Dancing for a Change
I was reading yesterday's paper--I'm too cheap to have daily home delivery, so I just get a Friday hard copy and scan the rest of the week on-line--and I came across an astonishing article. The federal government has rejected a mining project in B.C.?! And supposedly for environmental reasons!?!? (at this rate I'm gonna run out of exclamation and question marks pretty damn quick.) Here's the link to the article
.Hard to believe that the Harper is listening to environmentalists. Especially as he has defunded all the scientists who previously questioned his plundering of our natural resources at all costs. So I broke out the champagne and did a happy dance that one environmentally devastating mining project had been stalled. (From my years working at WWF, I realize that a "No." to mining companies just means push harder and throw more money at government officials and it will eventually go through, but even a delay in this process is a monumental step forward.)
Then I started reading various other articles on this ruling. (Caveat. As a pinko, tree-hugging leftist, all news articles must pass through my anti-government/pro let's try to keep some wildlife/wild spaces alive and viable filter.) These other articles highlighted the B.C. politicians' deep regret that the feds don't appreciate how they will force the company to curtail poisonous leakage from the tailings facility. And they questioned why the federal government was permitting equally destructive oilsands development in Alberta whilst denying their dirty money-maker.
So I also started to question the federal government's reasoning for rejecting this deal. (Not that I don't believe the mine should be stopped--we can't keep draining lakes, filling them instead with poison and not expect the inevitable ensuing tragedy when the groundwater is contaminated.) I mean, why would a corporate slut like Harper suddenly learn to say "No" to a wealthy john like Taseko Mines? Especially as Harper is currently circling the globe searching for new mega corps and countries to sell our resources to. (Don't get me started on FIPA and the TPP. My happy pills aren't strong enough for that discussion.)
No, what I wonder is why this particular project was rejected when Harper's team is hell-bent on killing the environmental for profit. Could this ruling be Harper's way of chastising BC for opposing the pipelines through our protected parks to transport Alberta's bitumen? And will we suddenly face a series of negative ruling with future resource extraction applications. We can only hope.
Even better would be if we could get Harper pissed off at Alberta so he'll turn down some of their crap in retaliation. Okay that's just a pipe dream. (hah!) But meanwhile I plan on celebrating Harper's one environmentally responsible action regardless of the possible reasons behind it. We need something positive in amongst all the dirty dealings. And if this is all there is, then let's keep dancing...
.Hard to believe that the Harper is listening to environmentalists. Especially as he has defunded all the scientists who previously questioned his plundering of our natural resources at all costs. So I broke out the champagne and did a happy dance that one environmentally devastating mining project had been stalled. (From my years working at WWF, I realize that a "No." to mining companies just means push harder and throw more money at government officials and it will eventually go through, but even a delay in this process is a monumental step forward.)
Then I started reading various other articles on this ruling. (Caveat. As a pinko, tree-hugging leftist, all news articles must pass through my anti-government/pro let's try to keep some wildlife/wild spaces alive and viable filter.) These other articles highlighted the B.C. politicians' deep regret that the feds don't appreciate how they will force the company to curtail poisonous leakage from the tailings facility. And they questioned why the federal government was permitting equally destructive oilsands development in Alberta whilst denying their dirty money-maker.
So I also started to question the federal government's reasoning for rejecting this deal. (Not that I don't believe the mine should be stopped--we can't keep draining lakes, filling them instead with poison and not expect the inevitable ensuing tragedy when the groundwater is contaminated.) I mean, why would a corporate slut like Harper suddenly learn to say "No" to a wealthy john like Taseko Mines? Especially as Harper is currently circling the globe searching for new mega corps and countries to sell our resources to. (Don't get me started on FIPA and the TPP. My happy pills aren't strong enough for that discussion.)
No, what I wonder is why this particular project was rejected when Harper's team is hell-bent on killing the environmental for profit. Could this ruling be Harper's way of chastising BC for opposing the pipelines through our protected parks to transport Alberta's bitumen? And will we suddenly face a series of negative ruling with future resource extraction applications. We can only hope.
Even better would be if we could get Harper pissed off at Alberta so he'll turn down some of their crap in retaliation. Okay that's just a pipe dream. (hah!) But meanwhile I plan on celebrating Harper's one environmentally responsible action regardless of the possible reasons behind it. We need something positive in amongst all the dirty dealings. And if this is all there is, then let's keep dancing...
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