Press Releases

Failure To Invest In New Economy Worsens Ecological Deficit

lmatthaus — 2009-10-01T05:49:23Z

BC environmental groups warn that the 2009 budget update released today will result in not just a financial deficit but also an increasing ecological deficit that will weigh heavily on future generations. In the face of challenging economic circumstances, the groups call on government to focus economic stimulus on building a new, environmentally sustainable economy instead of propping up the old economy that continues to fail us and jeopardizes BC’s environmental future.

The groups pointed to the tragic collapse of this year’s salmon runs as an example of the ecological deficits created when the old economy is favoured over a new, green economy. “BC had a chance to invest in closed containment technology for salmon farms and in other industrial practices that protect fish stocks and habitat,” said Christianne Wilhelmson, Georgia Strait Alliance. “Instead BC sacrificed the long-term survival of salmon and now we’re passing on a very real ecological deficit to our children.”

“The government says we can’t saddle future generations with financial debt, yet this budget creates a dangerous environmental deficit that future generations may never be able to repay,” said George Heyman, Sierra Club BC. “This budget invests in the old carbon economy, and even slaps climate-concerned British Columbians with a tax on bicycles and home energy retrofits.”

Recent surveys show that Canadians overwhelmingly want government to ensure environmental protection despite the recession. More than two-thirds of Canadians rank protecting the environment on par with addressing economic problems*.

“Spending on roads is increasing more than 20% over the previous budget, yet funding for the highly successful LiveSmart BC program is not being renewed,” said Tom Hackney, BC Sustainable Energy Association. “This is completely counter to what British Columbians say they want from government.”

“Laying out a comprehensive vision for our energy needs is the hallmark of any credible economic recovery plan today,” said Merran Smith, ForestEthics. “We want to work with government and the public to develop an environmentally responsible energy plan that will keep BC at the forefront of combating global warming.”

“Pumping hundreds of millions into oil and gas development and transmission lines for mining and other climate unfriendly projects does not lay a solid foundation for BC’s future,” said Will Horter, Dogwood Initiative. “Subsidies to oil and gas have increased by almost 6% while incentives for British Columbians to become more energy efficient are cut to nearly zero.”

“Massive cuts to the Ministry of Environment are a false economy – it results in financial and ecological costs down the road.” said Andrew Gage, West Coast Environmental Law. “A short-staffed Ministry ends up dealing with toxic contamination, dead fish and polluted cities after the fact, when these problems could have been simply and far more cheaply addressed before they occurred.”

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BC Sustainable Energy Association – Tom Hackney, VP Policy (250-886-5076 or 250-744-2720)

Dogwood Initiative – Will Horter, Executive Director (250-418-1672)

ForestEthics – Merran Smith, Climate Director (604-816-5636)

Georgia Strait Alliance – Christianne Wilhelmson, Managing Director (604-862-7579 – French language interviews also available)

Sierra Club BC – George Heyman, Executive Director (604-312-6595)

West Coast Environmental Law – Andrew Gage, Staff Counsel (250-412-9784)

Core of Climate Plan Intact but Environmental Groups Say Budget Lacks Green Stimulus

lmatthaus — 2009-04-28T20:05:04Z

Victoria, BC - Seven leading environmental groups praised the BC government today for reaffirming its commitment to tackle climate change. Yet the groups say BC’s promised transition to a “low carbon economy” will be stalled by the BC government’s lack of leadership in failing to introduce a true green stimulus package, and the jump in subsidies to carbon-emitting sectors such as oil and gas industries.

“This budget sustains the core of B.C.’s climate change action plan by maintaining the carbon tax,” said Ian Bruce, Climate Change Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation. “But it falls short by failing to provide adequate funds for public transit, and sends the wrong signal by continuing to subsidize the fossil fuel industry heavily.”

Subsidies to the oil and gas sector are to soar by 57 percent—to a whopping $1.5 billion over the next three fiscal years. “The government had the opportunity to lead us into the economy of the future but give-aways to heavy polluters and carbon emitters condemn us to the mistakes of the past," said Charles Campbell, spokesperson for the Dogwood Initiative.

A 15 per cent cut to environmental stewardship—down to $34 million from $41 million--was also singled out by the seven groups as alarming.

