold locally.By consuming what we process there will be little to no tanker traffic on the inside straight.

Anonymous

February 4, 2021

STOP THIS PROJECT NOW. Yes that will be expensive. FAR MORE EXPENSIVE, in many ways, , would be the damage done to ecosystems, wildlife, water, tourism, and human health. Yes the oil companies will scream. Let them scream. The day of their dominance has to cease. The pro-oil, pro-carbon, pro-fossil days are OVER OVER OVER. Yes it will be expensive to compensate, to change, to alter old habits. SPEND THE MONEY! ITS MY MONEY YOU”RE SPENDING AND THAT IS FINE BY ME. Don’t give in to the oil barons.

Anonymous

February 4, 2021

I am a resident of Vancouver, a student of the environment at UBC, and I stand against the TMX expansion. It would be an awful blow to all aspects of the environment and work against BC's sustainability mission.

Anonymous

February 4, 2021

Do not build this pipeline.

Anonymous

February 4, 2021

It should not be done. The damage it will cause will be detrimental to our lands and sea life.

Eric Pahal, Vancouver

February 4, 2021

Ignorance is bliss? The slightest bit of real research indicates that our only chance of preventing climate change is halting fossil fuel projects identical to this.

Adrian Hunt, Kelowna, BC

February 4, 2021

No pipeline, please!! Gas is passe. The era of diesel is over. Capitalism does not help most people. You are Immoral to pushing forward such a violent act upon the earth and its inhabitants.

Anonymous

February 5, 2021

I understand that the province does not have the ability to cancel the pipeline extension, but wish to express my position that it should NOT be extended. The oil and gas business is not what we as a nation should be investing in. If we are to make any kind of impact on lessening our devastation of the environment, we need to start investing NOW in renewable resources. I didn't see anything specific in the proposed amendments that would require the TMX companies to provide up-front funds that would go towards remediating any kind of pipeline spill. They should be required to PAY UP-FRONT for what is sure to happen at some point. It's not a matter of 'if', but a matter of 'when'. The same can be said for the tankers that will take away the bitumen. We KNOW that at some point there will be a spill. Our waters, our wildlife, and the citizens that live on the coast will all pay for that. The companies making the profits from these projects should be MADE to pay into a fund to remediate the effects of these disasters to come. They should pay up-front, because we all know that when things go wrong they will just declare bankruptcy and escape from their responsibilities.

Anonymous

February 5, 2021

We do not need a pipeline or tankers in British Columbia’s lands or waters. Both would cause major destruction and devastation to our environment, habitat of wildlife, mammals and plant species. Canada should be forward thinking and investing in clean energy projects. Study Europe and instead of depleting our natural resources, protect them.

Anonymous

February 5, 2021

This pipeline should not be built. The increase in oil tanker traffic poses a significant risk to our marine and terrestrial environments as well as disrupts the visual beauty of the areas that they would be harboured. Additionally, projects that are based on non-renewable resources such as this are antiquated and need to be replaced by ones that are based on renewable sources of energy. Such drastic shifts are required if we, as a country, are truly serious about combating climate change.

Anonymous

February 5, 2021

All governments need to respect Indigenous people and their land. We don't need pipelines, we need solar/wind, etc... Yes natural gas is supposedly green but look at the damage pulling it out of the earth! Shame on all you nasties pushing pipelines.

Janette Sperber, Victoria BC

February 5, 2021

Please reject and prohibit any aspects of pipeline expansion that threaten endangered species or degrade critical habitats.

Anonymous

February 6, 2021

We need to follow the scientific evidence and not increase our fossil fuel infrastructure. I am not in favour of this or any fossil fuel pipeline.

Deborah Jackson, Vancouver

February 6, 2021

Given the total disregard for indigenous lands, as well as the lack of need for further extraction or transportation of fossil fuels, the pipeline should NOT even be built. The thought that the BC Government would even consider compromising our fragile and unique marine life system to accommodate said pipeline is UNACCEPTABLE.

Anonymous

February 6, 2021

Stop building and expanding this pipeline. Stop wasting our tax dollars supporting this. Stop letting Alberta and the Federal government put our local environment, indigenous communities and people at risk. Oil and gas is done, move on to investing in sustainable energy sources instead. If you want to create more jobs in the province, start investing in companies that support the protection of our coast and rivers.

