Article by Greg Gowe and George Hoberg in the Vancouver Sun: Securing our future energy supplies requires integrated planning

Excerpt: "While these issues are all worthy of public debate, they have diverted attention from the poorly planned approach that B.C. is taking to energy development. Embedded in the project-by-project approach are two significant shortcomings: 1) unnecessary environmental degradation; and 2) unnecessary roadblocks to the development of a robust clean energy economy in B.C., which is needed given the predicted consequences of climate change."

An urgent alert from the Canadian Rivers Network:

GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED NWPA AMENDMENTS AND OTHER CHANGES TODAY UNDER ITS BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION ACT

Under the guise of the 2009 Budget Implementation Act, the federal government has introduced amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) that will have serious negative impacts on both the ancient public right of navigation in Canada and on the environment.

The NWPA mandates that, if someone wants to build something in, on, around, under, or over a navigable waterway, an assessment of the impacts on navigation and an environmental assessment need to be done first.

The NWPA was originally enacted in 1882. It is one of Canada’s oldest pieces of legislation, and there is no doubt that it needs to be modernized—however, in the name of “cutting red tape” to speed up the building of infrastructure projects and stimulate the economy, the government is introducing changes that will remove navigable status from thousands of waterways in Canada.

These changes were recommended by a committee that did not consult Canada’s paddling community, the outdoor tourism industry, environmental groups, First Nations communities, anglers and hunters, or anyone who accesses Canadian waterways for business or recreation.

The heritage right of navigation predates confederation, and Canadians consistently rank the environment as one of their top issues of concern.

These changes to the NWPA are simply unacceptable.

There is something you can do—raise your voice! Spread the word, and tell the government you care about Canada’s waterways. For more information and how to take action, please see www.ispeakforrivers.ca.

Article by Rafe Mair in The Tyee: Ten Timely Questions About Our Rivers and Electricity

Excerpt: "The woman who chaired the meeting... declared over and over again that the meeting was not on the merits of the proposal but strictly to address the terms of reference for the Environmental Assessment Office by whom she is employed. Notwithstanding the chair's ruling, Plutonic, their supporters and a First Nations chief were permitted to extol the virtues of this project as long as they liked while those who opposed were quickly shut down. (It did not go unnoticed that the chair and Don McInnis, president of Plutonic, were on a first name basis.)

"The meeting went on and on and on with ordinary citizens wanting to deal with the issues, not the terms of reference. They took the rather obvious position that a project ought to have been dealt with on the merits before any environmental assessment process kicked in. Despite valiant efforts by Ms. Chairperson, it became vividly obvious that following this process simply rubber stamped the project."

Story by Ralph Keller, Arthur Caldicott and Jim Abram in the Victoria Times Colonist:B.C. Liberals selling out our energy future.

Excerpt: "Most disturbing is how the government has disempowered affected communities. Citizens have no meaningful way to engage with power-project applications since provincial legislation has removed local government jurisdiction.

"Even if the vast majority of citizens oppose a particular project, the provincial government can (and does) overturn regional and community bylaws. It has ensured the people are voiceless and corporations get the last word."

Letter to the Editor by Joe Foy, National Campaign Director of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, published in the Royal City Record: Privatization bad for B.C. energy (click here for a PDF of the letter)

Excerpt: "You just got to wonder, in a province where people clearly value power public and wild rivers, how did we end up with a premier so bent on lining the pockets of the private power guys at the expense of the rate payers and environment?"

Article by Christopher Pollon in The Tyee: Who's Behind 'BC Citizens For Green Energy'? It says that co-spokesperson Bruce Sanderson is also an advocate of nuclear power.

Excerpt: "From its inception, the BCCGP displayed hallmarks of an "Astroturf" group -- a fake grass-roots organization designed to both promote industry-friendly messages and marginalize critics. Over the last year, the group has taken its fight to the editorial pages of B.C. newspapers big and small, and has attempted to publicly discredit two university academics and at least one prominent B.C. journalist."

A response from Rafe Mair of the Save Our Rivers Society Board of Advisors to Gene Vickers of "BC Citizens for Green Energy", published in the Campbell River Courier-Islander: Run of the River? Ruin of the river

Excerpt: "Many of the companies involved are huge multinationals like General Electric which, through its subsidiary Plutonic Power, is building several large projects including a couple of behemoths in the nearby Toba Valley on salmon spawning rivers. At last count they had licenses or applications to control a whopping 46 rivers in our province - rivers that belong to First Nations and British Columbians, not corporations! These companies get guaranteed lucrative prices from BC Hydro, which are indexed to the market. There is no competition between the companies as they all have monopolies."

And, an addtional article in the Courier-Islander, by Editor  Neil Cameron: Are we that stupid?

Excerpt: "Campbell River stands to lose part of its treasured reputation and along with it hundreds of thousands of tourism dollars. But at least there will be work for a few for a while and then all the money will go straight into the pockets of General Electric."

Article by Tony Eberts in the Royal City Record: Power projects not really 'green' (click here for a PDF of the article).

Excerpt: "It takes the provision of objective information about this tide of private power plans to give British Columbians - the real owners of these threatened rivers - the chance to decide each by its own merits or dangers. Too often the deals are made between government and applicants with little concern for public involvement.

"Sometimes what politicians and bureaucrats rule to be good for all of us may in fact lead to more heedless destruction of what is rapidly becoming the most valuable commodity in all the world - untrammelled lands of natural beauty beyond the reach of the profiteers, where the rivers run clean and free."