Tag Archives: Gwen Barlee

Energy, Finances

$50 Billion For Electricity BC Does Not Need

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By Roy L Hales

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British Columbia’s regulatory accounts have been receiving a lot of attention lately. Business Vancouver compared them to a shell game, in which expenses are deferred to the future so that the government can report “profits.” Vaughn Palmer writes that the province has “cumulative long-term obligations amount to $102 billion, with Hydro accounting for the bulk of them.” The item that really caught my eye was $50 billion for electricity BC does not need.

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Politics

Does BC Need the Electricity?

British Columbian politicians held out promises for the development of renewables, when the Meikle wind project was announced two months ago. The Minister of Energy and Mines, Bill Bennet, said, “Independent power projects continue to play an important role in powering our province. Our decision to proceed with Site C provides a firm energy source that will support the integration of more wind energy projects in the future.” To which Mike Bernier, the MLA for Peace River South, chirped in, “the energy sector is providing employment and economic opportunities.” One of the headlines in the March 2015 North American Windpower states, “BC Wind Industry Seeks Clear Signal.” The same statement could be asked by the geothermal, solar, and river diversion projects – but does BC need the electricity?

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Animals

If Bees Are An Indicator Species

By Roy L Hales

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During the course of an interview with Gwen Barlee, of the Wilderness Committee, I asked if bees are an indicator species.

This transformed what started out as a conversation about the Canadian Standing Senate Committee’s findings on bees and bee health into a wider discussion. If bees are an indicator species, then the massive bee die-offs are another indication of what we are doing to our planet.

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Animals, Environment

Celebrate The Day Of The Honeybee By Banning Neonicotinoids

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By Roy L Hales

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May 29 is the “Day of the Honeybee.” BC is celebrating the growth of an industry that started with the arrival of two hives in Victoria during 1858. There are now 47,000 colonies, whose activities a $250-million-a-year agricultural industry. BC also produces $10 million worth of honey. The provincial Minister of Agriculture, Norm Letnik, says this is a time to remember how much bees contribute to “our lives, our economy and our food supply.” Gwen Barlee suggests we should celebrate the Day of the Honeybee by Banning Neonicotinoids.

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Politics

Legality of Pipeline Research in BC’s Parks Being Questioned

By Roy L Hales

When they were granted a license last November, the regulations stated Trans Mountain “must contribute to the scientific knowledge of the protected area(s).” They were conducting a feasibility study that was the preliminary step to building a pipeline. Now the legality of pipeline research in BC’s parks is being questioned .

Four months passed before the BC Government passed legislation, Bill 4: The Park Amendment Act, that made industrial research in public parks legal.  It was rushed through the legislature with no public consultation.

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