“Aside from staying the course on climate change, the government has given the environment short shrift in this budget,” said Susan Howatt, Campaigns Director for Sierra Club BC. “Substantial cuts to environmental stewardship are of great concern for a province that still has no endangered species law--and 1,600 endangered species.”

Another gap in the budget is that new infrastructure projects will not require a transparent analysis of global warming emissions and life-cycle costs that clearly demonstrate how projects--like proposed highway expansions--will help or hinder achievement of BC’s legally-binding climate change goals.

“Funding for closed containment fish farming was also notably lacking, missing an opportunity for long-term green, rural economic development,” said Ruby Berry, of the Georgia Strait Alliance.

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Contacts:

Ian Bruce, David Suzuki Foundation: (604) 306-5095
Charles Campbell, Dogwood Initiative: (250) 858-9990
Susan Howatt, Sierra Club BC: (250) 888-6267
Tom Hackney, BC Sustainable Energy Association: (250) 213-3335, (250) 744-2720
Ruby Berry, Georgia Strait Alliance: (250) 218-6818
Andrew Gage, West Coast Environmental Law: (250) 412-9784
Karen Wristen, Society Promoting Environmental Conservation: (604): 788-5634

Budget 2008 Meets Key Tests on Climate Commitments

admin — 2008-02-20T08:26:51Z

Of the key areas in which environmentalists were looking for clear action (see below), three were given strong grades. The remaining climate-related area--cross-budget consistency-- remains a concern, with ongoing subsidies to the carbon-emitting oil and gas sector and massive capital investments in new highways. Also of concern is the lack of new funds for biodiversity preservation and management.

Carbon Pricing – Grade: A
The carbon tax is designed to make BC a North American leader in using carbon pricing to encourage innovation, climate-friendly behaviour change and a transition to a low-carbon economy. Government chose to make the tax fully revenue-neutral, recycling the revenues through lump sum payments and tax breaks for individuals, with a focus on low-income families and tax breaks to businesses.

Public Infrastructure Investments- Grade: A
To help kick-start the $14 billion Provincial Transit Plan, scheduled to be completed by 2020, $370 million was allocated over a four year period, including $93 million over the next year. Also included was money for energy retrofits on public buildings and green port initiatives.

Incentives For Citizens and Businesses – Grade: A
The budget contains significant incentives to help British Columbians make changes to decrease their carbon emissions, including energy retrofit funding and tax exemptions for energy efficient vehicles and appliances. It also provides BC businesses with strong encouragement to invest in innovation to be leaders in the low-carbon economy of the future.

Cross-Budget Consistency – Grade: F
There is a major disconnect between BC’s climate plan and continued financial support for carbon-intensive resource industries. The highly profitable fossil fuel industry emits approximately 20% of BC’s GHG emissions. Yet this budget provides large subsidies to expand carbon-intensive activities that could undermine BC’s efforts to be a world leader on tackling global warming. Steps in the wrong direction include a 24% increase in oil and gas subsidies in 08/09—to $327 million –as well as continued funding and promotion of coastal oil and gas drilling, and a $621 million larger allocation for highway expansion than for transit.

Biodiversity – Grade: D
There are almost no new monies earmarked for the protection of species at risk and their critical habitat. Although there is now political direction to establish a marine protected areas system for the Pacific coast, there are no new monies to achieve this.

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BC Sustainable Energy Association – Tom Hackney (250-744-2720)
Better Environmentally Sound Transportation – Kris Etches
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Chloe O’Loughlin (604-512-0428)
Dogwood Initiative – Will Horter (250-418-1672)
Georgia Strait Alliance – Christianne Wilhelmson (604-862-7579)
Living Oceans Society – Oonagh O’Connor (250-230-6580)
Pembina Institute - Matt Horne (778-235-1476)
Sierra Club BC – Lisa Matthaus (250-888-6267)
West Coast Environmental Law – Greg Gowe (604-220-2520)
Wilderness Committee – Andrea Reimer (604-719-3920)

BC BUDGET CREATES BAD CLIMATE FOR WILD SALMON

admin — 2008-02-23T01:21:20Z

Despite intense scientific and public concern over the impacts to BC’s wild salmon populations from salmon farms, the provincial government is failing to adopt a comprehensive commercial-scale closed containment strategy in today’s budget.

