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Time to act in name of green economy

By MEGHAN HOWCROFT
Driftwood Live & Learn Columnist

When thinking about the biggest issue facing Canadians today, I’m often left feeling helpless. I’m not talking about health care, arts funding or even the latest dish of “perogies” served up by our PM. 

The issue is climate change — the c-word that’s tossed around as much as a salad at Bruce’s Kitchen. When seeing the tendencies to react rather than act, hearing the doom and gloom predictions and watching the reluctance of our government and big business to really join the fight, I’m left with the sinking feeling that I couldn’t possibly make a difference.

Sure I try to do my part. I’m a careful consumer, watch my energy and water consumption, recycle everything I can and limit my driving. Could I do more? Of course I could. But, like many, it’s doubtful I’ll ever go the whole hog and live off the grid in a tent made of hemp and abandon my car and seven-minute commute for a two-hour battle up the mountain on a bike. So, is there anything I can do that will really make a difference in the fight against climate change?

After attending the Truth, Trials and Tar sands event a few weeks ago I was somewhat shocked to discover a specifically Canadian climate change issue with the potential to make a big impact on the world scene: it seems the expansion of the Alberta tar sands is a battle we should be fighting with all the gumption we can muster. 

For some of us it’s difficult to imagine that we’re expected to provide a healthy environment for “future generations.” And it’s hard to comprehend that developed countries need to reduce their carbon emissions to 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by the year 2020 (who knows . . . maybe by then we’ll be flying cars fuelled by goat poop). Focusing our efforts on halting tar sands expansion is a tangible way of bringing the oftentimes abstract concept of climate change a little closer to home . . . and the “cool” thing is that we can actually do something about it!

Currently the Beaver Lake Cree Nation (an impoverished northern Alberta community of 900) is involved in a lawsuit against the federal and Alberta governments, claiming that the cumulative impacts of tar sands developments are destroying their treaty rights protected in the constitution. The lawsuit lists 17,000 infringements and names every major oil company in the world.

The Beaver Lake Cree have spent the last 10 years watching the once-pristine boreal forest around their ancestral home hacked up by seismic lines, criss-crossed by pipelines and desecrated by big oil projects. They can no longer hunt and fish in a meaningful way on their traditional land (as is guaranteed by their treaty rights) due to industrial pollution gathering in the air, on the land and in the water.

Maybe I’m a little behind the times, but I was shocked by the information distributed on a fact sheet at the Truth, Trials and Tarsands event. Did you know that currently the Alberta tar sands is the largest fossil fuel project on the planet and is poised to become the single-largest carbon emitter in the world?

How about that the tarsands are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada and are the biggest obstacle to Canada meetings its global climate change responsibilities? If current plans for expansion go forward, by 2020 the tarsands will release twice as many greenhouse gases as are produced by all the cars and trucks on the road in Canada.

Sweet Moses, smell the roses! And this is not even including the degradation of the environment in the northern boreal forest and the destruction of an indigenous way of life!
This is dirty, dirty oil — as dirty as a hippie who has just spent the night on a beach in Fulford . . . maybe even dirtier. And it’s all taking place in our own backyard.

The Beaver Lake Cree need our help. Their lawsuit, taken on by the lawyers at Woodward & Company, could take years to fight and will cost millions of dollars. According to Jack Woodward, if this tiny First Nations community wins its case, there would be a moratorium on any further tarsands expansion.

This won’t be an easy fight. There are huge governmental and corporate investments in the tarsands after all. But it’s time to recognize that the growth of our economy doesn’t have to come at the expense of our environment — maybe it’s time for a green economy.
I’m not suggesting we forget the little things, like turning off the lights and re-usable coffee mugs. But I am suggesting we look at the big picture and start putting our well-meaning efforts into something that can make a substantial difference. We need to take on the big fight to help the little guys stand a chance. 

As Woodward put it, “We are relying on the poorest people in Canada to stand up, where no one else will, or perhaps where no one else can, and be the voice of reason in this struggle.” The least we can do is support them in their efforts and let them know we’re in this together.
To donate to the Beaver Lake Cree cause go to www.raventrust.com. One hundred per cent of all donations will be applied to support the Beaver Lake Cree Nation and their ongoing litigation. 

Meghan's Live and Learn column appears twice a month in the Driftwood's Friday Weekender paper, available free all over Salt Spring Island.

Posted by admin Monday Feb 01, 2010 15:33
Categories: Beaver Lake Cree, Climate Change | Tags: Beaver Lake Cree, climate, environment, First Nations, indigenous, oil sands, science, tar sands

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