In the aftermath of the Conservative Senators voting down the Climate Change Accountability Act last week, West Coast sent an open letter to all Canadian conservatives asking them to learn from U.K. Tories - who are providing real leadership on climate change - instead of trying to follow in the footsteps of U.S. Republicans.
- Click here to read West Coast’s open letter about what climate leadership from Canadians with conservative ideals might look like.
West Coast joined the Tsihlqot’in Nation and other concerned environmentalists from coast-to-coast in applauding the Canadian government’s November 2010 rejection of plans to destroy Fish Lake/Teztan Biny to build the Prosperity Mine. But what to make of mining company Taseko’s claims that it can redesign the mine to avoid environmental impacts? West Coast explains how Taseko’s current proposal doesn’t jive with what they’ve said for the past 15 years.
- Click here to read why Taseko’s flip-flop on the destruction of Fish Lake/Teztan Biny needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
West Coast has been sounding the alarm for years that BC is not enforcing its environmental laws. The BC government is finally acknowledging the need for improvement by recently recognizing that its Conservation Officer Service should be focused on enforcement. Could this signal the beginning of the BC government finally halting the decline in environmental enforcement in the province?
- Click here to read how the recent overhaul of the provincial resource Ministries contains one small silver lining.
- Click here to read about BC’s dismal environmental enforcement in 2009.
The upcoming United Nations 2010 Conference on Climate Change in Cancun (November 29th to December 10th) could keep Canada’s forests on the chopping block, if Canadian negotiators have their way. Join us in telling Canada’s Minister of Environment that new and improved rules governing greenhouse gas emissions to protect forests and biodiversity from climate change should apply to Canada immediately.
- Click here to read about what's at stake for Canadian forests in this round of climate talks.
- Click here to sign the Make Forests Count petition - send a message to the Canadian negotiators in Cancun that decisions that threaten our forests are not acceptable.
Deadline: December 17
Know a good lawyer? Other than our staff, of course. West Coast Environmental Law invites nominations for the Andrew Thompson Award, which recognizes excellence in environmental advocacy and protection. The 2011 award this year will be given to a lawyer who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to environmental protection and sustainability in British Columbia through the law, and will be issued at the Renewing Environmental Law conference in February. Dr. Andrew Thompson was a pioneer in environmental and resource law and among BC's foremost environmental lawyers.
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