My Letter to BC Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar 'et al'

 

As someone who is deeply concerned about the dangerous direction of the BC Govt & MSM vis-a-vis the perilous state of BC's globally-rare rainforest ecosystems, I wrote the following letter in support of a (Govt-promised) Biodiversity & Ecosystem Health law - via the locally-based non-profit Neighbours United.  ( Be sure to add your name to their related petition at this link:  Add your name - Defend our home - Neighbours United )  Here's my letter: 

Dear Ministers Neill, Parmar and Premier Eby,

As a born & bred BCer I've been advocating for biodiversity & ecosystem protection for literally years, having learned firsthand the heart-sinking outcomes of govt. policies that blatantly ignore Science & give logging ops free rein to wipe out whole wildlife habitats with frighteningly efficient clearcutting, spraying with deadly chemicals & other last-century industrial norms that should be banned by now.

In Maple Ridge, the latest result of your govt's inaction sticks out like an open wound:  a giant clearcut adjacent to Dewdney Trunk Rd that's suddenly eliminated an entire stretch of forest - along with all its Climate-protecting/ wildlife-sustaining assets - just in time for summer (/'fire season').  Making the drive is now a torturous reminder of your govt's dereliction of duty that allowed this to happen ON YOUR WATCH..

So my worries for BC's future have only intensified, seeing the (predicted & well-warned) disastrous effects of govt's reckless doubling-down on egregious status-quo 'Talk-and-log' hypocrisy serving corporate profits over BCers' best interests AS ELECTED PUBLIC SERVANTS!

As such, you must be aware of the dangerous ongoing drought emergency across BC - directly caused & exacerbated by harmful ecocidal policies furthered by your govt.  And I shouldn't have to remind you of pre-election promises to apply the Old-growth Strategic Review report's recommendations for forestry reforms - marked 'URGENT' with good reason, i.e. per scientists' findings commissioned by your govt!  ON TOP OF good-faith election declarations to legislate Species At Risk protection within B.E.H.F. (Biodiversity & Ecosystem Health Framework)??

Reneging on these measures in favour of inaction is a huge betrayal by your govt. -  UNACCEPTABLE IN FACT!   It's as if we've been abandoned - denied decision-making rights+++ - by glib officials who openly pander to U.S./ multi-nat'l/ billionaire corporate lobbyists:  NOT what BC needs or wants!  No wonder your corrupt Conservative 'opponents' have gained undue support from gullible BCers who are understandably disappointed by your obvs. lack of caring or leadership.

The only way to make this right is to honour your intentions & prioritize B.C.'s globally-rare natural ecosystems, now & in future, by getting back to work on 'Just Transition':  finalizing legislation of BC's Species at Risk act, applying the OldGrowth Strategic Review recommendations & ratifying our urgently-needed B.E.H.F. laws = PROVEN SOLUTIONS for a thriving future.  Making deals with U.S. billionaires tied to Trump's resource-grabbing sweeps are NOT THE WAY TO MAKE CANADA STRONG!

I must also strongly suggest you put new rules in place that restrict the corrupting influence of corporate lobbyists on govt law-making, by limiting their unaccountable access to MPs' official duties.

Thank you very much,

[SaRah ChesTeRman]

On EncounTeRing BEARS.. by a seasoned BC nature-lover

[Re-published from July 21, 2021]

I was compelled to write this in response to disturbing reports of (what should be rare) attacks by bears on humans here in BC's Lower Mainland - the worst part of which, for me, has been subsequent interviews with 'attackees' revealing they'd followed common advice they'd read in the media.

I can't help being concerned that irresponsible misinformation is so widely dispensed.  As a hiker/ naturalist BCer for whom encountering bears - in the wilderness & at home - is an almost daily summer occurrence, I feel the need to set the record straight.. & hopefully prevent any more unnecessary attacks!

First, let's debunk the most obvious falsehood making the rounds: the "make-lots-of-noise-to-scare-off-a-bear-as-soon-as-you-spot-one" approach.  In my experience, this tactic is much likelier to provoke a bear attack than anything!  This is borne out in at least one recently-reported attack on a camper, 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 bad advice in the first place, chances are the encounter would have been uneventful.

Making yourself visible to a bear - without making unnecessary noise - is, I've found, the best & easiest way to ensure any encounters with bears are incident-free.  Usually bears will either keep doing what they're doing, or turn & amble off in the opposite direction as soon as they see you.

It helps to know that bears are considered 'apex predators' (although black bears - most often seen here - are the shyest & least predatory of all bears).  Which brings us to the next misconception rattled off in the rags:  that mama bears are especially vicious with their young in tow.  Of course mama bears are protective of their cubs.  But unlike prey mammals (eg. deer/ mice) bears live a relatively threat-free existence; hence their laid-back demeanor.  That doesn't mean a mama won't lash out if you try to approach and/or lure one of her roly-poly cuddle-cubs (which is not only illegal; it's dumb AF!)  But as long as you keep to yourself, you won't be seen as a threat.

