Tax Breaks for Polluters
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Living on the frontlines of fracking
Caleb Behn is Eh-Cho Dene and Dunne Za/Cree from Treaty 8 in northeastern British Columbia, the epicentre of B.C.’s fracking operations.
Behn spent the last two years facilitating a pilot study that looked at the urine of pregnant women in northeast B.C. Researchers found the presence of muconic acid — a marker of benzene exposure — is three and a half times the national average for women in rural northeast B.C. Indigenous women within that group have six times the national average.
Those findings were top of mind for Behn when the provincial government announced it was launching a scientific review of fracking that would not consider human health impacts.
“They’ve shown themselves ready to sacrifice us and the unborn who will come after us in this territory,” Behn told DeSmog Canada.
We've got this and more for you this week. Read on.
‘We’re Talking Very Big Bucks’: New Bill Could Put Oil Companies on the Hook for Climate Change Costs
By Jimmy Thomson
Oil companies have become some of the wealthiest organizations in history by producing a product that we now know is endangering the future of humanity.
Many of these companies have known about the effects of carbon dioxide for decades, yet while they adapted their own businesses to survive climate change, they actively undermined efforts to understand it.
Should Canadians be able to sue oil companies for that? Read more.
Why Building the Trans Mountain Pipeline Will Increase Gas Prices in B.C.
By Robyn Allan
If B.C. wanted to keep gasoline prices low, Alberta premier Rachel Notley says, it should stop opposing the Kinder Morgan oil pipeline expansion as it would increase “the ability of Alberta to ship more product to the West.”
Notley assumes B.C. needs more crude oil to supply the Parkland refinery in Burnaby and more refined petroleum product to supply the retail outlets that Parkland’s refinery does not. She also assumes that building Trans Mountain’s expansion means Alberta’s oil producers and refiners will ship more product to B.C. Neither assumption is correct.
Let’s review the facts. Read more.
How a First Nation Bargained to Build B.C.’s Largest Solar Farm
By Sarah Cox
The language and culture of the Upper Nicola Band honour the natural laws of the tmixw — “that which gives us life.” One tmixw is the sun, which shines for more than 2,000 hours annually in much of the band’s traditional territory in B.C.’s arid Okanagan region.
Plans are afoot to harness the sun’s power to build B.C.’s largest solar farm on the band’s Quilchena reserve, a project that would create enough energy for 5,000 homes and deliver up to $4 million in annual revenues to the First Nation community. Read more.
By Judith Lavoie
Canada isn't read for climate change and it isn't in any hurry to rectify the situation, either, according to an audit by federal environment commissioner Julie Gelfand.
The audit found heel-dragging at the provincial and territorial level over emissions reductions and mitigation strategies — the ways we're supposedly trying to fight and adapt to our chancing climate.
No Canadian government has met all its climate change commitments, most of those who have got around to setting greenhouse gas reduction targets will not meet them and no government is fully prepared to adapt to climate change.
Gelfand says Canadians need to hold their representatives' feet to the fire and demand real plans and real action. Read more.
NDP Offers Tax Breaks, Subsidies to Attract B.C.’s Single Largest Carbon Polluter: LNG Canada
By Carol Linnitt
The B.C. government unveiled a new natural gas development plan Thursday in an attempt to trigger a final investment deal with LNG Canada, the proponents of B.C.’s largest proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal, located in Kitimat.The NDP’s new framework offers LNG Canada and other companies tax reprieves and exemptions and a cheaper electricity rate than the previous B.C. Liberal government extended to the industry. The government is also offering a carbon tax break to LNG companies if their facilities can meet the “cleanest” operating standards in the world. Read more.
WHAT WE'RE READING THIS WEEK
Go deep. Share this newsletter signup link with a friend to help them explore new depths with you.
Copyright © DeSmog Canada, All rights reserved.This email has been sent because you opted in to receive that latest news and updates.
Our mailing address is:
DeSmog Canada
Suite 634
185 - 911 Yates St.
Victoria, BC
V8V 4Y9
Want to stop receiving DeSmog Canada's emails?
You can r34.