“This government is ignoring the real and imminent threat that we are about to lose wild salmon runs to open net cage aquaculture.” said Ruby Berry of the Georgia Strait Alliance. “Recent science leaves no doubt that the province must act quickly or be accountable for the demise of certain wild salmon stocks”

Scientific evidence of salmon farming’s harmful effect on wild salmon mounts with each new published paper, and the findings are not surprising. “Countless processes have recommended action be taken to address the impacts of this industry but the BC government continues to dither while wild salmon runs head towards localized extinction.” observed Catherine Stewart of Living Oceans Society.

CAAR provided the Province with a detailed proposal for Budget 2008, advocating the creation of a “Closed System Aquaculture Innovation and Development Fund” (CSAID). The $10 million CSAID fund would seek matching investment from qualified entrepreneurs who demonstrate the ability to build and operate closed system salmon aquaculture projects. It would provide for transparent environmental and economic monitoring and analysis of these projects and assist successful projects in marketing the new technologies to British Columbia and other jurisdictions. The development of this technology would provide a logical path to a sustainable aquaculture industry that doesn’t sacrifice wild salmon populations or coastal ecosystems.

Yet the Province continues to ignore the weight of scientific evidence, its own legislative committees and the pleas of businesses dependent on healthy wild salmon. “For the past two years, the government has been assuring us they want to be in the ‘closed containment’ aquaculture business as a step towards solving the problems associated with open-net cage salmon farming,” said Jay Ritchlin of the David Suzuki Foundation. “If this budget is the measure of the government’s commitment to serious action, it is tragically inadequate.”

For more information contact:

On site in budget lock up
Ruby Berry, Georgia Strait Alliance cell: (250) 218-6818
Catherine Stewart, Living Oceans Society, cell: (604) 916-6722

Off site:
Jay Ritchlin, David Suzuki Foundation, office: (604) 732-4228, cell: (604) 961-6840
David Lane, T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, (604) 519-3635
Robert Mountain, Musgamagw Tsawataineuk Tribal Council, (250) 974-5516
Mark Spoljaric, Friends of Clayoquot Sound, (250) 725-4218
Craig Orr, Ph.D., Watershed Watch Salmon Society, Cell: 604-809-2799
Mike Price, Raincoast Conservation Society, (250) 655-1229 ext 224

BC Budget 2008 -- Climate Promises Fulfilled?

admin — 2008-02-22T05:24:59Z

“The bold commitments of the BC government deserve equally bold fiscal measures to ensure we meet them,” said Lisa Matthaus, Campaigns Director at Sierra Club BC. “BC has very deliberately put itself in a leadership position in its commitments to fight climate change, but Tuesday’s budget will be the true test of whether the government is rising to meet the climate challenge.”

In the February 2007 Speech from the Throne the provincial government made laudable commitments to set BC on an aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reduction path. The 2007 budget, delivered only a week later, made virtually no financial allocations to achieving meaningful reductions.

“2007 has been a development year for BC’s plan to meet its greenhouse gas reduction commitments, and we welcome the significant policies that have been announced in recent months,” said Andrea Reimer, Executive Director at the Wilderness Committee. “However, actions speak louder than words, especially on climate change where scientists have made it clear we urgently need strong action to reduce emissions.”

An exciting legislative agenda is anticipated for the spring session, including concrete actions that will establish BC as a leader in reducing contributions to global warming. However, government’s most powerful tools are fiscal measures that shape our economy over time and set it on course for a low-carbon future.

“Putting a price on carbon is essential to harnessing the innovative potential and entrepreneurial acumen of our economy to drive us towards a low-carbon future, and doing so in the most efficient way possible,” said Peter Ronald, BCSEA Coordinator. “We are particularly excited by the prospect of a well-designed carbon tax for BC in this budget that prices carbon for businesses and individuals fairly and equitably.”

Other measures by which the budget will be assessed include investment in public infrastructure to lower emissions, such as funding for the recently announced Transit Plan, and incentive programs that encourage businesses, municipal governments and individual British Columbians to make bold changes. Evidence of consistency in policy direction across the budget will also be a key indicator: is BC making investments to reduce carbon emissions that are being negated by subsidies to emission-heavy fossil fuel development?