*  *  *  *

Bears' biggest threat is habitat loss by human industries like logging, as they need intact old-growth forests to thrive & hibernate in dens over winter.  Join groups like Wilderness Committee & Sierra Club & Wildlife Foundation to help campaign our govts to prioritize BC nature & #SaveOldGrowth & #SpeciesAtRisk+++. & vote for the party that serves peops not pulluters:  i.e. GREENS. (The rest are corrupt/ criminal)

*  *  *  *

Another thing to remember is that bears are omnivores, so they'll get used to eating whatever's most abundant & available - including human food, unfortch.  It's sad when people think it's OK to offer food to wild bears - despite being repeatedly WARNED NOT TO FEED WILDLIFE. Inadvertently (by leaving garbage accessible/ BBQs uncleaned etc.) or not, feeding wildlife can quickly turn them into nuisances, & more likely to be killed by authorities.

So it's CRITICAL to keep your home & yard free from food, scraps or waste - & to NEVER offer food to a bear:  once they equate humans with reliable food sources, they lose their fear of people & will return to the same spot yearly 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 DO startle a bear at close range (uncommon, as their hearing is better than ours - & with their excellent vision they'll probably see you first & will likely lumber away) DON'T make lots of noise - that may provoke her!  It's best to STAY CALM & let her wander off.  If she doesn't, or moves toward you, don't panic.  Back out of her way, while talking in a low steady voice & facing her the whole time.. without making a fuss!

Bears are experts at sensing fear & threats:  as long as you don't run at it or start screaming or some other startling behavior, bears will in most cases go about their business & ignore you (unless you have unwrapped food on you - NOT recommended!)  Chances are, they've a date with a berry bush/ mulberry tree top of mind & won't be easily deterred:  give it a wide berth/ get outa the way & you should be OK!

After countless positive encounters with bears, I can vouch for these tips to ensure your (& bears') safety here in  Bear Country:

(a) REMAIN CALM at all times. 

(b) Remember you're in their territory (even at home), so be aware & respectful always - of ALL wildlife.  If you have fruit trees they can access, leave them alone if you don't mind bears on your property (you can't blame them for finding their very fave desserts to eat!)  Believe me, coexisting is your least stressful option - & bonus:  they're fun to watch from afar. 

(c) When on hikes/ walks in the woods, never stray from designated paths & walkways.  Talk in a normal voice to alert bears of your presence.  Just like you, bears can find loud obtrusive noises irritating, esp. around their young.  From their p.o.v. the goal is to silence the noise - by attacking it!

(d) Just because a bear lumbers away on first seeing you, doesn't mean it's afraid:  it's instinctual.  So if you try & intimidate a bear by confronting it/ imitating it/ roaring loudly/ standing up to it (as some dumb sites advise) the bear may take your behavior as a challenge/ threat, & be provoked to attack! 

(e) Keep all food well-wrapped, & use bear-proof bins & garbage cans outdoors.  At home, decommission bird feeders & bring indoors until fall, when bears go to hibernate over winter.

(f) The main thing to keep in mind is:  yes bears are bigger & stronger than you, but their chief concerns are food (& more food) & their own families.  As long as you don't deter their access/ attention to either, there's no need to freak when encountering bears - say hi & move on.. & they'll likely do the same (even acknowledge you with a lazy 'wassap' nod before resuming as before)🌳

(g)  DON'T push your luck by trying to get a snapshot if it's close enough to lunge at you/ your camera:  you're still a potential intruder in its space!  Best to keep your distance when photographing these gorgeous critters - you can always ZOOM IN.  Or wait until next time, when you're more prepared.

Ksi Lisims LNG: the ugly truth

Despite overwhelming pushback of more than 500 public written submissions, the BC EAO (BC Environment Assessment Office) has fast-tracked approval for the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG project, promoted by the BC govt as a 'joint venture with the Nisga'a Nation' (but is in fact 100% owned by Texas-based Western LNG).  The Ksi Lisims project would be a floating LNG plant (built in Korea!) situated at the north end of Pearse Island in the Nass River estuary on Nisga’a land.

The plant requires the construction of a massive pipeline - the previously approved (but not-yet built) Prince Rupert Gas Transmission line (PRGT), which was originally intended to supply the Pacific NorthWest LNG project abandoned by Petronas - to transport fracked methane gas from northeastern BC to the terminal for liquefaction before shipment to Asian markets.

Methane, the primary component of fossil gas, emits fugitive emissions that rank as the second-largest contributor to rising global temperatures, following C02.  These emissions occur throughout the entire lifecycle of LNG, from fracking & flaring to the liquefaction process & transportation.

[To give an idea of the EAO's application requirements for large projects, check out this link & gasp in disbelief at the 100+ pages of details & oversights this project had to satisfy for approval:
FRX_DRAFT_Application_Information_Requirements_12Jan2026_PCP.pdf (skepticism allowed - nay, expected!)]

Feedback on the project's EAO includes:  Concerns over greenhouse gas emissions from the project, impacts on the marine environment & Nass River salmon, impacts of increased tanker traffic on whales & other environmental impacts.