Jess, Burnaby

February 7, 2021

As a city that prides its self on its natural beauty and brings in millions of dollars in ecotourism yearly, is there really an argument for more tanker traffic in the harbour? Never mind the fact that we’ve reached peak oil and that the extraction and processing of tar sands oil is hardly even economically viable at this point, let alone 20 years from now. Let the environment be. I’d be so pleased to see investment in a diverse range of renewable resources. I stand firmly against trans mountain pipeline expansion project.

Anonymous

February 7, 2021

First and most importantly, this project does not have consent from Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, and Musqueam peoples, whose unceded ancestral land this project is proposed (and imposed) upon. These nations have said “no” to the project and continuing without consent is another offence towards Indigenous peoples, on top of a history of abuse and oppression. The project itself is not a benefit of BC’s interests, nor Canada’s long-term prosperity. This is a lossy, wasteful development that should be stopped. The risk of harm to the environment, waterways, marshlands, wildlife, and humans far outweighs the short-term economic benefit.

There is nothing about this project that protects the land that is being badly affected as the pipeline moves through this Province. This heavy bitumen is the last thing to move over water. In the protection of the whales and sealife in our area: no oil! In light of our coming years of moving away from this disastrous product this is just foolish. You cannot claim to protect our environment by pursuing this oil meets water. Lastly, what about the tankers that you have no control over - noise pollution, water pollution. The idea of continuing this way of moving thick oil or any oil over water is beyond ridiculous.

Anonymous

February 7, 2021

This project was untenable at its inception as the world looked at ways to combat climate change. Now with the Biden government in place and the situation even more dire for climate change, it is absolutely lunacy to build this pipeline. Time to invest in green jobs instead of holding on to the oil sands, time to develop sustainable practises instead of holding on to antiquated technology. Stop this insanity and move to the future.

Anonymous

February 7, 2021

As a environmental toxicology researcher at Simon Fraser University, I have seen the data on the state of our environment as of now. There is NO way the Salish seas can handle more oil tanker traffic. The J pod orcas are holding on by a thread!! They were just starting to regain strenght but only due to a decrease in tanker traffic. Our oceans and air is already polluted. Our environment cannot tolerate anymore pollution! This pipeline will seriously endanger the lives and health of people and the environment! Why are we still investing in oil!??? Could we not have used the 4.9 billion invested in this pipeline to find alternative and sustainable sources of energy?? That could have created thousands of jobs too. Jobs that would also be sustainable into the future unlike the oil industry. Make the changes to the NEB report but be honest, it's an excuse for the BC government to say they tried to do something. We all know what these reports just cost money and are riddled with bureaucratic bullsh*t. I will fight against the TMX pipeline with every fiber of my being and SO SHOULD THE BC GOVERNMENT! You can do better than amending a report, come on.

Simon W Tallboy, DUNCAN

February 7, 2021

I am very much against this project and I am very disappointed the Federal Government approved it. The oil industry is a sunset industry, and spending money on it is a lost opportunity to move forwards on solutions to the crisis we are facing. The fact that industry didn't want to spend the money to finish it should be a warning sign. The oil industry is aware that the worldwide demand is likely to be declining, they call it "Demand Destruction". The fact that the largest players in the industry like Shell now refer to themselves as Energy companies rather than Oil companies should also have given the Government some pause. They people running these companies aren't stupid, and the fact they seem to have a clearer picture of the future than our Government is really concerning. I feel the risk to the environment is too great, especially the marine environment in my immediate area. It seems to me the economic impact of a spill in the Salish Sea would greatly out weigh the benefits of the pipeline. The life of the pipeline is unlikely to be long enough to make the investment worth while. This money could have been spend on greener tech, grants to improve efficiencies to peoples homes, solar, heat pumps etc to lower energy usage. I also feel that increasing shipping is a problem not only for the local environment, but also the larger environment as the shipping and airline industries burn a lot of fuel and seem to do very little to improve their carbon foot print. I'm afraid that we will have a spill and discover that the response is lacking and the damage overwhelming. I'm also disappointed the lip service given to reconciliation in the face of objections from many of the local indigenous people on the coast. I also feel the Government is marketing the idea that the revenue from the pipeline will fund green projects. I feel that they should have invested in the green projects and left the pipeline to the industry. I do not believe this pipeline will lead to lasting employment. The industry is investing heavily in automation, so I do not see new jobs there. And their response to leaks from existing pipelines has been poor at best. I feel that the current American leadership is likely to do more for the Climate Crisis than our Government is, and that is disappointing. I think the resources they will spend on this Sunset industry would be better spent elsewhere, but that is unlikely to happen. simon Tallboy