Oil, dissent and the future of Canada
TZEPORAH BERMAN, Globe and Mail, May 02, 2012
“Mommy, why does the government think you are a terrorist?”
The question came from my son the day after the news media reported that the federal government was contemplating changing the definition of domestic terrorism to include environmentalism.
Budget Bill Declares War on Environment
West Coast Environmental Law, April 27, 2012
Removal of environmental safeguards serves interests of big oil and silences citizens, say environmental lawyers
Pipeline plan triggers scramble for Vancouver bylaw
CBC News, 26 Apr 2012
City council and Park Board gird for battle over Kinder Morgan twinning project
The City of Vancouver is ramping up efforts to oppose the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion from Alberta to the Burnaby end of Vancouver Harbour.
B.C. has surrendered its sovereignty in pipeline hearings, analyst warns
By Stephen Hume, Vancouver Sun, April 20, 2012
Hearings assessing the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project and legislative changes planned in Ottawa compromise the province’s sovereignty and threaten its authority to defend British Columbians’ interests, warns a letter from Robyn Allan, the former president of ICBC, to Premier Christy Clark and other leading provincial politicians.
Tories silence critics
By Peter O'Neil, Vancouver Sun, April 19, 2012
Green advocates with no expertise to be shut out
Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver defends regulatory overhaul
By Rebecca Penty, Calgary Herald, April 19, 2012
Minister pledges accountability in project decisions
Outsiders unwelcome at project reviews, Oliver says
By Peter O'Neil, Edmonton Journal, April 18, 2012
Citizens not ‘directly affected’ shouldn’t take part in environmental hearings
Turning back the clock on environmental checks and balances
Karl Nerenberg, Rabble.ca, April 17 2012
What is puzzling about Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver's announcement today of a streamlined environmental review process is the sense of urgency -- almost panic -- to get resources out of the ground and to market, as quickly as possible.
Federal government’s takedown of CEAA is bad news for Canadians
By Devon Page, Executive Director, Ecojustice, 18 April 2012
On the heels of the 2012 budget speech, the federal government unveiled details yesterday of its plan to roll back environmental protections in Canada, which includes sweeping changes to the regulatory process used to scrutinize major industrial projects. Here are three ways the changes are a problem for Canadians and the clean water, air and land we all depend on:
Joe Oliver on CBC As It Happens
CBC As It Happens, 18 Apr 2012
As It Happens talks with Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources about changes to environmental assessments in Canada.
Stuart Elgee, Professor specializing in environmental and natural resources law and policy at the University of Ottawa, responds.
Ottawa to slash environment review role
By Andrew Davidson, CBC News, Apr 17, 2012
Sierra Club says Tories 'abdicating' responsibility to protect environment
Industries hail Ottawa’s environmental oversight overhaul
Shawn McCarthy, John Ibbitson & Nathan Vanderklippe, Globe and MailApr. 17, 2012
The energy and mining industries are applauding the Harper government’s plan to dramatically shrink the federal oversight of proposed natural resource developments and hand over much of the responsibility to provinces.
Environment Canada cuts eliminating research, monitoring and partnerships
By Jason Fekete, Postmedia News April 17, 2012
Massive overhaul of government environmental oversight
The Conservative government's overhaul of environmental assessments will consolidate federal reviews into three departments, focus resources on major projects and hand significant ecological oversight to the provinces.
Canada's Budget 2012
Budget, Government of Canada, March 29, 2012
"The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today tabled Economic Action Plan 2012, a comprehensive agenda to bolster Canada's long-term economic strengths and promote jobs"
Main budget portal
http://www.budget.gc.ca/2012/home-accueil-eng.html
Backgrounder - Responsible Resource Development
Backgrounder - Supporting Entrepreneurs, Innovators and World-Class Research
Chapter 3.2: Improving Conditions for Business Investment
The first half of this chapter contains the substance of the government's intentions with major resource and energy projects and environmental assessments.
Budget 2012 : A sad day for the environment
Press release, Equiterre, March 29, 2012
Ottawa - The budget 2012 presented today by the Harper Government represents a serious set-back for environmental protection and the right of Canadians to a safe future for our shared environment.
Budget: Canadians have no say in environmental laws
Media Release, Sierra Club of Canada, March 29, 2012
OTTAWA- Canadians are less able to protect our water, air and land because of changes to enviornmental law outlined in today’s federal budget.
The key change, essentially speeding up environmental reviews of mega-projects, will greatly hurt the public's ability to participate in future processes.
Big Oil wins big in federal budget
Keith Stewart, Greenpeace Canada, March 29, 2012
Big oil is the big winner in today’s federal budget. As expected, the Harper government announced that it will dismantle environmental laws that help protect our forests, air, water and wildlife from uncontrolled industrial activity like tar sands mines and pipelines. Adding insult to injury, but also expected, are the budget cuts to key ministries that will reduce their capacity to enforce the environmental laws that still exist.
Statement from Environmental Defence in response to today’s federal budget
Media Release, Environmental Defense, March 29, 2012
The plan to weaken one of Canada's foremost environmental laws outlined in today’s budget is nothing more than a gift to Big Oil.
Harper issues a “tough on nature” budget
Media Release, Green Party of Canada, 29 March 2012
OTTAWA - The Harper Conservatives have followed through on threats to erode environmental protection and grease the wheels for greater fossil fuel development.
West Coast Environmental Law reacts to budget rollbacks of long-standing legal protections for the environment
News Release, West Coast Environmental Law, March 29, 2012
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (March 29, 2012) - Jessica Clogg, Executive Director and Senior Counsel at the West Coast Environmental Law Association issued the following statement in response to today’s budget, which included rollbacks of long-standing legal protections for the environment.
'Clean air agenda' boosted as green agency gets cut
By Mike De Souza, Postmedia News February 29, 2012
$90.3 million will focus on policy, publicity
B.C. to extend $120-million oil, gas credits
By Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun, February 24, 2012
Follows similar amount last year to promote development at Kitimat and northern pipeline
Environment Canada presses for urgent crackdown on coal
By Mike De Souza, Postmedia News, February 22, 2012
OTTAWA — Canadians will see both health and economic benefits if the federal government follows through rapidly on draft regulations to crack down on pollution from coal-fired electricity plants, says newly released briefing notes from Environment Canada.
B.C. Liberals announce review of province’s carbon tax
Ian Bailey, Globe and Mail, Feb. 21, 2012
VICTORIA— B.C. Liberals are questioning a key tenet of North America’s only carbon tax, enacted into law by former premier Gordon Campbell.
Hopes over fuel decision
Jason Fekete, Postmedia News, The Province, February 19, 2012
The Conservative government is hoping it has won enough support from European Union countries to stymie, for now, a fuel quality standard proposed by the EU's executive that would label oilsands a dirtier form of crude.
