British Columbia

The B.C. government must address “profound” gaps in knowledge about groundwater quality in the province's northeast, a regional district-commissioned study has found.

Hydrogeologist Gilles Wendling delivered the results of a two-year survey of water quality in Northeast B.C. at a Peace River Regional District meeting Aug. 25. It is the first comprehensive study of groundwater to be carried out in the Peace, the hub of B.C.’s oil and gas industry, and it raises new questions about whether water quality is adequately monitored and protected in the region.

Campbell River meeting comes as Morton video of farmed fish goes viral. [See video with original article - Alex Morton captured underwater video of farmed salmon during Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw protest action. Photo from YouTube. ]

More than 50 First Nations protestors, including several hereditary chiefs, called for the eviction of multinational-owned fish farms from “unceded” territorial waters in Campbell River on Monday.

Not everyone is thrilled with the recent vote by members of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation to resume discussions on an $11-billion liquefied natural gas project near Prince Rupert.

A plan to make electricity widely available to natural gas facilities in northeast British Columbia depends on whether or not proposed West Coast LNG projects go ahead.

The climate change plan B.C. Premier Christy Clark released Aug. 19 referred generically to “infrastructure” that would have to be built to “close the gap between electricity and natural gas costs” in B.C. Since then, B.C. government staff has explained the cryptic reference.

On August 24, the Site C dam was highlighted as the lead story on CBC Radio's influential national morning show, The Current.

From: Sacheen Seitcham [mailto:mamazonscreations@gmail.com]
Sent: August 24, 2016 1:42 PM
Subject: cermaq arrests ahousaht

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cermaq’s Illegal Operations: RCMP Arrest Indigenous Land Defenders Protecting Wild Salmon Days after Cermaq Kicked out of Kingcome Inlet

August 25, 2016

[Editor: Even the C.D. Howe Institute is saying it!]

CALGARY — A new study is raising questions about the degree to which exports of Canadian liquefied natural gas would help reduce carbon emissions abroad — a core justification for developing such an industry.

The C.D. Howe Institute released a report Wednesday that concluded that Canada’s LNG exports could reduce carbon emissions in parts of Asia, but would likely increase emissions in the majority of other potential markets.

Vancouver — Climate change is the greatest global health threat of the 21st century, one of Canada’s leading advocates on the subject, Dr. James Orbinski, told physicians attending the Canadian Medical Association annual meeting Monday, urging them to do more to lessen harms.

Orbinski, a humanitarian and founding member of the Nobel-Prize winning Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), said climate change is unrelenting as evidenced by the fact that 2015 was the hottest year in recorded history and 2016 is projected to surpass it.