GreenWatch

Click to view this email in a browser Dear Barbara, When the federal review panel gave the New Prosperity mine proposal a 2nd thumbs-down, it looked like the “dead mine walking” would finally be laid to rest. Except the project keeps popping up again and again like the villain in a bad horror movie. Take action . The scathing federal review found that the proposed gold/copper mine at pristine Fish Lake in the heart of Tsilhqot’in traditional territory would cause significant adverse effects on water quality, fish and wetland ecosystems. It also warned of impacts on the South Chilcotin grizzly bear population. It should have been a slam dunk for the federal minister in charge, Leona Aglukkaq, to reject the mine. But now the proponent, Taseko Mines Ltd, is putting pressure on the federal government with disingenuous claims of technical mistakes in the review process, and threats of lawsuits – bullying tactics unprecedented in the history of the Canadia...

B. McPherson A First Nation group in BC has told surveyors for the Pacific Trails Pipeline that they are not welcome on their territory. The Wet’suwet’enNation has closed the roads leading to their territory. Surveyors were marking a route for the ApacheTrails  Pipeline which is slated to carry natural gas to Kitimat. Much of the territory in BC is claimed by the pre-European people and they have been united in their opposition to gas and petroleum pipelines being built through their territory. The blockading group said the province does not have the right to approve development on their traditional lands, which lie northwest of Kitimat, the future home of an Apache Canada liquefied natural gas plant and the tanker port for the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. CBC News Some other bands along the proposed route have signed agreements and stipulated benefits, but the Wet’suwet’en Nation has pointed out on its web page that there are 500 issues attached to th...

B. McPherson Scenes from Monday's Demonstration Thousands of British Columbians told Enbridge and KinderMorgan what to do with their pipeline plans. Braving blustery weather and rain, people converged on the BC Legislature lawns to hear speakers and show their solidarity in opposition to Big Oil and their pipeline plans. Organized by a group called Defend our Coast and working with other environmentally active groups as well as First Nations and labour groups, people from all ages turned out to express their opinions. The youngest came in strollers and the oldest came in wheel chairs. The peaceful, orderly crowd stood listening to those whose lives have already been affected by the Alberta Tar Sands, how pollution and oil spills have killed the land where they live and how we need to stop the pipeline building through our land. The organizers emphasized the necessity of a peaceful, respectful gathering and that is what they got. The crowd was overseen by...

B. McPherson Taseko Mine’s proposal to open a mine in the Williams Lake area that would destroy Little Fish Lake and compromise Fish Lake(Teztan Biny)  for years has been rejected by the Feds as second time. This comes at a time when the federal Conservatives have loosened restrictions on industry and downgraded environmental protection practises. “Citing more than 200 issues with the draft EIS, the federal agency scolds Taseko for missing information, editorial comments, poor data quality and incorrect statements .” SierraClub The proposal would see the development of a rich deposit of gold and copper. The company estimates that the payoff would be about $3 billion with the added bonus of jobs during the life of the mine. The cost to the environment and to the aboriginal people who live there is incalculable.  The first proposal was reviewed by both the BC Provincial government and given a green light. It was also reviewed by the feds and given a red light....

B. McPherson The greed for oil and gas has the Peruvian government breaking promises to never explore for gas in the Amazon Reserve. “The reserve is the territory of several vulnerable uncontacted tribes, and a crucial buffer zone for the Manu National Park, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for having a biological diversity that ‘exceeds any other place on Earth.’” Survival International The original exploration for oil in the region was by Shell Oil who cut exploration roads allowing loggers into the region that hosts uncontacted tribes. The result for the people contacted, was death in huge numbers. Some from physical abuse but many, many more from disease. Shell pulled out of the Camisea region which had no oil but has big gas deposits. Peru pledged to leave the reserve as a sanctuary for the uncontacted people, but now has designated a block of land in the reserve for exploration. In an ironic twist, they have named the block Fitzcarrald. Fitzcarrald w...

B. McPherson People are gradually waking up to the fact that the most precious resource we have is water. Without it life as we know it would not exist. Along with that realization is the knowledge that water is a finite resource. Many of the world’s people do not have access to clean abundant water. Here on the west coast of Canada many refer jokingly to the ‘wet coast’ because of the teeming rainfall in winter. Few realize that much of the east coast of Vancouver Island has a true Mediterranean climate with sparse rainfall in the summer months. As the world’s climate changes there is increasing uncertainty in the reliability of the rainfall or that the snow pack on the mountains will be sufficient to supply ample water to the people and the environment. The City of Nanaimo is a small, sprawling town that looks to expand its population. Currently there is enough water to supply about 100 000 people and their households. Aging infrastructure and expanding population ar...