As the PRGT pipeline crosses Gitksan Naton territory, the Gitksan Watershed Authorities' submission stands out: “The project application does not seem to have adequately addressed or even characterized the impacts to Gitksan interests & rights. Lacking proper aquatic baseline information for assessment and evaluation is a major concern. [..]  We call on the BC Environmental Assessment Office and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to take the time to engage with the Gitksan and address Gitksan Watershed Authorities concerns with this proposed project before approving it.”

The Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition wrote, “Approximately 150 annual tanker visits for LNG transport through the proposed facility pose potential risks to whale species in frequented waters."

In its submission, the City of Terrace’s Economic Development office says the LNG Canada development in Kitimat has resulted in increased economic activity for Terrace, but that it has generally been negative for the city, as the increased activity has strained city services without providing any additional revenue.

“The City of Terrace sees its role as a hub as detriment to Terrace and especially the quality of life for its residents,” the office writes in its submission. “Being the hub has allowed for massive inflation in professional and retail services, a strain on municipal infrastructure like roads, refuse disposal, lodgings and housing.

“Some might see this influx as a key economic driver but it has actually been the opposite.."

[EAO info from an article by Nelson Bennett at www.biv.com: 
B.C. environmental review gets earful against Nisga'a's Ksi Lisims LNG - Business in Vancouver]

Gitanyow Nation's input is even more pointedly critical of Ksi Lisims.  Quoted from their website ():  "This callous decision to proceed with the environmental review without adequate consideration of the project's potential impacts on salmon, climate, and Indige3nous sovereignty is a glaring betrayal of trust," said Simogyet Malii/Glen Williams. "British Columbia's refusal to engage meangingfully with our concerns and immediately participate in Gitanyow's Wilp Sustainability Assessment Process is an insult."  (For more info go to  www.gitanyowchiefs.ca)

Dogwood BC's website section on Ksi Lisims is equally scathing, as these articles show: B.C. can have affordable, renewable power – or LNG (with the sub-heading: "Clean energy offers peace, prosperity and political sanity.  Oil companies plan to steal it.") & Epstein, Trump … and Mark Carney’s Ksi Lisims LNG - Dogwood with the sub-heading "Backlash builds as Liberals try to fast-track American-owned gas project"  Their website includes letter-writing opportunities for public input to the BC Govt, eg. PM Carney: no taxpayer subsidies for American billionaires! - Dogwood - from which I include my own (edited) version here - & encourage you to visit & provide your own...

Dear recipient's full name will go here,

Please don’T give my tax $ to American billionaires!

I am appalled that the Wall Street sickos who bankrolled Jeffrey Epstein & Donald Trump are hoping for a special gift :  billions of dollars from Canada’s Liberal govt!!

The Ksi Lisims LNG project would be 100% American-owned & built in Korea, then floated over & hooked up to an American-built pipeline on the B.C. coast.  Since the project’s Texas owner is struggling to find buyers for the gas, or banks willing to loan money for construction, that’s where we come in.

By adding Ksi Lisims to his “fast-track” list, PM Carney hopes to “de-risk” this project with OUR tax dollars, & convince Wall St to invest!  It’s a plan that would steal money from job-creating projects in Canada, jack up our utility bills & increase U.S. control of our energy resources.

I can’t think of a worse use of public money than giving Wall Street billionaires huge subsidies for an American-owned gas terminal in BC!

Please confirm you will be opposing any taxpayer handouts to the Ksi Lisims LNG proposal.  Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Saz Marguerite Chesterman
Vancouver, BC

This page's images are screenshots of others' websites, credited above - any copyrights belong to them. 

FortisBC's TiLBURY 2 LNG expansion project: Official Public commentary

(My public comment on FortisBC's Tilbury 2 LNG expansion)

[Sign handmade by me ©️Saz-C]

Besides Tilbury LNG's significant cumulative effects and fundamental flaws - including  Project splitting, Failure to address GHG targets, Methane emissions 86X deadlier than C02, Lack of data on Economic viability, Marine shipping impacts incl. likely extinction of southern resident killer whales and salmon populations, Impacts on Indigenous rights and title - my chief concerns address your govt's baseless hopes that future LNG sales will justify BC's expanded natural gas production - along with the assertion (echoed by PM Justin Trudeau) that BC produces “the world’s cleanest natural gas.”

*  *  *

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

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

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

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

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

*  *  *

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

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

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

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

*  *  *

The Natural Resources Defense Council states:

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

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

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

*  *  *

It is clear therefore that FortisBC is intent on inflicting a dirty polluting megaproject on hapless Lower Mainland residents, which will inevitably cause major health problems and bring deadly risks - especially to the thousands living near Tilbury 2's proposed plant amidst a densely populated, traffic-congested area.  The perspective of this risky industrial outfit, from the p.o v. of those living in immediate and surrounding areas, has barely been addressed in FortisBC's application.  It's as if the inevitable increased dangers and pollution - along with bad health, lower property values and reduced quality of life - do not matter to FortisBC.  And that is unacceptable.

