The New Year brings with it nostalgia and a time of reflection. In looking back over my nine months of blogging, I am reinspired by the significant number of issues I've explored. Scattering myself across so many environmental campaigns, however, means that I'm not as cognizant with each debate. So now seems a good time to investigate the progress made in 2006.
Environmental Alarmism and A New Era
With each new campaign I'm involved in, I become increasingly alarmed at the destructive nature of humanity and the speed at which we are gobbling up our natural resources and leaving behind stinking piles of waste. We are polluting and altering our environment at a rapid rate, dirtying the air, land, water, our oceans, and making ourselves and the entire planet sick. I sink into despair that the task is too monumental. Maybe we've gone past the "tipping point". Many of my family and friends, and people around the globe, don't even acknowledge that there's a problem. What can one person do about all this?
Then I start researching that new issue, and I always learn that someone out there is already fighting for, say, Polar Bears; that the American Government has just announced plans to list the Polar Bear as a threatened species, due to global warming, no less. This truly is monumental, as listing Polar Bears as a threatened species under the US Endangered Species Act would mean compulsory legal action to protect them and their habitat from climate change. Moments like this make me hopeful for the future; hopeful that we will stop looking at things in isolation and start working in harmony with the glorious interconnectedness of all things. We have to, really. Mother Nature is very abundant and generous when we take care of her, and she is thankfully very resilient.
But how are we doing on some of Keeping Down with the Jones' Campaigns of 2006? Well, this past year has seen some good results and some bad news, too. Let's take a look...
Energy Crisis and Climate Change
The most significant environmental issue of 2006 was undoubtedly Climate Change. In a very short time, governments around the globe have gone from rhetorical denial of global warming, to accepting the human impact on this phenomena and working towards the inevitable need to reduce that impact. The huge debate over the existance of climate change has been reduced to rumblings from industry and the few remaining non-believers. Even the Bush administration now acknowledges climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emmissions. The US Department of the Interior's press release of December 27th on Polar Bears states that the "administration treats climate change very seriously and recognizes the role of greenhouse gases in climate change". Today, despite an apparent change in direction, it is business as usual and Big Oil continues to expand, fueled by our insatiable need for...more fuel.
This means that there is more pressure on the federal government to lift the Moratorium on Off-Shore Oil and Gas Drilling in BC. In January of 2003 BC established its Offshore Oil and Gas Team and in their throne speach of February 11, 2003, announced that "by 2010, [the] Government wants to have an offshore oil and gas industry that is up and running, environmentally sound and booming with job creation". Fortunately for the West Coast marine environment, the Conservative government is taking a beating on the environment and, with strong opposition in BC to lifting the moratorium, the federal government is extremely unlikely to do so while forming a minority government. For now the West Coast is safe from oil exploration although seismic testing, for the purpose of determining how the Coast Mountains of BC were formed, is scheduled for the Fall of 2007 with the Batholiths Project.
Last April I urged concerned citizens to sign the Mackenzie Wild Declaration. If the Mackenzie Gas Project proceeds, this would mean three massive gas production pads in the Mackenzie Delta, on the edge of the Beaufort Sea, and, of course, gas and natural gas pipelines (Mackenzie Gathering System), transporting the oil to Alberta. This gas would then fuel the expansion of the Alberta tar sands and open Canada's north to further oil and gas development. This is definately not a good way to combat global warming. This will also have a significant impact on Caribou habitat and the Mackenzie Delta Important Bird Area. The Mackenzie Gas Project is currently undergoing the National Energy Board review process. The NEB will decide upon the project after receiving the Joint Review Panel assessment and the Canadian government's response to the JRP.
Last summer, BC Hydro announced approval of two contracts for coal-fired power plants, the Princeton Power Project and the Wapiti Power Development Project in Tumbler Ridge. This is definately a step in the wrong direction towards reducing greenhouse gas emmissions. Both these projects are in the pre-application stage with Compliance Power Corporation and AESWapiti Energy Corporation expected to submit their applications soon. There will be a public comment period once the Application for Environmental Assessment Certificate is submitted.
