Why Trudeau Should Call Off the Reviews of Trans Mountain and Energy East
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- Published on Thursday, 25 August 2016 10:15
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Why Trudeau Should Call Off the Reviews of Trans Mountain and Energy East
The National Energy Board is fundamentally broken.
That was a point repeatedly highlighted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the 2015 federal election — and one confirmed for many with recent revelations that former Quebec premier Jean Charest had privately met with senior NEB officials while on the payroll of TransCanada.
Trudeau and his federal cabinet have the chance to change that: in June, the government announced dual review panels to assess the mandates and operations of the NEB and the country’s oft-criticized post-2012 environmental assessment processes. But so far Trudeau's promises haven't meant much for the two
major pipelines currently under review: Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain and TransCanada's
Energy East. Read more.
Christy Clark Hopes You’re Not Reading This
It was 31 degrees outside and I was planning to go to the lake — and I’d be willing to hazard a guess that many British Columbians were in the same boat. That’s exactly why B.C. Premier Christy Clark chose a Friday to release her Climate Action Plan — originally scheduled for release nearly six months ago.
Politicans often “take out the trash” on Fridays during the dog days of summer and this time is no different. The plan — according to a leak in the Globe and Mail today — will fail to increase the carbon tax or update greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Those were two cornerstone recommendations from the expert committee. “The depths of August on a Friday afternoon is not the time you release a plan that you want a lot of people to pay attention to,” said Josha MacNab, B.C. director for the Pembina Institute. Read more.
First Nations Hand Eviction Notices to Fish Farms
Members of the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw First Nation say salmon farms in their territory are destroying wild salmon runs and polluting clam beds and they must leave.
A small flotilla of boats from Kingcome Village, Gilford Village and Alert Bay, with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s research vessel “Martin Sheen” in the background, handed eviction notices to four Cermaq Canada salmon farms. Hereditary chiefs say notices will be issued to all 27 farms in their territory.
With chiefs in traditional robes, drumming and singing, the group ignored efforts by Cermaq employees to prevent them from landing, handed over the notice and then held a cleansing ceremony and wild salmon barbecue at one of the farms. Read more.
Is B.C.'s Tunnel Vision Forcing out Solar Power?
A cute graphic of white houses with rooftop solar panels is featured on the U.S. Department of Energy’s website. “Solar Homes Sell for More Money,” the government tells viewers, citing studies that show solar adds an average US$15,000 to the resell value of a home.
“Just like a renovated kitchen or a finished basement increases a home’s value, solar has been shown to boost home valuation and shorten a home’s time on the market.”
In contrast to the U.S.'s cheery promotion of solar, BC Hydro’s webpage called “Solar Power & Heating for Your Home” has a blurry photograph of a man putting on a sweater, and technical information that begins with the somber news that it will take a B.C. homeowner at least 20 years to recoup the cost of a solar installation. Read more.
Inuit Fight to Protect Territory from Oil Industry's Seismic Blasting
The Arctic’s Baffin Bay and Davis Strait region is home to seals, bowhead whales, polar bears and up to 90 per cent of the world’s narwhals. The area’s marine waters also provide habitat for 116 species of fish, such as Arctic char, an important dietary staple for Nunavut’s Inuit communities.
Although the area is crucial to Inuit for hunting and other traditional activities, the federal government has approved underwater seismic blasting by a consortium of energy companies. They plan to fire underwater cannons from boats to map the ocean floor for oil and gas deposits, in preparation for offshore drilling.r0
