How would you spend $75 million for the environment?
- Details
- Published on Friday, 08 May 2015 14:45
- Written by editor
#VancouverOilSpill | What's the drill on gas development in Treaty 8 territory? | Groundwater: Underground and under pressure | It's time to budget for the environment | Mini-SLAPP provisions dropped from Society Act
Dear PAOV,
In this month’s issue we encounter challenges and threats to BC's precious resources of land, groundwater and oceans. The recent oil spill in English Bay reminded us of the devastating effects that irresponsible resource development... could have. Staff Counsel Eugene Kung makes critical links between the spill and the NEB process to review the Kinder Morgan pipeline and tanker proposal. Returning from Fort St.John, Executive Director Jessica Clogg and Staff Counsel Hannah Askew share insights from their participation in a First Nations community gathering about the cumulative effects of oil and gas development. Under the surface, BC's groundwater is under pressure - Staff Counsel Linda Nowlan explores the causes and possible solutions.
It's also budget season. Staff Counsel Anna Johnston explores how $75 million in government spending for advertising compares with shortfalls in environmental spending. Take our short survey to say how you would spend $75 million for the environment.
But let's celebrate too! Thanks to you raising your voices, the recently passed BC Societies Act dropped provisions that would have spelled unnecessary trouble for BC nonprofits. Congratulations and thank you for this important win!
The English Bay oil spill, Kinder Morgan & the NEB’s crisis of legitimacy
Last week’s heartbreaking oil spill in English Bay was a sobering reminder to us all about what is at risk in the beautiful Salish Sea. It also made clear that ‘world leading’ spill response has a long way to go to before we can consider it effective. Many people on the scene were quick to draw the connection to the risks posed by Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline and Tankers Expansion Project (KMX) and the 700% increase in tar sand filled super tankers that it would enable.
- Click here to read about how this is connected to the NEB’s much-maligned review of the KMX Project.
What’s the drill on gas development in Treaty 8 territory?
Northeastern BC is dotted with tens of thousands of oil and gas wells and criss-crossed by pipelines, seismic lines and access roads. The Treaty 8 Tribal Association recently hosted a gathering for members to share information about the cumulative impacts of all this development and to explore solutions to better manage cumulative impacts. Executive Director Jessica Clogg and Staff Counsel Hannah Askew were invited to participate in the conversation.
- Click here to read about some of the outcomes of the Treaty 8 gathering and to register for upcoming West Coast – Northwest Institute dialogues in Ft. St John and Chetwynd on this topic.
It's time to budget for the environment
Since 2012, the federal government has used the budget as a means of dismantling Canada's environmental legal safety net. It's budget season again, so this month we're showing how strong environmental legal protection and a budget to support environmental programs are in the best interest of taxpayers and the economy.
- Click here to read about how federal advertising spending compares to spending on key environmental priorities.
- Ongoing rollbacks to federal environmental legal protection can get pretty depressing, so to liven things up we put together a little April Fools' joke about the "greenest budget bill in Canadian history." Click here to have a chuckle!
- Help support our work and stand up for strong environmental legal protection! Click here to send a letter to the Prime Minister telling him how strong environmental laws are no joke, and neither is a green budget.
Underground and under pressure: Groundwater in the Northeast
BC has had the dubious distinction of being the “Wild West for groundwater” – with no licencing of groundwater resources – for over a hundred years. The new Water Sustainability Act is poised to change this. But will the Act relieve the pressure on groundwater in BC’s northeast from the oil and gas industry? The answer may depend on regulations currently under development.
- Read more about the issues to watch as BC develops regulations to implement the Water Sustainability Act.
BC drops Mini-SLAPP provisions from new Societies Act
Thanks to our supporters for an important win for free speech! The Government’s new Societies Act won’t include a controversial provision that could have seen BC nonprofits dragged into court by their critics in “mini-SLAPPs.”
- Speaking up can make a difference! Read how a letter signed by over 50 societies (and co-drafted by West Coast), and thousands of emails played a key role in convincing the BC government to drop “section 99.”
- Take a moment tor0