In addition, the EAO has taken steps to ignore clear evidence of project splitting, and has accepted unsubstantiated and misleading representations made by FortisBC about the supposed benefits - climate-related and otherwise - of the Tilbury 2 project.  For further relevant information about this project's impacts, please refer to the following article from the In-sights blog by a long-time BC citizen:

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

I implore you to carefully consider the overwhelming effects and deadly risks of this LNG expansion project on BC's future - particularly as located in the midst of an already-congested high-density urban area.  Even without the risks of a catastrophic accident or failure, and before production is up and running, the effects of its construction alone would be deleterious in the extreme.

Accordingly, please do the right thing and reject FortisBC's Tilbury 2 project application.

Thank you very much.

SaRah (SaZ) ChesTeRman

A Simple Tweak to Drastically Improve Life for Every Single Species on Earth..

Although I’m 'in recovery' from the Comments sections of mass-media sites like ‘Instagram’ & ‘X’, I'm a dedicated 'Deep Green' activist / environmentalist who's always seeking opportunities to broaden my Nature knowledge & disseminate Science-based solutions to the biodiversity / climate / extinction crisis we humans have brought on ourselves..

So far, hands down the most critical component of saving Life on Earth is CONSERVATION - & restoration of Nature's functions AT ALL COSTS. “Giving up” is not an option! Leaving our future up to the evil last-century perpetual-growth leaders, moneymongers, oligarchs & space-travel charlatans already holding us back from making a doable hopeful future is SELFISH & SUICIDAL — & tells our kids life’s not worth saving!

But it’s delusional thinking we can accomplish this & set a better course for humanity while continuing to blindly plunder & rape healthy intact ecosystems just to maintain the illusion that our lavish wasteful lifestyles are flawless ‘sacred cows’ that can’t be improved. They can - & musT - improve.. by deconstructing / laying bare / UPDATING perceived factors of the Good Life, STARTING WITH OUR UNNECESSARY USE OF NON-HUMAN ANIMALS!

Science shows animal agriculture is the 2nd-largest contributor to human-made GHGs after fossil fuels — & leading cause of deforestation, air/water pollution & biodiversity loss, comprising 44% of anthropogenic methane emissions — 34X more potent than C02 — & 44% of nitrous oxide (the most potent GHG) AND is the largest contributor to global water pollution. That’s just part of its heavy footprint..

I.E. We drastically need to lighten the strain animal ag puts on Earth’s finite resources. Replacing dairy/meat with plant-sourced foods would reduce C02 emissions alone from the industry by 96%, to just 73 pounds of CO2e.

Not only that, but plant-based diets are much healthier for humans, with our long winding intestines (opposite of carnivores’ short GI tracts) — ask any doc/naturopath! I switched long ago, & it’s easily the best change I’ve ever made.

We can’t just IGNORE the Science of CO2's/ ecocide’s/ GHGs’/ pollution’s effects on global warming — & saying “it’s too late anyway” & letting govts get away with murder serving polluters instead of people is a morally destitute way of sabotaging all efforts to ensure a liveable future! We must find ways to organize & get this info OUT THERE to as many peops as humanly possible, so everyone can make a difference for Earth's future... ESP. for the non-human creatures that face imminent extinction if we don't ACT to save their natural wild habitats..

This is basic knowledge that kids should learn at school - yet don't, prob cuz Big Oil & other extractive industries have even co-opted our kids' education (the latest pamphlet touting LNG as a "sustainable" energy source is almost laughable it's so chock-full of lies... (We must get back to caring for - stewarding - our natural ecosystems as 1st Nations did for thousands of years.  Tho sadly, much of their knowledge was stripped by Residential Schools per the early BC govt's evil agenda..)

Ironically, our present govt leaders are in many ways much more corrupt than before, pretending to serve BCers' needs while catering to polluting mega-corporations' profits.. 

So it's left to us to galvanize & make the needed changes to prevent the worsening of  catastrophic climate change, together with the scientists who have the answers.    Going vegan en masse is the obvious way to rein in  & shut down exploitation  & extraction of finite resources that must remain alve & intact (protected) if we hope to have a future..

(The alternative is unthinkable.)

Shots of Sumallo Grove old-growth forest biôme in Manning Park, which is critically at risk of species extirpation, wildfire spread+++ - & California's fires warn of what could happen here if we lazily keep pounding the same-old Road to Ruin that's directly led us to this crisis:  without widespread awareness combined with proacTion, our kids don't stand a chance..

A TRUMPiAN TRaVESTY (updated poem I began Aug.'20 - last edited Jan.'25)

WHAT's HAPS in da USA y'aLL?

(Here's my take)

a C.H.A.R.A.D.E.

PRoudLy fabRicaTed in the USA

by MAGA-pushing cuLTisT cLones

in whose TRaiLeR TRAP is perched their

ECO-CRASHING KING OF CRAP

(LowesT Low-LiFe POTUS),

his GREED PARADE seen TRoLLing streets, Tweeting Tweets, RoLLing over

Rights of Peops.. & TRaiLing TRash thru

eveRy STATE he meeTs:

(A cavaLcade of CREEPS)

But that was THEN & this, retardedly, is NOW:

  For better? NO FOR WORSE!

