I want to see the science

Friends,

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said “if I thought there was a danger to the beautiful British Columbia coast, I would not have approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline.”  

The thing is, I live on this coast, and the community members, Indigenous leaders, and even politicians that surround me don’t share Trudeau’s level of certainty. In fact, we’ve seen many scientific reports indicating that Kinder Morgan would be devastating for the Pacific.  

So I have a simple question for the Prime Minister: where’s the evidence that Kinder Morgan is 100% spill proof? I am calling on Trudeau to show me the science to back up his claims because I simply can’t understand how he can be so certain. Will you join me in bringing this important question to the Prime Minister?

This isn’t the only claim that the Trudeau government is making.

The Prime Minister and his cabinet insist that Kinder Morgan fits within Canada’s international climate commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement. I haven’t seen any evidence to back this up either. On the contrary, all that I’ve read suggests that our climate can’t afford for Canada to expand the tar sands.

The government also claims Kinder Morgan is in line with their commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). If that's the case, can the government show evidence that they have the Free Prior and Informed Consent of all impacted Indigenous communities?

I’ve taken quite a few exams in my life and one thing’s always been the same: having the answer isn’t enough -- to pass the test, you have to show that you did your work. That’s what I’m asking Prime Minister Trudeau to do -- and I hope you will as well.

If they can’t show us the proof, it will be clear that they’re putting the coast, the climate, thousands of jobs, and our path to a just and renewable future in jeopardy for their own political aims.

But if Justin Trudeau and his government release these secret sources by March 5th, my friends and I are willing to organize a mass gathering in Vancouver for Trudeau to present his evidence. We’ll even livestream it. If he can’t, we will be forced to try and look for the science ourselves.

Let’s find out if Trudeau can #ShowUstheScience. It starts with sending a message to the Prime Minister himself.

With determination,

Atiya Jaffar -350.org is building a global climate movement. You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and become a sustaining donor to keep this movement strong and growing.