Business Casualties of Run of River
Could the title of this blog entry simply be a news headline in BC's future? BC's government is looking to privatize power generation in our province through "green" power initiatives such as Run of River Hydroelectricity. Green power, it is not. Not only that, but BC currently uses less power than it produces. The whole plan seems to be good for big businesses and bad for the environment, and therefore, bad for many existing BC businesses which make money off our incredible natural assets in sustainable ways.
I think it's far better to make money from our environment in sustainable ways that don't undermine other businesses' ability to continue operating. Whale watching companies, grizzly tour operators, fishing guides, and others will be the casualties of Run of River Hydroelectric. A company that's approved for a Run of River project has the right to continue producing power on these gifted lands and rivers forever. Once we cross this bridge, there's no turning back.
Collateral Damage
Informed BC citizens are standing up to fight atrocious and stealthy attempts to steal the veins and arteries of this province, but many of us hardly know this battle is going on. I for one, only really found out just how major the Run of River issue is a few months ago, and I pursue the fish that are among the first casualties of these projects. When the fish populations plummet, and I'm sure they will when you steal as much as 90% of a river's water from its most productive reaches, the next casualties are sure to be seals, fishers, eagles, whales, bears, forests, tourists, and on and on and on. I assume if we removed 90% of the blood from our veins and arteries, we'd experience some difficulties. In fact, after googling this question, it appears 30-40% blood loss leads to death--I shudder to think of the after effects of Run of River. I also don't want to be left wishing I'd done more to help stop Run of River projects in BC.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
To see how far reaching the effects of giving away BC's rivers will be, you should check out Powerplay, the groundbreaking documentary series on the theft of bc's rivers and public power. Although I haven't had time to view all the episodes yet, this series is a major eye opener and requires a major response from citizens of BC, Canada, and the world. Please let your voice be heard by BC's government. I'll list government contacts I was given for the Kokish River Run of River project. I assume they'll be involved in many Run of River projects. For different areas of the province, I expect there'll be different Environmental Assessment Managers but I hope these individuals will forward your opinions to the appropriate government representatives. Here they are: Ron.Ptolemy@gov.bc.ca; Martha.Anslow@gov.bc.ca. Ron Ptolemy is listed as an Instream Flow Specialist and Martha Anslow is listed as one of a number of Environmental Assessment Managers.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide, BC's incredible rivers need your help to remain that way. It's my hope they'll be around for you to enjoy if and when you make your first or next trip to our province. If we work hard and work together, they may be even better.
Could the title of this blog entry simply be a news headline in BC's future? BC's government is looking to privatize power generation in our province through "green" power initiatives such as Run of River Hydroelectricity. Green power, it is not. Not only that, but BC currently uses less power than it produces. The whole plan seems to be good for big businesses and bad for the environment, and therefore, bad for many existing BC businesses which make money off our incredible natural assets in sustainable ways.
I think it's far better to make money from our environment in sustainable ways that don't undermine other businesses' ability to continue operating. Whale watching companies, grizzly tour operators, fishing guides, and others will be the casualties of Run of River Hydroelectric. A company that's approved for a Run of River project has the right to continue producing power on these gifted lands and rivers forever. Once we cross this bridge, there's no turning back.
Collateral Damage
Informed BC citizens are standing up to fight atrocious and stealthy attempts to steal the veins and arteries of this province, but many of us hardly know this battle is going on. I for one, only really found out just how major the Run of River issue is a few months ago, and I pursue the fish that are among the first casualties of these projects. When the fish populations plummet, and I'm sure they will when you steal as much as 90% of a river's water from its most productive reaches, the next casualties are sure to be seals, fishers, eagles, whales, bears, forests, tourists, and on and on and on. I assume if we removed 90% of the blood from our veins and arteries, we'd experience some difficulties. In fact, after googling this question, it appears 30-40% blood loss leads to death--I shudder to think of the after effects of Run of River. I also don't want to be left wishing I'd done more to help stop Run of River projects in BC.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
To see how far reaching the effects of giving away BC's rivers will be, you should check out Powerplay, the groundbreaking documentary series on the theft of bc's rivers and public power. Although I haven't had time to view all the episodes yet, this series is a major eye opener and requires a major response from citizens of BC, Canada, and the world. Please let your voice be heard by BC's government. I'll list government contacts I was given for the Kokish River Run of River project. I assume they'll be involved in many Run of River projects. For different areas of the province, I expect there'll be different Environmental Assessment Managers but I hope these individuals will forward your opinions to the appropriate government representatives. Here they are: Ron.Ptolemy@gov.bc.ca; Martha.Anslow@gov.bc.ca. Ron Ptolemy is listed as an Instream Flow Specialist and Martha Anslow is listed as one of a number of Environmental Assessment Managers.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide, BC's incredible rivers need your help to remain that way. It's my hope they'll be around for you to enjoy if and when you make your first or next trip to our province. If we work hard and work together, they may be even better.
No comments:
Post a Comment