1st TeRM was just a dRiLL to soften

 all the No-Minds of the 50 states

 (while GUTTing eveRy Eco-Law T could

 lay his tiny paws on)

& he found it'S'EEAZY bein' Top Dog as a

wiLLing COG

in a system gone insanely ROGUE!

But HOW could any self-respecting NaTioN

LET this MENACE even RUN THE RACE

with all the skills & talent

that it takes?

(Ask an average Joe-Bob & you'll hear

"Trump is funny!" OR "he's COOL!"

but NOT ONE SANE/SMART REASON

offered by those FOOLS!)

Either most Americans are LAZY,

or they've Lost the yen (and/or ability)

to discern what's CRAZY -

(Why else would they be HAPPY to be Led like Lemmings

down the Road to Ruin by a vengeful EX

with an axe to grind

who'd stop @ nothing to advance

the sick ambitions of his mind?)

Thanks to the GOP, the Orange Fop had his circus reinstalled under the Big Top

using billion$ from Musk to make the

MAGA message POP -

And anyone who stopped to question

THIS old F'ELon's 2nd RUN

might upset the apple-cart & have their

iLL-goT gains

D-ROP'!

Seems Americans WERE PRIMED

to bend into submission to the new-age FascisTs

of the modern FAR RIGHT-WING

(the corporate 'elite' of criminals who run things -

Culprits of the Climate Change that's put

us aLL in periL -

WHO SHOULD BE MADE TO PAY!)

Guess THAT's a pipe-dream, now that DT's back to lay Round 2 on all his 'frenemies'

the Dems, who coulda SHAMED the

Orange CLown into obLivion

- BUT INSTEAD made K's campaign (of All Things Nice) more fuel for T's misogyny!

Dems' sudden moral high-ground

& reluctance to fighT

Meant LOSING the election of their life..

So half the States at leasT

now live in fear of 4 long years

with that dishonest PUTZ as Prez, hoping

that he'll bungle - Big-Time - AS B4

(Nothing like experience to teach us what to plan for!)

Since they can't go back & make it right

it's turned into

a truly Trumpian catastrophe.

(I couldn't make this stuff up if I TRIED!)

 Now don'T y'all say I've ever LiED..

--SaZ-C

My input on BC's 'B.E.H.F.' draft - Spring 2024

Here's my official input on the draft BC Biodiversity & Ecosystems Health Framework - to be finalized in Spring 2024.  If you care about saving BC's (fast-dwindling, due to clearcut logging & overdevelopment) wildlife habitats -- & who doesn't -- please write to the BC Govt to let them know your views (though the deadline has passed, it wasn't well publicized).  I've included the Ministry's reply below it)

To: biodiversity.ecosystemhealth

Ministry of Water, Land & Resource Stewardship (Ministry of WLRS)

Re:  DRAFT B.C. BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH FRAMEWORK

.

Please include this letter as my input on your well-intentioned Biodiversity (BEHF) framework currently before us.

I had a whole lengthy, carefully researched & well-worded essay -- on which I'd spent hours compiling, duly including points as recommended by the hard-working eco-orgs of which I am a member & remembering to commend your Govt's upstanding efforts in drafting the BEHF.

But I've deleted it, recognizing my optimism felt entirely false -- & my well-considered arguments were mostly repeats of other heartfelt letters I've directed to your offices 'ad infinitum', ever since your BC-NDP Govt was elected in 2017 on promises of Climate action & --yes-- protection of our invaluable ecosystems against Big-Industry extractive pipelines & projects that your leader(s) vehemently denounced & vowed to oppose "using all the tools available"... or some such pre-election hype from your party's promo toolbox..

And it's been one giant disappointment after another observing the reality of your Govt's non-progress on aLL its avowed plans/ promises on Climate action -- ESP. your constant scathing & very vocal derision of the newly-hated Clark-led Liberals, amid non-stop claims that the BC-NDP were different & would overturn the Libs' reckless pro-pollution policies & champion publicly-clamored Climate action instead, like heroes!

How wrong we've been to keep hoping for a sign that our love of, & pride in, "Super, Natural" BC's clean waters, iconic wildlife habitats & globally-rare ancient forests was shared (& protected) by our new Govt!

Instead, despite overwhelming growing public support for fresh new nature-restoring -- desperately-needed -- paradigms of Climate-balancing/ forest-protecting/ wildlife-conserving laws & policies that brought hope for a better, more sustainable future (bolstered by many letters of encouragement to 'do the right thing') your Govt has squandered each & every opportunity to make good on your promised intentions for ecosystems.

Even as evidence of -- & public demos/ protests/ opposition to -- irreversible harms of your pro-BigIndustry stance compounded (which you are finally -- belatedly -- addressing in this BEHF) your party has violated its own newly-adopted UNDRIP laws by fast-tracking clearcut logging (=decimation of our most beneficial & biodiverse primary forests) & fragmented threatened wildlife habitats.  

