Tag Archives: Jens Wieting

Energy, Forests

Talk Is Cheap, Part 1: BC Fails to Fulfill its Carbon, Climate, Forestry Promises

The government of Canada, and the BC government, state publicly that they are committed to carbon reduction and proactive responses to climate change; yet both Canada and BC remain consistently among the world’s top carbon emitters per capita. In 2019 Canada was the world’s highest carbon emitter per capita.

On the one hand, our government proposes initiatives that would improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions — in sectors like transportation and construction. But on the other hand, they continue to subsidise existing and new fossil-fuel projects such as LNG Canada and the Coastal Gaslink pipeline — to expand fracking.

Canada’s Liberal government spent $4.5B to purchase the Trans-Mountain Pipeline in 2018, only to announce in Spring 2022 that no further funding would be allocated to the project as cost overruns neared 70%. But wasting money may be the least of our problems. These fossil-fuel projects have huge carbon impacts.

Continue reading Talk Is Cheap, Part 1: BC Fails to Fulfill its Carbon, Climate, Forestry Promises →
Forests

Logging company’s deferrals of old-growth jewels bittersweet, environmentalists say

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

West Coast environmental organizations are cautiously optimistic after a large forestry company announced deferrals of old-growth logging in some prized conservation areas in its private land holdings on Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. 

Mosaic Forest Management, the largest private land-holder in B.C., is pausing logging on 400 square kilometres of forest for a minimum of 25 years, opting instead to rely on carbon credits to generate revenue. 

Continue reading Logging company’s deferrals of old-growth jewels bittersweet, environmentalists say →
Forests

Regional District of Central Kootenay moves to protect old-growth forests

By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The remains of old growth forests in the region are protected, for now. 

With the province announcing its intention recently to work in partnership with First Nations to defer harvest of ancient, rare and priority large stands of old growth — within 2.6 million hectares of B.C.’s most at-risk old-growth forests — the central Kootenay desire to save its old-growth forests could be realized.

In August the Regional District of Central Kootenay passed a resolution requesting the remaining old-growth forests and significant old trees in the central Kootenay region be preserved.

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Forests, Indigenous Nations

Do clearcuts contribute to BC’s flooding?

By Melissa Renwick, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Thousands of British Columbians remain displaced following a series of devastating floods and landslides that have swallowed highway roads and entire cities in the southern part of the province.

The floods prompted British Columbia to declare its third state of emergency this year on Nov. 17. The devastation was triggered by an atmospheric river that carried rainfall two times the average amount within a 72-hour period.

Continue reading Do clearcuts contribute to BC’s flooding? →
Forests, Indigenous Nations

Deferring 2.6 million hectares of BC’s most at-risk old growth forests

British Columbia is considering whether to defer logging on 2.6 million hectares of the provinces most at-risk old growth forests. 

Continue reading Deferring 2.6 million hectares of BC’s most at-risk old growth forests →