Nuclear power proponents have taken this opportunity to promote nuclear energy as clean. The industry would have you believe that the only energy source that can meet our needs without increasing greenhouse gases is nuclear. Although nuclear power plants do not emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, the mining of uranium does. Nuclear waste certainly cannot be described as clean and switching from one problem to another does not make good environmental sense.
There is no one answer, no miracle, to our energy crisis and climate change woes. It will take ingenuity and time for progress to be made. Unfortunately, we do not have alot of time, but there is huge potential, for improving the environment and stimulating the economy, in alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, tidal, microhydro, geothermal, biomass and even human energy. So don't fall into the trap of believing that we need nuclear power, off shore oil and gas development, further oil, gas and tar sand development, or more coal fired power plants. What we need now is support from our governments for development of alternative sources of energy, rather than expansion of an industry that has proven so damaging as to alter the climate of our entire planet.
Pollution
On July 17th, BC's Minister of the Environment, Barry Penner, announced that the Capital Regional District must amend it's Liquid Waste Management Plan to include a timeline for sewage treatment. The final plan is to be submitted for approval by June 30, 2007, while an interim progress report was due to the Ministry on New Years Eve. This is good news for Georgia Strait, but the focus now turns to the type of treatment that Victoria's sewage will receive. Things are progressing on the sewage front in the Fraser Valley as well. Environmental groups have laid charges against the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Province over toxic sewage leaving the Iona treatment plant in Richmond and the Lions Gate plant in West Vancouver. Hopefully this will result in upgrades to these treatment plants. Keep informed on sewage issues in our area with the Georgia Strait Alliance.
Toxins enter our environment in many ways other than through the release of untreated sewer. They are present in our food, many of the products we buy, and we are exposed to countless toxins every day. Even Polar Bears, in their remote arctic location, have toxins bioaccumulating in their bodies. Thankfully our government is taking action to regulate many chemicals and on December 8th Stephen Harper announced Canada's Chemicals Management Plan. Thousands of the most toxic substances used in Canada today will be analyzed with priority given to the most dangerous. With this announcement, certain toxins, including specific Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's or flame retardants), have been added to Schedule 1 (Toxic Substances List) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) 1999 and PBDE regulations are pending.
A lot of progress is happening in Canada regarding toxic chemicals. This momentum could increase after Environmental Defence started the New Year announcing the results of toxin tests conducted on four prominent Canadian politicians. NDP Leader Jack Layton, Liberal Environment Critic John Godfrey, Health Minister Tony Clement and former Environment Minister Rona Ambrose were tested for 103 toxins, with between 49 to 55 pollutants found in their blood. Read the full report, "Toxic Nation on Parliament Hill: A Report on the Pollution in Four Canadian Politicians (2007)". For more information visit the Canadian Government's new Chemical Substances website or the CEPA Environmental Registry.
Agriculture
Salmon Farming is the first environmental issue in which I became seriously engrossed. It is what lead to my strong belief in practicing NIMBYism, as the Broughton Archipelago, seriously impacted by salmon farms, was once my back yard. The aquaculture industry and environmental groups are anxiously awaiting the final report of the BC Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture, due no later than May 31st. The Committee issued their first report on December 14th outlining the proceedings so far, but it is the conclusions and especially their recommendations that could transform the future of this industry.
Salmon farming is another of many agricultural practices with negative impacts on the environment and our health. Genetically modified organisms (GMO's) are now commonplace in our food and cloned meat in the market is just around the corner. Terminator Seed Technology is one of the scariest forms of genetic modification, as the crops are sterile and cross pollination has not been ruled out. The safety of these foods are still in question as independent scientific research cannot keep up with the rapid pace of newly introduced modifications. What causes even more concern is that these foods do not require labeling as being genetically modified, and as a consumer, I have lost my right to make an informed decision about eating these products.
In my own back yard, our lawn is still very weedy, although green in our rainy West Coast winter. Our personal, albeit very unusual, method of keeping a chemical free lawn has been to build a portable cage for our hens. They are doing a great job of clearning the weeds and fertilizing the soil, but our lawn is huge. And it is winter so we need to wait until spring to spread the new grass seed. We hope to return our lawn to its once glorious state by the summer, this time without pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers.
