As British Columbians face increasing water use restrictions due to a heat wave, forest fires and drought, the province must answer why it is charging bottled water companies only $2.25 per million litres taken from B.C. sources.

Or why companies using huge amounts of water for hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" to extract oil and natural gas also pay just $2.25 a million litres.

The Project Development Agreement between the BC Government and the (Petronas-led) Pacific North West LNG LP was released to the public on July 6 at: http://ow.ly/PfXxd .

VICTORIA — The B.C. Liberals released details Monday of their proposal to compensate liquefied natural gas developers on a-dollar-for-dollar basis if future changes in provincial taxes and regulations specifically target the LNG sector.

We are inching closer to a tipping point in the environment that is leading to more extreme weather conditions. Lower snow packs and hot, dry summers make for ideal conditions for the kind of wild fires we are seeing now.

A news release from the First Nation’s Leadership Council last week suggested July could be the month when push comes to shove in the debate over the construction of the Peace River Site C dam.

It said the Treaty 8 First Nations had received notice from BC Hydro that as early as July 6 — five days prior to the tenth annual Paddle for the Peace protest event — construction work could begin at the project site.

Forests turn from carbon sink to carbon emitter because of pine beetle epidemic

B.C.’s forests experienced heavy carbon losses between 2003-2012, a dramatic change from the previous decade whey they were absorbing carbon, an analysis by the Sierra Club of B.C. shows.

The province’s forests emitted an estimated 256 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere between 2003 and 2012. In the previous 10-year period, they absorbed 441 million tonnes from the atmosphere, according to a report released this month by the environmental group.

CALGARY - A multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas project led by Royal Dutch Shell was given the environmental go-ahead on Wednesday, subject to dozens of conditions.

The LNG Canada project — planned for Kitimat — obtained the blessing of both the federal and British Columbia governments following a streamlined review process.

The federal government has decided the environmental impacts of the LNG Canada project are justified in the circumstances, Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq said in a release.

Opposition leader and NDP were supportive initially, but their concerns have increased as more details emerge.

VICTORIA — With the B.C. Liberals preparing to recall the legislature to approve a project development agreement for liquefied natural gas, Opposition leader John Horgan is signalling that the New Democrats will likely be voting no.

Photo: Kevin Washbrook of Votors Taking Action on Climate Change

Up to 120 LNG tankers a year could ply the south arm of the Fraser River after a U.S. company secured a licence to export LNG from a facility on Tilbury Island in Delta.

The National Energy Board of Canada approved the plan on May 7.