Water Sustainability Act and Groundwater
Friday, November 8, 2013 About one out of every four British Columbians relies on wells for drinking water. Groundwater is also essential to BC’s agricultural sector and is critical for…
Andrew
BC is (still) Not for Sale
Thursday, November 7, 2013 Media headlines are trumpeting this week’s agreement between Premiers Christy Clark and Alison Redford regarding tar sands infrastructure in BC. In our opinion, however, this agreement…
Water for fish and the Water Sustainability Act
Tuesday, November 5, 2013 Imagine a lake, stream or river that you love. Or perhaps rely upon for your drinking water or livelihood. That’s what the current BC government consultations…
Say no to cosmetic pesticide use
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 It was only two years ago that Premier Christie Clark promised that the province would ban cosmetic pesticide use– pesticide use on lawns and ornamental plants.…
Will local government election rules silence the public?
Monday, October 21, 2013 Local government elections should be about communities discussing their problems, and electing people who will address those problems. Making a home-made lawn-sign or printing a few…
Will BC’s proposed Water Sustainability Act really be sustainable?
Friday, October 18, 2013 British Columbians have been waiting for a new Water Act (our current one is 104 years old and has its problems), and now that wait may…
Why Anna’s going to Washington
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Recently we asked our readers to write to the Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) to talk about their concerns with the Canadian government’s actions in dismantling…
What shielding Water Act violators says about BC’s environmental enforcement
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Last Tuesday (October 8th), the Province paper had an important story – Environment ministry continues to shield Water Act violators – about the Ministry of Environment’s…
Should water managers put their head in the sand about climate change, or not?
Friday, October 11, 2013 Recently West Coast Staff Lawyer, Deborah Carlson, spoke to the Climate Change Committee of the BC Water and Waste Association (BCWWA) about whether local governments and…
Climate change proven beyond a reasonable doubt
Friday, September 27, 2013 The Nobel Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released the first of 4 reports that make up its 5th Assessment Report. This first…
Whither climate change litigation and compensation?
Monday, September 9, 2013 Many people seem surprised when I mention the possibility that greenhouse gas emitting companies may one day be held liable for the damages caused by climate…
Are Canada’s climate laws a negotiating chip in TransCanada’s poker game
Friday, September 6, 2013 CBC is reporting that Prime Minister Harper has sent a letter to U.S. President Obama offering to commit to greenhouse gas regulations in return for the…
The Lemon Creek jet spill and emergency release of data
Thursday, August 29, 2013 I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to have your drinking water, and your entire community, contaminated with jet fuel. So when some…
Spot the difference between two gas industry maps
Wednesday, August 14, 2013 Remember when Enbridge accidentally left hundreds of islands off the maps it submitted in support of the environmental assessment of its Pipelines and Tankers project? Well,…
Lack of footnotes costs fish farm activist $75,000
Tuesday, July 30, 2013 On Monday, July 22nd the BC Court of Appeal ordered well-known anti- fish farm activist Don Staniford to pay $75,000 in damages because the mock cigarette…
Canadians stand up for fish
Friday, July 12, 2013 A great many Canadians, from many different backgrounds, have been standing up for fish – saying no to changes to the law that would gut legal…
Albertans, not Exxon Mobil, are paying the price for carbon
Thursday, July 4, 2013 It’s safe to say that Exxon Mobil, and other companies responsible for large amounts of greenhouse gas pollution, don’t intend to pay for the $3 Billion…
Health Canada fiddles while bees burned by pesticides
Tuesday, June 25, 2013 Earlier this month, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), an arm of Health Canada that regulates pesticides, released its report into the deaths of honey bees…
Canada v. Australia on Climate Science
Thursday, June 20, 2013 This week is a good time to think about climate science, and especially how governments listen to, and act on, the recommendations of climate experts. It’s…