Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Maybe CK's Right. Maybe It Is Time to Secede.
I've been thinking more and more about Rafe Mair's warning about what the Harper/Layton roadshow means for British Columbia. It plainly sets us up against the rest of Canada.
Thanks to you easterners (and to me that line begins at the BC/Alberta border) we're now going to have to defend our environment against - wait for it - Canada. And, when it comes right down to it, I value my province and our environment far more than I value being Canadian. I can sure as hell live without the rest of you but I'm not sure I can live with you.
Thanks to the morons from Ontario to Alberta, we're going to be virtually powerless to stop a supertanker port in the treacherous waters of northern BC and a pipeline crossing our mountain ranges sucking toxic and highly corrosive bitumen sludge out of Athabasca. I think Harper will have no trouble populating his new prisons over that. It will be opposed and I'm pretty sure there will be force involved. I'm even hopeful that it will coalesce British Columbians in opposition to - well, to Canada.
What other way is there for us to stop it and the other environmental depredations we'll endure under Harper but to assert our sovereignty? How else will we be able to shut this supertanker port down before a catastrophe happens? We don't need Canada and, unlike other provinces, we don't need Alberta's oil wealth either. We have an abundance of resource wealth and, unlike the Tarheads, plenty of water to boot.
Don't worry. As soon as all the ice melts you'll be able to ship all your shit to Asia out of the north - unless they bail on you too.
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11 comments:
As someone who grew up in Quebec, I've heard this argument before, Mound.
Mr. Harper's philosophy of government encourages it -- and he used to espouse it. Remember the Alberta Firewall?
On the other hand, just because the Prime Minister has spent years trying to act like a whiz kid doesn't make him one.
We would all be fools to follow his lead.
What are you smoking? BC elected 22 Cons. Am I missing something here?
Owen, it's not a matter of following Harper's lead. It's about the destruction of British Columbia's environment for the exclusive benefit of Big Oil, Alberta and the others who profit from that.
And, Anon, you're quite right. That is in no small part because the tanker port wasn't made a major issue. That is about to change.
Owen, I forgot to mention Cascadia. It's a movement to unite Oregon, Washington and British Columbia into a sovereign state and it's been ticking along for decades.
Surprising as this may seem there's a real bond among us. BC'ers, being predominantly coastal, are far closer to our American coastal cousins than we are to Albertans. Most of us actually don't tend to speak kindly of Albertans at all.
As much as I love Canada, including BC, I can't disagree with your assessment of how the new Harper (majority) government could affect the environment on the west coast. It's going to be full steam ahead for the tar sands for at least another four years, and that west coast pipeline and port could easily be part of the plan.
So, while as an Ontarian I'd hate to lose our west coast province, if you can escape Harper's Canada I'd say go for it. Maybe we'll be able to escape and join you someday.
Just so you know how potentially devastating Athabasca bitumen really is here are some of the contaminants it contains - sulphur, nickel, vanadium, lead, chromium, mercury, arsenic, selenium and other toxins, including significant quantities of acids.
Athabasca bitumen is horribly corrosive stuff. It rots out pipelines leading to spills. Just the sort of crap we want sludging its way through pipelines crossing BC mountain ranges.
If a tanker load of that stuff gets into our ocean, British Columbia and our people are in a world of trouble.
Here's a helpful rundown on Athabasca bitumen:
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/02/21/CorrosiveDenial/print.html
How will that work? I'm putting my money on Chrusty Clark winning it again for the BC Liberals, because people are just that clueless. And I am pretty sure they don't care much for the environment. Only the all mighty dollar. Not much has changed since Gordo left.
There's a story on CBC describing a pipeline leak of 28,000 barrels of crude oil northeast of Peace River. Biggest leak in Alberta since 1975. But hey, it's OK because only a small pond was affected and only a few beavers and waterfowl had to be euthanized. Alberta will be destroyed bit by bit in the next four years. Hope B.C. is spared, but what is there left to do other than activism?
The day BC secedes is that day I move there. Anytime now will do. thanks.
Remember last BC election when Alexandre Morton blated Suzuki, Berman and Dr Weaver for supporting the Libs because of the carbon tax?
The BC NDP acknowledged their errors and are now strong on the environment
Political systems don't yet accommodate BioRegions
You are using one of my copyright protected photos on this post - please be aware that this is a clear copyright infringement.
Please add a link back to my website:
http://www.hickerphoto.com/photos/british-columbia-pictures.htm
or remove the image immediately.
Thanks
Rolf
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