by Lesley Thorsell Our Conservative government has broken its international commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. Canada’s withdrawal from Kyoto without any replacement or binding targets shows a blatant disregard for millions of people who will be climate-change refugees. We are now known as the seventh largest CO2 polluter in the world with our festering cesspool of fossil fuels in Alberta. The David Suzuki Foundation states: “The federal government continues to give billions of dollars in tax breaks to the companies producing oil and gas in Canada. Analysis shows a total of $1.4 billion per year in federal subsidies, $840 million of which are special tax breaks, with a disproportionate share going to dirty fuels such as the Alberta Tar Sands.” Instead of subsidizing climate change we could be leaders in subsidizing jobs and technology in many innovative areas of renewable resources and tax incentives to be carbon neutral. Ethical Oil proudly states the tar sands project emits only an estimated 45 million tons of greenhouse gases each year. Though tragically, first nation people living downstream from the tar sands in Fort Chipewayan are dying of rare cancers. During the last federal election campaign in Powell River, I asked the candidates what they would do differently to address climate change if elected? Did MP John Weston, West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding, know at the time that his government would completely dismiss the Kyoto Protocol? Did Weston know that the plan was for Enbridge Inc. to build a pipeline across the Great Bear Rainforest, for crude oil to be transported by supertankers that would navigate up and down our pristine coast over 200 days a year? This is explained beautifully in the movie Spoil that was shown in Powell River at Banff Mountain Film Festival on Friday, January 6. Over 130 first nations have declared their solid opposition to the Enbridge pipeline and transportation of oil. Jobs are extremely important to our economy but the environmental costs and loss of human, animal, marine life and plants will outweigh the profits in the long run. The fact is that Canada has an enormous responsibility to humanity and for all the environmentally vulnerable areas of the world. Climate change is expensive, climate change is deadly and climate change has become the top priority of the earth’s inhabitants despite our government’s denial. Weston actually stated in his New Year address in the Peak that he has worked with constituents to “protect the environment.” Well, Mr. Weston, the time is right to be a “radical environmentalist.” The federal hearings for the pipeline proposal began January 10 in Kitimat and already more than 4,000 individuals and organizations have submitted briefs and requests to speak at hearings around the province. Please join me in speaking out for a serious, binding climate action plan by our governments on all levels. With seven billion people now living on our planet, will renewable resources be our future or will oil be our demise? Lesley Thorsell is an activist for the health and wellness of our community and our planet.