Your Govt is also to blame for -- but won't admit -- extinction of our last rare Spotted Owls by permitting logging of habitat that should have been protected at all costs.  You've also backed RCMP-led armed raids against indigenous land-defenders' rightful opposition to CGL & TMX violations of their hereditary rights & title.. to the extreme point of violently arresting them & overturning previously-hard-won legal recognition of their hereditary land rights..

More recently, your Govt had the gall to stand by & do nothing for the Fairy Creek forest protectors who were -- shockingly -- criminalized by a judge for their non-violent & publicly-backed defence of an important & beloved old-growth watershed from being unlawfully wiped off the map:  a crime against these Climate-balancing C02-sinking eco-heroes, the best of which still stand unprotected against loggers, thanks to your inaction..

Notably, one of those selfless Fairy Creek defenders is a member of the upstanding Green party (an admirable org. whose generosity & leadership aided your party's political ambitions by legitimising election promises to save old-growth in 2020).

If these caring, committed eco-activists & FN land defenders continue to be shamed for their lawful pro-Nature activism, we'll know for sure just how fraudulent your Govt's BEHF intentions are..

Meanwhile, delaying any beneficial Climate/ eco-measures (& publicly claiming otherwise -- in pricey TV ads touting NON-EXISTENT 'CLIMATE CAPTURE' TECH no less!) has pushed BC's biodiversity/ natural habitats to the very brink of Climate disaster.. & many of your already-approved extractive nightmares have yet to be built!  If/ when they're up & running, if your govt continues allowing these reckless new monuments to rising emissions --  eg. Site 'C' dam, LNG (fracked-gas) development, clearcut logging/ old-growth destruction, Ingerbelle expansion, Blackwater Gold mine, to name but a few -- the colossal damage to biodiversity & ecosystems will be locked in & unmitigated -- ALL ON YOUR WATCH.

So you see, as an informed citizen -- & a Vegan -- I cannot find it in me to commend yet another of your Govt's claims of Climate action/ intentions, since from the start you have repeatedly dismissed/ ignored public calls to action & instead made decisions that:

(A.) SERVE the interests of extractive & polluting corporations, not citizens; 

(B.) DEFY our right to clean air/ water & (govt-pledgd) Climate action; 

(C.) FAIL to meet our Climate goals;

(D.) ADD TO ever-climbing GHGs; 

(E.) DRIVE erosion, flooding, wildfires+++;

(F.) SABOTAGE communities' resilience.

Biologists, ecologists, experts & locals agree:  BC's iconic wildlife is extirpating at alarming rates due to worsening fires/ habitat loss from cont'd clearcut logging & overdevelopment.. as well as the lack of a (promised) proper 'Species At Risk' law.  Science-advised transformative changes are long overdue, yet your Govt's inaction - while siding with polluters - is V worrying. 

I am hoping against hope that this new 'Framework' WILL result in actual, permanent protection of our most at-risk & invaluable old-growth ecosystems with the most threatened wildlife.  But I find it hard to trust a Govt that operates so dishonestly & fails its duties to those who pay your salaries.  That resembles dereliction of your sworn duties, which I cannot pretend to respect or support.

*  *  *  *

One pending disaster in the works I feel duty-bound to mention is the Zincton Resort, proposed for the heart of BC's Inland Temperate Rainforest.  At stake, for starters, is the survival of at least 185 known species at risk in BC’s under-protected Inland Rainforest.

The whole area is prime grizzly bear & mountain goat habitat, which this massive unsustainable development would forever fragment & disable by its sprawling size alone.

At this critical point, ONLY clean-energy/ habitat-restoring/ low-footprint/ off-grid/ renewably-run/ sustainable/ zero-waste projects should even be considered now.  Zincton Resort is none of the above -- its proposal outlines a high-traffic, heavy-footprint, high-profit all-season outfit (1,200+ guests daily!) with NO PLANS to benefit/ enhance/ honor local biodiversity/ ecology/ wildlife:  NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!

The Zincton area is one of BC's few wildlife havens left, home to grizzly bears, cariboo, mountain goats & other native species that NEED large tracts of intact wilderness to survive - & keep away from communities, to prevent more "nuisance bears" from being killed.  Noone wants that.

I - & almost everyone I know - vote for the bears++ to stay, & for projects like Zincton Resort to die before they drive more wildlife to extinction & add more GHGs to our ever-rising emissions (= the very last thing we need now!) 

TXA wildlife impact assessment by registered professional biologist & grizzly bear expert Wayne McCrory has found that the project will significantly diminish, and could eventually wipe out, three provincially blue-listed species: grizzly bears, mountain goats & wolverines. Western toads would also suffer increased mortalities.  This is wholly unacceptable in today's changing climate:  we can, & must, do better!

*  *  *  *

Wolves are another imperiled & unfairly maligned wild species, thanks to misguided (& harmful) 'culling' (= killing) programs implemented by your Govt.  Yet wolves are an important keystone species that help balance ecosystems & biodiversity.  Please watch the documentary 'Return of the Wolves' (2005) which details the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park, a landmark conservation project in the 1990s aimed at restoring natural balance in the park's ecosystem.  The film explores the ecological significance of wolves as apex predators & how their presence has benefitted many species & the landscape itself. As most conservationists agree, CULLING IS NEVER THE ANSWER.  I'd add, it's an embarrassment to your Govt's declared biodiversity goals to continue such cruel & unnecessary barbarism - not to mention hypocrisy.

