Friday, March 30, 2012

The Budget And The Environment: The Deniers Liked It

 A statement from the ICSC:

Canadian federal Budget a step forward on climate change

Ottawa, Canada, March 29, 2012: “The International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) congratulates the Government of Canada for removing from the federal Budget the misleading language of previous Budgets concerning clean air and climate change,” said Tom Harris, executive director ICSC which is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. “In past years, this serious science mistake, appearing repeatedly in such an important document, contributed to public confusion about the distinctly different approaches needed to address these two issues.

Meanwhile, what the budget means for the future of the Northern Gateway Pipeline:

The Northern Gateway pipeline project could make B.C.’s famous battles over clear-cut logging of the 1980s and 1990s look like a university residence food-fight. While we have been given plenty of advance warning of this coming reckoning, today’s budget appears to me to be a declaration of political war on the natural resources-environmentalist front.   

I don't think the federal government knows what its got itself into here, but if its a war they want...

Although that said, when you read this bit from APTN re the streamlining of approvals processes for projects like Northern Gateway:

What specific, detailed changes the overhaul will bring remains to be revealed, but federal officials speaking on background, said all projects currently awaiting approval will be reviewed during a so-called “transition period.”

...its hard to imagine too much time being cut from the 18 months set aside to review it.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

If any of your readers on the Island are unaware, the panel is in Comox today and tomorrow, with a rally planned for saturday.

http://dogwoodinitiative.org/events/comox%20jrp

Anonymous said...

Well over 80% of the BC citizens are supporting the F.N. People, to stop the atrocities of the Enbridge pipeline and the dirty oil tankers.

What kind of fools, would string a pipeline through BC? There are avalanches, earthquakes, mudslides, rock slides and swift flooding rivers, that carry away highways and houses. In BC's vast wilderness...how do they get through 15 feet of snow to get to the pipe rupture. Perhaps, Enbridge won't bother to clean up, as they didn't the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. Enbridge just recently had another spill, just 10 miles away from their, Kalamazoo River spill.

The seas into the Port of Kitimat, are the most dangerous seas in the world. Every other day, their are hurricane force wind warnings. There are 40 t0 50 foot waves. Rogue waves are up to 70 feet high. The channel narrow, the tankers immense, which have to make hairpin turns. Kitimat Port is a northern port, where storms are horrendous all year long.

Recently, there were three freighters, caught in one of the bad storms off BC's coast. The storm ripped the top load of logs off and into the sea. The Japanese freighter, put out a distress call, fearing if the bottom load shifted, the ship would capsize. It took literally hours, to get to the stricken ship. The other two freighters, also lost their cargo's to the storm. The three freighters, limped back into BC harbors.

There are thousands of BC people, that live along BC coasts. Don't try and tell them, there won't be a tanker spill. There will most certainly be a spill. There is still oil gathering on the rocks, from the Valdez spill, 22 years ago.

No way in hell, will we allow that filthy crud, anywhere near our beautiful province.