The lack of access to clean drinking water for hundreds of First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities across Canada, is a national shame, says environmentalist David Suzuki. The post David Suzuki: Clean drinking water should be a human right in Canada appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
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Things Are Good: New York City’s Simple, and Green, Flood Prevention
New York, like other large cities, has a lot of impermeable services which means that when it rains there is little to contain the water. By using green infrastructure of soil, broken stone, shrubs, trees, etc. the bioswales can capture a lot of water. This green infrastructure is good for
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: IPPs an even worse rip-off than Site C Dam, SFU economist warns
Construction of a private power project on the Ashlu River (Photo: Range Life) The following article by renknowned energy expert and SFU economist Dr. Marvin Shaffer is republished from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Policy Note You would think that the fiasco of the government forcing BC Hydro in recent
Continue readingThings Are Good: Surfing Oceanic Data
The ocean is massive and it’s experiencing massive change thanks to climate change and humans depleting its resources. We know this, but we don’t know the extent of the harm done to the oceans nor many other aspects of life in the seas. A surfer and engineer, Benjamin Thompson, decided
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Three myths about the Energy East pipeline
Maude Barlow, the national chairperson of the Council of Canadians, and Matt Abbott, explain the three myths being used to promote TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline. The post Three myths about the Energy East pipeline appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Chris Matthews takes note of the gross growth of inequality in the U.S. Dean Baker notes that much of the wealth built on what’s branded as “innovation” reflects little more than successful attempts to evade health, safety and consumer protection laws. And Mike
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Evidence shows no need for Site C Dam: Economist to Energy Minister
Energy Minister Bill Bennett Dear Minister; I know you have heard it all so I guess it is now all about the legacy you and your cabinet colleagues are willing to create. Thinking in terms of demand for electricity in BC, the reported record of sales by BC Hydro has
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Harper govt joins BC in backing Site C, despite “significant adverse environmental effects”
Bear Flat in northeast BC’s Peace Valley – which would be flooded by Site C Dam (Damien Gillis) Read this October 14 story from Larry Pynn in the Vancouver Sun on the Harper Cabinet’s conditional approval of the controversial, proposed Site C Dam in BC. B.C. Hydro’s planned $7.9-billion Site C dam
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C gets BC certificate; Feds, First Nations leave project in doubt
Location of proposed Site C Dam (photo: Damien Gillis) Read this Oct. 14 story by William Stodalka in the Alaska Highway News on the BC Liberal government’s decision to issue its environmental certificate for the highly controversial proposed Site C Dam. The B.C. Ministry of Environment has approved an environmental assessment certificate
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: As California drought drives up BC food prices…a dam to flood our best farmland?
California’s Central Valley is facing record drought conditions As British Columbians share a meal this weekend, giving thanks for the food with which we are so blessed, year-round, let us pause for a moment to consider where so much of it comes from: California. Let us also say a prayer
Continue readingThings Are Good: Look at This Landscaping Called Xeriscaping
California is suffering a huge drought due to horrible water use policies and climate change. For some reason people love to have lawns where they naturally shouldn’t exist, this itself leads to massive water wastage and arguably microclimate issues. Thankfully, perhaps people are beginning to understand that their landscaping is
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: 70 of Canadians support a national moratorium on fracking: POLL
A new poll commissioned by the Council of Canadians reveals that an overwhelming majority of Canadians oppose fracking, support “a national moratorium on fracking until it is scientifically proven to be safe.” The post 70 of Canadians support a national moratorium on fracking: POLL appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Ex-TD Bank Comptroller: Site C Dam too costly, unnecessary, rushed
Site C Dam will unnecessarily cost taxpayers billions, says one financial expert The following is a transcript of Rob Botterell’s recent speech to the BC Select Committee on Finance and Government Services. Mr. Botterell is a lawyer, former senior government official and former comptroller of TD Bank’s BC division. I’m
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Video showcases Peace Valley as Cabinet decides on Site C Dam
First Nations, local business people and farmers speak out against the $8 Billion-plus proposed Site C Dam, which would flood or disrupt over 30,000 acres of prime farmland and wilderness in northeast BC’s Peace Valley. Directed by conservation filmmaker Jenny Nichols and featuring the photography of Garth Lenz, this short video
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Suzuki: Site C Dam would swamp First Nations’ treaty rights
First Nations and farmers join forces at “Paddle for the Peace” to oppose Site C (Damien Gillis) B.C. First Nations chiefs recently travelled to Ottawa to urge the federal government to pull the plug on the costliest infrastructure project in the country. At an estimated $7.9 billion and growing, the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: First Nations to Ottawa: Scrap Site C Dam or LNG is a no-go
BC Chiefs Roland Wilson, Liz Logan and Stewart Phillip taking their anti-Site C message to Ottawa (Twitter) Read this Sept. 24 Globe and Mail story by Dene Moore on the trip taken by several BC First Nations chiefs to Ottawa, calling on the federal Cabinet to reject the proposed Site C
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Large hydro dams aren’t “green” – they actually drive climate change
BC’s WAC Bennett Dam (Photo: Damien Gillis) Read this August 14 EcoWatch column by Gary Wockner, which explodes the myth of “green” hydro dams – food for thought as Canada considers building Site C Dam atop some of the country’s best farmland. People believe hydroelectric dams provide clean energy. It’s not true. I
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC Hydro vastly underestimates loss of farmland to Site C Dam
At a recent press conference in Vancouver, renowned agrologist Wendy Holm and lifelong Peace Valley farmer Renee Ardill spoke to the vast, quality farmland that the proposed Site C Dam would flood or disrupt. “These soils are completely unique,” explained Holm, a past president of the BC Institute of Agrologists.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Audio: From Site C’s economic folly to update on Mount Polley
The Common Sense Canadian’s Damien Gillis and CFAX 1070′s Ian Jessop discuss the economic disaster that the proposed Site C Dam represents from British Columbians. At a projected cost of over $100 per megawatt hour – and likely more than $8 billion for construction – the project stands to lose BC taxpayers
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C Dam: Food for thought
Check out this short video from The Peace Valley Environment association and The Common Sense Canadian’s Damien Gillis on the extraordinary agricultural land that would be flooded by the proposed Site C Dam. The Peace River Valley, in northeast BC, provides much of the province’s energy needs from two large dams and
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