Wildlife and Habitat Protection
Human impact on the environment is affecting many species around the globe, with countless numbers already extint due to our actions. We have already saturated our planet with pollution and our steadily rising population will continue to put increased pressure on wildlife and the environment. If we carry on with the status quo, the results will be catastrophic. We received a chilling message in Science Magazine in November (Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services) that our current activities will result in the collapse of global fish stocks by 2048. So much for leaving the world a better place for the next generation. It is necessary for us to protect the species now heading towards extinction and their critical habitat. Our planet must be cared for, even if for our own sake, for it is our habitat too. Huminity is different from all other species in many unique ways, but we are not exempt from extinction.
Despite declining fish stocks and the destructive nature of bottom trawling, Canada had no plans to vote for a moratorium. At the last minute, the federal government changed its stance and voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution for a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling last November. Unfortunately, the resolution was defeated by the tiny nation of Iceland with the only vote against the moratorium. As a result a new resolution was passed on December 8th which effectively leaves the regulation of deep sea bottom trawling up to individual nations. UN Member Nations are urged to regulate their fisheries to close bottom trawling in areas where vulnerable species exist or are likely to exist. This still leaves many unregulated areas of the high seas vulnerable to the destructive practice of bottom trawling and it is yet to be seen which nations will eliminate bottom trawling by their fishing fleets.
With all of the pressures on our marine environment, it is no wonder that our Killer Whales are in danger. All of BC's Killer Whales are listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), with the most vulnerable being the threatened southern residents. South of the border, the US government decision to list the southern residents as endangered came under attack by industry groups. Fortunately the lawsuit by the Washington Farm Bureau and the Building Industry Association of Washington was dismissed just before the New Year. Sadly, in other Orca news, the famous Killer Whale Luna, that became separated from her southern resident pod, was killed in a boating accident last March.
North America's Caribou are also in trouble. They are vulnerable, like many other species, due to habitat loss,pollution, and climate change, and will be further stressed if the Mackenzie Gas Project or drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve proceed. The direct impact to their habitat from these projects, along with the resulting increased greenhouse gas emmissions, will make their survival more difficult.
BC's Spotted Owls face a similar threat to the Caribou. In April, the BC Government announced their recovery plan for our seventeen Spotted Owls, down from 100 pairs only ten years earlier. Unfortunately, the plan only protects habitat where the Owls have been spotted (pun intended) since 2005, which is too small an area for their recovery. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club of Canada, had tried to enlist the help of the federal government under SARA, but that help is not forthcoming. Canada adopted BC's Spotted Owl recovery plan and announced in August they will not alter that plan. Former Environment Minister Rona Ambrose stated “It is my opinion that, given the measures [the BC Government] are taking, such as stopping logging in areas currently occupied by the owls, there is no imminent threat to the survival or recovery of the Northern Spotted Owl at this time.” Let's hope this tiny population of Owls will be able to recover with the minimal effort being made under this flimsy recovery plan.
Politics
When I first started blogging about the environment, I naively believed I could avoid politics. Of course I've since learned that environmental protection cannot happen without it. But in an even futher departure from my attempt to avoid politics, I wrote about the plight of US army Lt. Ehren Watada, who refused his deployment to Iraq last June. Lt. Watada's court martial is scheduled for February 5th. He faces six years in prison and a dishonourable discharge. Keep informed at Thank You Lt.org.
Make a Difference
It is very easy to point the finger at Big Business and the government for our environmental woes. But it is each of us who is ultimately responsible for the current state of our planet. For, after all, it is us who work for these organizations, us who buy from these businesses, and it is us who elect our government. I drive a fossil fuel vehicle, therefore I am responsible for global warming and the threat to Polar Bears, Caribou and the environment; I am connected to the energy grid in BC, therefore I am responsible for the coal-fired power plants to be built; however, I do not eat farmed salmon, therefore I am not responsible for the proliferation of salmon farms on BC's Coast. It is up to each of us to take personal responsibility for the impacts of our actions, because if you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. That's what Keeping Down with the Jones' is all about. Over the coming year I intend to reduce my ecological footprint (my New Year's Resolution) and I will provide valuable resources to help you do the same.
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