*  *  *  *

CLEARCUTTING has turned vast areas of BC into dried-out fire accelerant, incLuding our globally rare primary forests - which instead of being protected as they should, continue to be logged & exported to provide PELLETS FOR BURNING FUEL OVERSEAS!! (For example) This unsustainable industry violates all eco-laws & undermines our every effort to save irreplaceable ecosystems, & must end ASAP.

Unknown to most, your Govt continues to issue permits & allow proposals for industrial extraction projects deemed (by ecosystem/ wildlife experts, scientists etc.) to worsen the size/ spread of wildfires & further degrade wildlife habitats.  That the threatened Spotted Owl habitat in Spuzzum was logged instead of protected at all costs, is just one example of extreme malfeasance re. Biodiversity's shrinking habitats driving extinction - proof that both fed & prov Govts have been derelict in their duties to uphold their duties as stewards.  In the end, the onus is on honest Govt leadership to enact the proper expert-advised measures - without polluting corps' vested lobbying input - that will preserve & restore our globally-rare natural ecosystems for generations to come.  The alternatives - worsened degradation, drought & extirpation of our most valuable natural sustainers - are unthinkable.  And unnecessary.  We can do this -- but only with your genuine commitment to renewed good stewardship.

*  *  *  *

One more crucial point:  as a result of BC's increasingly disastrous, record fires - eg. last summer (2023) - long-burning & widespread due to clearcut logging/  spraying cutblocks with toxic glyphosate/ replanting monoculture conifers solely for harvest (& largely preventable by policies akin to what this BEHF draft purports to address) there exist across BC MASSES OF NOW-BURNT TIMBER in degraded ecosystems.  New enforceable laws under this plan should require logging co's to prioritize harvest of these burnt stands before any more intact forests are cut.  AND such operations must be carried out within 2 years of those fires to have any effect.  THIS of course falls under the revive/restore part of this new BEHF initiative.

*  *  *  *

To end this input on a (somewhat) optimistic note for the future of BC's biodiversity/ ecosystems, I'll draw your attention to the ironic ease, efficiency & speed with which legislation banning plastic straws was implemented - the widespread success of which surely proves:  our efforts as individuals on the Climate/ extinction crisis are only effective if bolstered by an accountable & transparent Govt that is not afraid to take charge & make the changes needed to dispel corruption & bring about the better future we ALL deserve & desire!?

The alternatives - incl. Honing same-old backward last-decade concepts/ dinosaurs; degrading, ecocidal, extractive, perpetual-growth & wasteful economies - will only bring more destruction, hopelessness & misery.  Please do the right thing & (finally) PUT THIS PLAN IN ACTION, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE TO SAVE OUR BELOVED NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS & THE BIODIVERSITY WHOSE SURVIVAL IMPLICITLY DEPENDS ON OUR STEWARDSHIP NOW:  let's not let them down! (Please?)

Thank you very much,

Sarah M. Chesterman

AND here's the emailed response I received:

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health WLRS:EX	Feb 2, 2024, 12:50 PM (8 days ago)		Reply
to me

Hi Sarah,

 

Thank you for your email and for taking the time to provide input on the draft B.C. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework (‘Framework’). The input received will support the work to finalize the draft Framework and inform planning for implementation. Once the Framework is finalized, it will be released publicly along with an implementation plan.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Biodiversity and Ecosystems Branch

Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

My response to 'The World Hit Record Temps in 2023..' in The Tyee

Here's my reaction --orig. meant as a Comment-- to this piece by Gordon McLean of The Conversation:  https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2024/01/16/World-Hit-Record-Temps-2023/

Another ill-timed waste of an oppor'ty to inform/update us on the biggest issue worrying 80%+ of Cdns (& growing) -- bereft of real-life specifics to help us "proactively advance climate resilience" -- whatever that means..

& that's half the problem: Science's refusal to DEFINE Cause/ Effect & Problem/ Solution has left this crisis open to interpretation -- by the very industries most responsible & with the heaviest footprints (whose lobbyists ensure THEIR profiteering 'needs' are met -- in regular mtgs with our spineless govt reps!) 

I.E. That atmospheric levels of C02 & methane "have continued to increase & hit record levels in 2023" means ZIP to most people without specifying exactly HOW they've increased & WHO/WHAT is responsible!!?

Eg. Logging old-growth forests releases all their stored carbon, adding to cumulative emissions (yet is exempt from req'd official GHG reports!?); LNG emits methane gas @ every stage, all up & down production -- yet BC's govt calls this fracked-gas fossil fuel "sustainable" & keeps approving new LNG builds here!!?

(Though this past month alone I've had to tell 2 peops -- 1 a regular MSM consumer -- WHAT 'LNG' EVEN iS!)

It's quite obvious govts & MSM COUNT ON -- if not further -- such widespread public ignorance.  That's just corrupt.. & DISHONEST!