“By legislating emissions reductions targets last December, government effectively mandated a ‘carbon filter’ approach to be applied to all government programs and expenditures,” said Ms. Matthaus. “A true climate budget will have clear measures taking us towards our carbon reduction goals, and phase out measures that take us away from our carbon goals, like subsidies to oil and gas.”

More than ten environmental organizations will have representatives in the February 19 budget lock-up, the largest ever representation by the sector for a budget lock-up.

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Backgrounder attached

Contact:

Lisa Matthaus, Campaigns Director, Sierra Club BC: 250-888-6267 (cell)

Andrea Reimer, Executive Director, Wilderness Committee: 604-719-3920 (cell)

Peter Ronald, Provincial Coordinator, BC Sustainable Energy Association: 250-213-3335 (cell)

BC Commits to Legislate Protection of 2.2 Million Hectares for World’s Only Mountain Caribou

admin — 2007-12-04T00:17:19Z

A coalition of ten leading environmental groups today celebrated a major milestone in their campaign to protect mountain caribou habitat in the globally unique Inland Temperate Rainforest. Today's long awaited recovery implementation plan commits the BC government to protecting, by spring 2008, over 2.2 million hectares of old-growth cedar, pine and spruce forests, an area more than 2/3rd the size of Vancouver Island and twice the size of Jamaica. This will include new protections amounting to over 380,000 hectares, larger than the entirety of Clayoquot Sound, and upgraded protections over hundreds of thousands more. The plan also commits government to developing more environmentally friendly forest management approaches in surrounding forest habitat.

”These new commitments are critical for the survival of one of North America's most endangered mammals, and have raised the bar for future forest protection across Canada,” said Candace Batycki of ForestEthics. “Today’s announcement is a victory for the thousands of citizens from BC and beyond who made their voices heard about the critical role old growth forests play in endangered species protection and climate change mitigation.”

Mountain caribou, represented on the Canadian quarter since 1937, are an ecotype of the woodland caribou that are found across Canada and parts of Alaska. Mountain caribou live in old-growth forests in steep mountain ranges where they rely on tree lichens for winter food. Mountain caribou numbers have plummeted from about 2,500 animals in 1997 to 1,900 today, largely due to logging, road building and flooding from dams. Today’s announcement commits the BC government to restore their numbers to at least 2,500 animals.

Over the past three years of the campaign, which included targeted advertising, public service announcements and community outreach, messages were sent to government by celebrities, business leaders and over 16,000 members of the general public, all in a bid to protect the mountain caribou habitat identified by the government's own science team.

“Three years ago, the importance of habitat protection wasn't fully appreciated,” said John Bergenske of Wildsight. “Predator control was touted as the silver bullet for saving caribou. But today, habitat protection is recognized as the major focus of caribou recovery, and any intended predator control will be subject to stringent criteria to be developed by the Ministry of Environment. It's a big win for the wildlife and people of British Columbia, and indeed for the global community.”

Roy Howard of Fraser Headwaters Alliance said: “While this announcement represents government’s commitment, there is still much painstaking work necessary to achieve legalization of these promises. This will be especially challenging in areas like Revelstoke and the North Thompson, where less forest has been allocated for protection. Our organizations are committed to working hard in our regions to ensure the strongest possible, legally binding protections are put in place over the coming months. All eyes are on implementation.”

Environmentalists credit today's announcement to the increased saliency of environmental issues.

“The public is demanding environmental protection like never before,” said Rob Duncan of the Sierra Club of Canada – BC Chapter. “The public is ready to make its voice heard, and to hold governments to account. Areas like the Inland Temperate Rainforest are unique and globally significant, and people across North America know this region needs greater protection. We're all committed to making that happen, for endangered species, for clean air and water, and to mitigate climate change.”

The government's mountain caribou recovery implementation plan includes:
1. 2.2 million hectares protected from logging and road building, including new protected areas adding up to over 380,000 ha, and upgraded protections over hundreds of thousands more;
2. Protection of 95% of the high suitability caribou habitat identified by the government's mountain caribou science team;
3. A commitment to develop new management approaches in remaining habitat that will restore forests to conditions that support a healthier predator-prey balance; and
4. Development of stewardship agreements for commercial and non-commercial snowmobiling, heli-skiing and cat-skiing, and legal access closures of areas that science team members deem important for caribou.