Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN -- This is the problem with the current debate around fossil fuels in our country. It's been politicized to the point that there is little honesty left in it






It’s mind-numbing to try to keep up with all the decisions politicians in Ottawa made about the British Columbia coastline last week.

First, on Monday the Members in the House of Commons voted 186 to 63 to support a motion from Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of Environment and Climate Change) declaring a national climate emergency and recommitting Canada to the targets set in the Paris agreement.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government is approving the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project, again. If you had concerns of the obvious inconsistencies in these two announcements, fear not. The support of the pipeline comes with a caveat that his government will invest all profits, "every dollar" is the quote, on green energy projects.

Last Thursday, the Canadian Senate's approval of Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, adds to the confusion of the national news cycle. On one hand there is a national climate change crisis ... and on another hand we will make the problem better by making it worse through an approval of fossil fuel infrastructure ... and on the third hand, (if you don't have three hands don't worry about it, suspend reality to help you make it through this anyway) they are banning oil tankers over 12,500 metric tonnes from transiting Canadian waters north of Vancouver Island.

Guaranteed safety?
NDP MP Nathan Cullen tweeted that the decision was a "guarantee that our coastline, communities and sealife will be safe from a devastating oil spill." Except for the fact that in 2013 the Nathan E. Stewart, an articulated tug and barge ran aground in Seaforth Channel spilling approximately 100,000 litres of petroleum products into the ocean.

These articulated tug and barge operations would not be affected by this new ban. Just as they were allowed to continue under the previous moratorium.

This is the problem with the current debate around fossil fuels in our country. It's been politicized to the point that there is little honesty left in it. Follow the storyline.

Climate change is real, we are fighting it, look at our motion!

We are funding the fight with ramping up fossil fuel production and when the
This is your brain when trying to understand politics
Prime Minister says we need to transition away, he's forced to scramble back to safety, else the oil lobby's grip tighten.

And now with an oil tanker ban in place, politicians are promoting a false sense of security.

If you don't have three hands don't worry about it, suspend reality to help you make it through this anyway


Don't get me wrong. The Oil Tanker Moratorium Act is important. However, are oil tanker transports more dangerous to the pristine coastline of central and northern British Columbia than they are in the Salish Sea?

Calling a national climate emergency is important. Although, haven't we lost all credibility by piggy-backing that announcement with a massive public subsidy of oil corporations?

Like I said, trying to understand the logic from the decisions in Ottawa is enough to make your mind numb.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH: Without a strong local presence, there is NO reason for anyone to tune in to local(?) radio

LOCAL HOMETOWN RADIO IS DYING … and without serious measures put in place, it will likely never see the light of day again. For well over four decades, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has presided over its’ demise, and for that I say, “Shame”. Without out a word to say enough was enough, the CRTC has allowed corporate Canada to buy up one radio station after the other, and then allowed them to slash staff to the point where some so-called local radio stations do nothing more than air programming that originates from communities well outside the region in which they are located. Case in point?   On CHNL* 610 in Kamloops, the morning show hosted by Vinnie and Randi, DOES NOT originate from Kamloops -- it doesn’t even originate here in BC. It’s a program that Stingray airs across multiple radio stations in Western Canada. It doesn’t end there. Not only are Vinnie and Rando doing mornings on CHNL, but they also show up on sister station Country 103 … and of course o...

Conservative Economic Team Responds to Urgent Industry Concerns

 " For far too long, the BC NDP has ignored the economic challenges facing British Columbians. Manufacturing jobs are vanishing, forestry is in decline, and private sector employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, affordability has worsened for both families and businesses. British Columbians deserve better, and we’re here to deliver real solutions to rebuild our economy and create jobs that support everyday working people and their families ." – Gavin Dew, MLA and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economy, Development, and Innovation.   December 3, 2024, Vancouver, BC – The Conservative economic team met today with business leaders and stakeholders to tackle critical issues impacting British Columbia’s economy. Attended by 9 critics from the Conservative Caucus, this meeting was convened by MLA Gavin Dew – Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation - as a direct response to an October 30th open letter from seven of the province’s largest industry associations. ...

WARD STAMER -- We need certainly in our markets, and certainly in our fibre supply, before we no longer have a forest industry in this province

Image Government of BC I think we all realize that the threat of Trump’s 25% tariff is like other provocative statements he’s made in the past. That said, we should have reason to be concerned. Tariffs don’t benefit anyone. A tariff of that magnitude – included on our own softwood lumber exports, will make things more expensive for Americans, and cause friction in the supply chain. If imposed, a twenty-five percent tariff will be equally detrimental to the citizens and economy of the United States, as well as the people of BC. There are two things, however, of equal concern to the threat of punitive tariffs by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. One is our antiquated stumpage fees. It is a legacy from decades ago, and one incapable of responding to changing market conditions. We need to revamp our stumpage system to better reflect market conditions, and our economic costs. Instead, a value-added tax system will be instantly responsive to current market conditions and will encou...

Labels

Show more