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ExxonMobil has proposed building a high/wide corridor through some of the most pristine lands in Idaho and Montana.
The third Common Sense cartoon from Gerry Hummel! Our talented cartoonist captures the bankrupting and heist of our most valuable public asset - our public energy system - as thoroughly documented in these pages in recent weeks.
Carole James may be on the right track. For the first time I can remember, the “environment” is a big issue – indeed it’s huge. And there isn’t a nook or a cranny where this government and especially this leader are not in high odour on this issue.
I have no doubt that employment will be a plus for this pipeline but we must remember that it is temporary – the damage will be permanent. And let’s be clear on this point: there will be leaks, and a long pipeline will be an open invitation to terrorism.
Bus Rapid Transit is a simple concept – you give buses a dramatic makeover that makes the rider experience much like rapid transit on rails but with a much
lower capital cost. The main elements are dedicated lanes with enforcement to keep cars out, signal priority so buses seldom have to stop at traffic lights, and all-door boarding to reduce the time
spent at stops.
The B.C. Energy Plan, portrayed by the Liberal government in 2002 as “clean energy leadership,” now appears as a thinly disguised campaign to privatize our public utility, B.C. Hydro. Backed by powerful international financing, our own government converted public assets into private hands for private profit, while raising our domestic electricity rates to pay for the swindle.
A new economic analysis by contributor Erik Andersen, drawing on available hard data, proves beyond a doubt what we have been saying all along: Gordon Campbell's private power program is unnecessary and costly to the point of threatening the very solvency of our most important crown corporation, BC Hydro - not to mention hitting the pocketbooks of every British Columbian and company doing business in our province that once relied on a steady supply of affordable public electricity.
An Economic Analysis of the Impact of the Campbell Private Power Policy on the Financial Health of BC Hydro. As the evidence of need for more electricity in BC is not apparent, the aggressive borrowing/investing/contracting with IPPs is plain wrong. It is improbable that the BC Hydro team are “financial illiterates” so there must be some other explanation; hence the word “sinister”.
You must see this eye-popping footage of a recent rare close encounter with a humpback whale off the coast of BC's spectacular Great Bear Rainforest. Whales like this one and many other coastal species are at grave risk from Enbridge's proposed pipeline to pump oil from the Tar Sands across BC and into supertankers in Kitimat, before plying some of the world's most treacherous waters en route to Asia. This awesome creature approached a boat carrying among others filmmaker Damien Gillis, and proceeded to interact playfully with the crew for 45 minutes!
Damien Gillis and CJSF's Stuart Richardson discuss the proposal to bring oil from the Tar Sands to BC's precious coast though a new Enbridge pipeline - as well as Damien's recent filming trip to the region for a forthcoming documentary on the subject.
Gerry Hummel's second contribution to The Common Sense Canadian.
Let's look at what's in it for BC. In a word, virtually nothing. This isn't a BC company employing the people of BC. There are no taxes from Enbridge. At best perhaps some "peppercorn" rent for the right-of-way. And what do we get? A disaster waiting to happen!
When BC Supreme Court ruled that the federal government must take over regulation of salmon feedlots, the intent was to bring the industry into compliance with the Constitution of Canada. But what Stephen Harper's Conservatives are trying to do instead is remove safeguards established by previous governments and open the door to privatizing the ocean, which is prohibited by the Canadian Constitution.
Let's go back to what Finance Minister Colin Hansen had to say about private energy projects and if you google "Colin Hansen power" you will see and hear for yourself. It is a tissue of fibs.
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Clayoquot Sound: Wild Salmon in Trouble
Return to the scene of BC's biggest environmental protest. Wild salmon populations in Clayoquot Sound are collapsing, and the Wild Fish Conservancy is searching for answers.
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Clayoquot Defenders Rally to Stop Catface Copper Mine
Concerned citizens, conservationists, and First Nations gathered outside the AGM of Imperial Metals to voice their opposition to the company's proposed open pit copper mine on Catface Mountain.
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William Shatner Supports Bill for Wild Salmon
BC's iconic wild salmon got a little help from Canadian icon William Shatner when he addressed the media and public via video.
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Stopping Oil Supertankers in Vancouver
Massive tankers are shipping oil from the tar sands through Burrard Inlet, putting the entire south coast in grave jeopardy. Current plans are to increase volumes to up to 10 tankers per week.
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Dr. Daniel Pauly on the Fraser Sockeye Collapse
At the end of last year's disastrous season for Fraser River sockeye returns, Dr. Daniel Pauly addressed a number of questions and theories surrounding the grave situation.
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Maude Barlow on Fish Lake and Protecting Canada's Water
Maude Barlow spoke to a crowd of several hundred in Vancouver on the plan to turn Fish Lake and possibly 20 other lakes across Canada into toxic dumps for mines.
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Triumphant Victoria Finale for Salmon Migration! (and more)
The climactic finish of the "Get Out Migration" for wild salmon in Victoria, where 5,000 turned out at the provincial Legislature to tell governments to get open net salmon farms out of BC's waters.
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Rafe Mair & Bill Vander Zalm on Campaign to Stop HST!
Rafe Mair interviews former Premier Bill Vander Zalm on the campaign to stop the HST. A fascinating ten minute discussion covering why the HST is bad for British Colombians and how this initiative can defeat the controversial tax.
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Walking to Victoria for Wild Salmon - May 8!
A promo for Alexandra Morton's "Get Out Migration" final rally in Victoria, featuring the hit song "Walking to Victoria" by Sointula's Backbone Road, and footage from the walk for wild salmon all the way down Vancouver Island!
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Canadians Say No to Enbridge Pipeline and Tankers
Greenpeace Canada and other environmental groups and citizens gathered at the office of Enbridge to say no to the company's proposal to pump bitumen from the Tar Sands into supertankers in the Great Bear Rainforest.
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Wild salmon advocates call for the resignation of CEO of Cermaq
Wild salmon advocates called for the resignation of Geir Isaksen - CEO of Cermaq, the world's second largest salmon farming corporation - at the company's headquarters in Campbell River.
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Citizens for Wild Salmon Take on Marine Harvest
A diverse group of wild salmon advocates, led by biologist Alexandra Morton, sent a message to the world's largest salmon farming corporation in Campbell River - headquarters of the Norwegian company's Canadian operations.
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Walk for Wild Salmon Gets Rolling!
The inspiring kick-off to the "Get Out Migration" - the public movement to get open net salmon farms off BC's coast.
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GAME ON: First Nations' historic lawsuit for wild salmon moves to next phase
Seven First Nations moved forward toward certification of their class action lawsuit against the BC and Canadian governments to protect their traditional territory in the Broughton Archipelago from the impacts of salmon farms.
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Rex in Effect! Weyler's Must-Watch Speech on Private Power and the Myth of Endless Growth
Greenpeace co-founder Rex Weyler gave one hell of a speech to a crowd of 300 on April 6.
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