Gentle Readers In this issue there are 2 longer-than-usual articles on two aspects of our present situation. The first is about fracking. Fracking uses enormous amounts of water and sand, mixed with toxic chemicals, which are forced into the ground at high pressure to fracture shale rock or coal beds to release natural gas or oil. The process is linked to earthquakes and water pollution, which is why communities around the world are trying to stop it. In the recent election, part of the NDP platform was declaring a moratorium on this technology while a full investigation was done. Promises, but right after the Liberals cashed on in on all the money spent to get them re-elected, Rich Coleman was arrogantly boasting on TV how much the people of BC had gained – “They [the NDP] were saying No Fracking for 2 years!?!” The Liberals are hot-to-trot to give big business the go-ahead to spend over $10 billion to frack extensively, and remake much of coastal BC into shipping ports for liquefied natural gas. This will have more extensive environmental consequences than the tar sands monster in Alberta. When the people of Quebec spoke out against fracking, the provincial government listened. Quebec put a moratorium on the controversial and dangerous method for extracting hard-to-reach natural gas until the environmental impacts could be studied. You would think the Quebec government has an obligation to protect its people and their environment. But a U.S. fracking company called Lone Pine Resources thinks otherwise. Lone Pine, which wanted to frack for gas under the St. Lawrence River, has threatened to sue Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The company is demanding $250 million in compensation for Quebec’s moratorium, which it says violates Lone Pine’s “right” to frack! We shouldn’t have to pay to protect ourselves & our environment. Communities, not private firms, should have the final say on fracking and other projects that threaten water sources, the environment and public health –there should be no penalty for saying “no.” The second article is self-explanatory; both are here to give space for the ideas righteously dismissed by those with great wealth and power as “conspiracy theories.” It’s a conspiracy theory to say that corporations are in control of governments, that media reports what its owners choose as news and how to report it. We resist the gentrification & forced dispersion of low-income communities, have reasoned arguments and common sense looking at the biggest picture.. but get overwhelmed by the concerted (expensive) efforts of the monied interests.[Look at 9/11 again; look at US wars of aggression; look at the Local Area Planning Process in the Downtown Eastside and what has actually been going on.] Politicians in Vancouver and throughout other levels of government get reports based on what they want to hear. Most of the concerns of the reps of low-income people are glaringly absent. Even if they get all the facts, the might of corporate control is too much (for them) to fight. Fortunately it’s not too much for us. By PAULR TAYLOR
↧
