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Tag Archive for: fossil fuels

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Proposed old-growth logging on Vancouver Island threatens unique orca rubbing beaches

April 9, 2018/in Conservation and Biodiversity, Featured Story, Forests, Jens Wieting, Media Centre, Press Releases /by Sierra Club

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 9, 2018

Sierra Club BC is calling on the BC government to direct government-owned BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to hold off plans for old-growth logging and roadbuilding in the Schmidt Creek watershed because of very high conservation values, including proximity to unique rubbing beaches used by Orca whales.

“Not one watershed on eastern Vancouver Island is fully protected, yet the BC government continues to enable logging of endangered old growth forests at a rate of three square meters per second,” said Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner with Sierra Club BC. “Will the risk of losing unique orca whale rubbing beaches be enough to convince this government to take action for endangered old growth rainforest?”

The Schmidt Creek watershed, near Johnstone Straight on northern Vancouver Island, was subject to a logging moratorium from 1992-97 due to concerns about logging practices increasing sediment delivery and impacts on the adjacent orca rubbing beaches, most likely affecting the condition of the gravels that the orcas are drawn to. A provincial report from 2003 about the rubbing beaches stated “given the nearly unique use of the beach by killer whales, management of the area should be cautious.”

Dr. Paul Spong from Orcalab is concerned about the proposed logging operations. “These orca rubbing beaches are a vitally important cultural tradition unique to this community of whales,” said Dr. Spong. “We’ve been concerned about declining quality of rubbing beaches in this area for a number of years, and feel the risks involved in logging of the Schmidt Creek watershed are simply too great to allow the logging to proceed. If a landslide occurs, it could be disastrous for the rubbing beaches.”

Whales only use beaches with specific characteristics for rubbing and impacts on the watershed, such as increased sediment load as a result of logging or road construction, would likely lead to the loss of these characteristics.

BCTS plans show a string of five blocks to be advertised for sale in 2018, amounting to 221 hectares of old-growth. The majority of the roadbuilding and logging in Schmidt Creek is planned on steep slopes and will result in risk of landslides, a danger made worse by increasingly severe extreme weather due to climate change.

Sierra Club BC mapping shows that together with the adjacent Lower Tsitika River Provincial Park, this watershed forms one of the few remaining relatively intact old-growth areas on Vancouver Island.

“Logging Schmidt Creek would put at risk not just the orca whales, but also one of the few remaining relatively intact old-growth areas providing habitat for old-growth dependent species such as marbled murrelets and northern goshawk that are at very high risk of extirpation across large parts of the island,” said Wieting. “The BC government promised to take action for old-growth. Yet while we wait for a sign that they intend to keep their promise, we are losing endangered old-growth rainforest at a rate of two soccer fields per hour.”

The Schmidt Creek logging proposal is a dramatic example of the need for the BC government to modernize land-use plans for Vancouver Island working with First Nations to determine long-term, science-based protection options, and interim protection for endangered rainforest hotspots in the meantime; and to use government control of BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to quickly phase out issuing timber sales in endangered old-growth forests.

Sierra Club BC shared these concerns with Nanwakolas Council in early March and welcomes their initiative to send conservation stewards to take a closer look at the risk for the beaches in the coming week.

For further information:

Proposed old-growth logging on Vancouver Island threatens unique orca rubbing beaches

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Contact:
Jens Wieting
Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner
Sierra Club BC
C: (604)354-5312

Dr. Paul Spong
Orcalab
1-250-974-8068

Bonus Interview: Growing Food All Winter Long

March 29, 2018/in Climate Solutions, Featured Story, Fossil Fuels, Mission Transition /by Sierra Club

Mission Transition Podcast Interview: Matthias Zapatal

Listen Now:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:41 — 18.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Stitcher | RSS | More

Vertical Grow Tanks

When thinking about moving to a clean energy economy, we often think in terms of replacing what we have now with a cleaner version of energy.

For example, many people believe the best solution to huge gas guzzling trucks is to make huge electricity guzzling trucks.

In Episode 5: Who Owns Our Power? we talk about ways to change our thinking so we consume less electricity overall. One strategy is to eat food grown close to home, in order to avoid trucking fresh produce from the south to the north.