Here's proof:  our govts are spending more $$ to convince Cdns they're tackling these issues -- via pricey TV ads -- than on actually tackling them, thereby making a mockery of indiv'l efforts while guaranteeing more fires, floods & other human-wrought ('Climate') disasters.

Worse, in defiance of urgent IPCC warnings to reduce GHGs & wean off fossil fuels, AB's govt alone has BANNED RENEWABLES -- & the feds persist in flogging (non-existent) 'Carbon Capture' tech as Canada's (non-)solution!!?

HOW can we be motivated to protect our --& our kids' -- thriving future hanging on a thin thread of carbon-sinking ecosystems exploited to extinction by irresponsible corps that refuse to change (along with their corrupted govt. 'secret supporters')? 

And do those of us who ARE still motivated (the numbers of which are growing daily) -- not by flimsy articles like yours but because we can't undo what we've seen 1sthand -- even stand a chance in the face of so much corruption??

NB. It must be noted:  the SOLE Cdn. political entity that refuses to be bought out wholesale by ecocidal Big-Industry corps, the ONLY honest ones who stay true to their clean mission, are the GREENS -- federal AND provincial.

Please:  let that sink in.

Umpteenth plea to SAVE BC's FORESTS

Yup I was pushed --again-- to pen another impassioned plea to the BC Govt to save our priceless forest ecosystems -- which are dwindling disastrously due to cont'd CLEARCUT LOGGING:  THE major cause of worsened Climate catastrophes like the insane wildfires we saw this past summer!  No hyperbole needed - all is 100% verifiable.  You too can customize your own message, via https://sierraclub.bc.ca

                   Pic by me:

My fave old-growth

forest grove in BC

Dear Minister Ralston and Premier Eby, 

The 3-year anniversary of your govt's promises to implement all 14 recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Report has come & gone without meaningful measures taken.  This is unacceptable, since the extreme Climate impacts of 2023 -- & cont'd clearcut logging -- have further imperiled BC's communities & globally-rare rainforest ecosystems.

It's now crystal-clear that protecting BC's last intact unlogged primary, old-growth & mature forests is crucial to maintain natural carbon sinks, reduce Climate impacts & protect biodiversity that depends on these ecosystems.

Yet your govt. has stalled progress on the most fundamental, urgent calls to action -- eg. petitioning the federal govt NOT to issue an Emergency Order to save the last critically endangered Spotted Owl in the Spuzzum watershed (!) -- & instead allowed catastrophic clearcutting of its essential habitat, highlighting your govt's sinister true intentions.      

* * * *

The double whammy of industrial logging & Climate impacts means our iconic forests -- i.e. the ecosystems that draw tourists from all over to experience "Super, Natural BC" -- are fast shrinking, while industrially-degraded forests become parched 'dead zones' that fuel fast-spreading wildfires & jeopardize whole communities as well as entire wild foodchains. 

All so logging corps can keep reaping their outsize profits while denying BCers our Constitution-backed rights to benefit from & steward these irreplaceable LIVING LEGACIES, without which our lives will drastically decline.

* * * *

Your govt. ought to resign 'en masse' for its cont'd failure/refusal to protect the public's interests!

* * * *

In just 50 years much of the interior’s once-bountiful forests are gone, with horrendous consequences for endangered wildlife species such as woodland caribou, who need all that the forest contains, & where a “low-quality” tree for lumber is the highest-quality tree for lichen, without which caribou cannot survive.

The additional forest losses associated with Climate change & its role in fueling more prolonged & intense wildfires, tree-killing droughts, insect attacks & tree diseases, are exacerbating this ecological & economic crisis.

Surely as BC's official representatives in charge of managing our most invaluable (PUBLIC) natural resources on our behalf, you recognize the sheer folly of stubbornly keeping the (obvsly broken, harmful & unfair) status-quo -- along with the urgent need to save what’s left of our critically key forest landscapes!??

By banning ecocidal clearcut logging, protecting & restoring existing forests, & reforming forest practices (for starters), your govt. has the power to fulfill its stewardship responsibilities of supporting critical biodiversity & the health & safety of BC communities!?

* * * *

Therefore I'm calling on you to ACT NOW on your govt's promises to implement aLL 14 Old Growth Strategic Review recommendations, before it becomes even harder to save (once-'Beautiful') BC's life-saving Lungs of the Earth.

The entire world is waiting & watching, in mortal dread of the consequences of cont'd ill-advised corporate ecocide on the futures of those who will inherit the worst of its inevitable disasters:  our kids, & their kids.. & the many priceless benefits BC's native (unlogged & unsprayed) forests bestow on aLL our lives.

Allowing them to be systematically wiped out -- along with their myriad life-sustaining benefits/ biodiversity -- by greedy polluting billionaire corporations (/for export!?) is a crime worse than demolishing the Great Pyramids for the price of their stones:  & one to which your dishonest money-grubbing govt. CANNOT POSSIBLY BE ENTITLED!

Sincerely,  

Sarah (Saz) Chesterman

CC: Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Nathan Cullen; Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman