Oil - Pipelines

[ Editor: Common Dreams reported yesterday that the Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that environmental defenders have the right to employ a defence of necessity when being tried for climate-related offences.  This decision follows a similar one from the Minnesota State Supreme Court. 

To date this defence has not been allowed in Canada. Will Offley]

The court's decision, explained one attorney, "creates a strong legal basis for climate protesters to justify their actions in a court of law."

September 06, 2019

September 6 2019

SEPTEMBER 05, 2019

While 2020 hopefuls Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders often aligned on climate policy at CNN’s climate crisis town hall Wednesday evening, the candidates diverged on the question of nationalizing public utilities. Bernie is for the proposal, while Warren is against. We speak with journalist Kate Aronoff.

Watch video at link here.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, let’s turn to an audience member questioning Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Martin Lukacs’ book ‘The Trudeau Formula’ finds the Liberals talk a good game, but don’t deliver.

04 Sep 2019

Talk a good game about transforming society on behalf of the 99 per cent, while secretly assuring the one per cent that they have nothing to worry about.

September 4th 2019

Chief Lee Spahan from Coldwater Indian Band was happy to hear the news: the Federal Court of Appeal will hear his nation’s legal challenge against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

But he said there is still “a long road ahead.”

Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

Before my arrest and throughout more than half a century of volunteer community contributions, I’d always worked within the bounds of law.

I took the longer, legal route to reverse government policies because it was viable to take those routes.

But there are things we know, without a doubt, about climate change that made my response to it on Burnaby Mountain fundamentally different.

As a Minister of the Christian faith, with the United Church of Canada, I’m mindful of the duty to protest, if not resist, if and when civil authorities fail to provide due process and fair outcomes to grieving peoples.

I do not take this to mean that I have the right to disobey court orders anytime I might disagree with them.

I understand and appreciate the importance of our justice system – especially its checks and balances.

[Rita Wong was sentenced to 28 days in prison.]

I’m grateful to be here alive today with all of you on sacred, unceded Coast Salish territories, the homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh peoples.

[Will Offley was sentenced to 14 days in prison]

In the last year the Court has seen people from all walks of life, class backgrounds, nationalities and political persuasions appear, charged with the same allegation, criminal contempt of court, for blocking Trans Mountain’s operations. 

What unifies us all is the shared understanding that humanity is teetering on a precipice, and only decisive action to reverse climate change can prevent an unprecedented catastrophe.