 

In this bonus interview, Susan Elrington visits Matthias Zapatal at Northern Bioponics in Prince George. Matthias is using aquaponics to grow lettuce all year around and explains how his system could work to feed Prince George through the long cold winter months.

Tag @SierraClubBC on Facebook and Twitter to let us know what you think about BC’s clean energy economy. You can subscribe to Mission Transition on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out more episodes of Mission Transition and pledge your support for clean energy at sierraclub.bc.ca/podcast.

Learn More

  • Northern Bioponics

BC government’s announcement on LNG a new form of climate denial

March 22, 2018/in Climate Solutions, Featured Story, Fossil Fuels, Media Centre, Press Releases /by Sierra Club

Promoting LNG development will prevent BC from meeting its climate targets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 22, 2018

In response to today’s announcement by the BC government on its plan for encouraging the development of BC’s LNG industry, Sierra Club BC’s senior forest and climate campaigner Jens Wieting warns that any new LNG development would spell disaster for the climate.

“Today’s announcement is a new form of climate denial: the idea that we can build new fossil fuel projects that will cause millions of tonnes of additional emissions while reducing our emissions at the same time. By sweetening the pot for fracked gas export, the government is laying out a red carpet for investors to help destroy our climate.

“We are hugely disappointed to see the BC government courting an industry that so clearly spells disaster for our climate. LNG development would add fuel to the wildfires that have devastated BC in recent years. Forests are burning, coral reefs are dying, and glaciers are melting, but somehow our government believes they can have their cake and eat it too.

“It’s not possible to expand fracking and LNG export and meet BC’s climate targets. It’s time for this government to recognize that building new fossil fuel projects is incompatible with any meaningful climate action.

“Defending our communities and future generations from the ever-increasing impacts of climate change means strong targets and political commitment to achieve the necessary emissions reductions.

“Pretending that LNG is part of a climate friendly future is as ludicrous as Prime Minister Trudeau saying we need tar sands pipelines to fight climate change.

“It’s time these governments face reality with the courage to say no to fossil fuels and yes to the renewable energy solutions that are becoming more affordable and competitive every day. Investing in fracked gas and exporting more fossil fuel energy into an already flooded global market will only hinder the success of renewable energy.”

Background:

The provincial government quietly updated its greenhouse gas inventory in December, showing that emissions were higher in 2015 than in 2010 and have risen in four of the last five years. Ten years after the previous government legislated the target to reduce emissions by 33 per cent from 2007 levels by 2020 the province remains essentially in the same place where it started. British Columbia’s emissions are now 10 per cent higher than 1990 levels, in contrast to the European Union, which has reduced its emissions by 23 per cent over the same period.

The latest climate science shows that avoiding dangerous global warming higher than 1.5–2 degrees requires zero emissions by 2040 and peak emissions no later than 2020. Jurisdictions with very high carbon emissions per capita such as BC and Canada need to meet even more ambitious targets.

For further information:

https://sierraclub.bc.ca/premier-do-climate-math-lng-doesnt-square-with-emissions-targets/

https://sierraclub.bc.ca/bcs-greenhouse-gas-emissions-risen-four-of-last-five-years/

-30-

Contact:
Jens Wieting
Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner
Sierra Club BC
C: (604)354-5312

Sierra Club BC welcomes announcement of public comment on proposed provincial regulations for oil spill response

February 28, 2018/in Featured Story, Fossil Fuels, Media Centre, Press Releases /by Sierra Club

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 28, 2018

 

Sierra Club BC released the following statement from conservation and climate campaigner Mark Worthing in response to today’s announcement from the B.C. government:

 

“We welcome today’s announcement of public comment on proposed provincial regulations for oil spill response. It is heartening to see the B.C. government modernizing our environment and public health regulations, and standing up for B.C.’s coast and rivers.

“It’s shocking that B.C. does not have similar regulations in place already, and that big oil corporations have been allowed to operate with relative impunity. With these proposed regulations, the B.C. government is seeking to bring our province up to par with safety and preparedness measures that our neighbors in Alaska and Washington have had in place for decades.

“No longer will B.C. be applying regulations from the previous century to today’s oil transport technology. The days of turning a blind eye are over. The B.C. government is standing together with B.C. residents and First Nations to protect these lands and waters, and all the jobs that would be lost in an oil spill.

