By Roy L Hales
Since 2001, there have been several inquiries into the plausibility of harnessing the wave energy off Vancouver Island. So far, projects were rejected because of the associated costs. A new report from the University of Victoria’s West Coast Wave Initiative (WCWI) describes BC’s wave energy potential.
Continue reading Bc’s Wave Energy Potential
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley applauded the Prime Minister’s “extraordinary leadership.” Peter McCartney of the Wilderness Committee calls it “a betrayal of promises made in the last election to act on science, gain public approval and respect Indigenous rights.” There are already 7 legal challenges of this project underway, and more will follow. The government of Canada approved Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion, “subject to 157 binding conditions.”
Continue reading Canada Approved Kinder Morgan’s Pipeline ExpansionBy Roy L Hales
As decision time approaches, most of us know the government of Canada to enable the flow of more diluted bitumen through the most populated region of British Columbia. The cost, in terms of the Liberal party’s political future in this province, could be great. A recent Insights West poll found that 64% of the people who voted for them in the last election oppose the pipeline. One of their own MP’s made the public appeal, “I ask you to listen to the collective wisdom of British Columbians.” Thousands are protesting anticipated approval of Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion.
Continue reading Protesting Anticipated Approval of Kinder Morgan’s Pipeline ExpansionBy Roy L Hales
Canada’s $2 billion Aquaculture industry is embroiled in controversy. While there may be some debate as to whether wild salmon spread more infections to British Columbia’s penned stock or vice versa,[1] there have been incidents like the Queen Charlotte Strait’s 2015 sea lice epidemic.[2] On May 20, 2016, Dr Kristi Miller, from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, announced that there is “a potential Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) in farmed Atlantic salmon samples” collected from a aquaculture facility off the coast of Vancouver Island. In Norway, where HSMI is more common, this disease is “associated with generally low mortality on farms, generally between 0 to 20%.”[3] The stress (and thus mortality rate) is undoubtedly greater on wild salmon, which need to capture prey, escape predators and swim upstream to spawn. So, acting on behalf of marine biologist Alexandra Morton, ECOjustice is suing Canada’s Ministry of Fisheries for putting wild salmon at risk. Some argue the best answer is to bring salmon farms on land.
Continue reading Bring Salmon Farms On LandBy Roy L Hales
What do the people of Canada think? The oil rich provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan want to build more pipelines to carry diluted bitumen from the oil sands. The Liberal government of British Columbia dreams of developing a “trillion dollar” LNG opportunity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears to be appeasing them, in return for provincial support for a national plan to curb Canada’s C02 emissions. The goal is to reduce our emissions to 30% below the 2005 level by 2030, but the concessions inherit in Trudeau’s collaborative approach could subvert any attempt to tackle climate change. A new poll finds Canadians expect Federal action against emissions.