“However, even with new regulations in place, no approach will be able to fully clean up a major spill. Spills are inevitable and the only way to avoid an increase in spills is to avoid expanding the shipping of fossil fuels.

“We will be encouraging British Columbians to engage in the government’s public consultation process and calling on the B.C. government to set the highest bar possible, so that B.C. is a responsible, healthy, safe place to live and do business, and no longer a wild west for big corporations transporting dangerous goods.”

 

-30-

Contact:
Mark Worthing
Conservation and Climate Campaigner
Sierra Club BC
C: (250)889-3575

Bonus Interview: Skilling Up For The Next Economy

February 26, 2018/in Climate Solutions, Featured Story, Mission Transition /by Sierra Club

Mission Transition Podcast Interview: Lliam Hildebrand

Listen Now:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:25 — 22.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Stitcher | RSS | More

It’s widely assumed that oil and gas workers are against the development of renewable energy. When we were developing this podcast, we expected to hear a lot of resistance from workers in fossil fuel industries.

But instead, we met people who were curious about a clean energy economy. And it was those kinds of curious conversations that spurred oilsands worker Lliam Hildebrand to act.

In this bonus interview, Susan Elrington sits down with Lliam to hear how his worker-led nonprofit Iron & Earth is helping oil, gas and coal workers transition to the next economy.

About Lliam:

Lliam started out his boilermaker career in Victoria building pressure vessels for the oilsands and infrastructure for renewable energy projects. He realized that his trade skills could be used to transition the world to renewable energy, and this dream led to the founding of Iron and Earth.

You can hear more from Lliam and others in Episode 3: Jobs in Clean Energy where we talk about what happens to jobs as we shift to the next economy.

Tag @SierraClubBC on Facebook and Twitter to let us know what you think about BC’s clean energy economy. You can subscribe to Mission Transition on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out more episodes of Mission Transition and pledge your support for clean energy at sierraclub.bc.ca/podcast.

Learn More

  • Iron & Earth

Episode 3: Jobs in Clean Energy

February 14, 2018/in Caitlyn Vernon, Climate Solutions, Mission Transition /by Sierra Club

Listen Now:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:28 — 30.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Stitcher | RSS | More

British Columbians tend to see our economy as resource based—with many people making their living in the forest industry, the oil patch or the gas fields. We’ve all heard about or benefited from the high paying jobs.

In Episode 3 we challenge assumptions about energy jobs in BC and talk about what happens to jobs as we shift to the next economy.

Which jobs will disappear and how will workers make the transition to clean energy?

Read our communications director Tim Pearson’s reflections on the idea of a just transition for workers and his takeaways from a gathering of Green Jobs BC, a coalition of environmental organizations and organized labour. Sierra Club BC is a member of the steering committee of Green Jobs BC.

Listen to this week’s bonus interview to hear more from Lliam Hildebrand on how his worker-led nonprofit Iron & Earth is helping oil, gas and coal workers transition to the next economy. You can also hear stories from people who are creating jobs in clean energy right now in BC by listening to Episode 1: Electric Vehicles and Episode 2: Building Smarter.

Tag @SierraClubBC on Facebook and Twitter to let us know what you think about BC’s clean energy economy. You can subscribe to Mission Transition on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out more episodes of Mission Transition and pledge your support for clean energy at sierraclub.bc.ca/podcast.

Is There Enough Work in Renewable Energy To Replace Oil and Gas Jobs?

. . . Find out the answer by listening to this episode’s mythbuster! And learn more about the people and ideas mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Featured In This Episode:

  • Geoff Dembicki, Are We Screwed? How a New Generation is Fighting to Survive Climate Change
  • Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor
  • Conversations for Responsible Economic Development (CRED)
  • Columbia Institute Report: Jobs for Tomorrow: Canada’s Building Trades and Net Zero Emissions
  • Lliam Hildebrand, Iron and Earth
  • Kekinusuqs Dr. Judith Sayers, Clean Energy BC

Our Shifting Energy Landscape In The News…

  • Green Jobs BC, Recommendations for a Low‐Carbon Economy
  • Clean Energy Provides More Jobs Than Oilsands, Report Says
  • US Clean Energy Jobs Surpass Fossil Fuel Employment
  • Driverless Trucks Will Eliminate 400 Positions: Suncor Energy

 

 

 

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