This page contains annotated news stories and press releases with commentary about land reform and the democratic process in British Columbia. Our comments are shown in red.
All that is left to say…
Apr 09, 2008Smithers Interior News
By Todd Hamilton
Look out tree-huggers here it comes.
I agree with you.
Those tie-dyed, livin’-off-the-grid Chicken Littles telling us the world is coming to an end if we don’t get out of our cars and start pedalling Schwinns will need a second cup of non-fat decaf mocca latte to go with their organically-grown alfalfa sprout and tofu sandwich after they hear this one.
That evil right-wing, big C conservative column writer in The Interior News they have grown to dismiss as a someone who would be happy to nuke a whale, or cut down the last tree if somebody could turn a buck on it, is fully onboard when it comes to coalbed extraction.
Earlier, this year I pounded away at poor Hazelton Mayor Alice Maitland for summarily dismissing a slurry pipeline proposed to run through her neck of the woods.
I lamented that Maitland should at least take a close look at the project before telling the company and potential employer to talk to her hand.
And I haven’t exactly been onboard with the First Nations, who turned an environmental assessment of the Kemess North project, into a socio-cultural examination, or rather, who can spend the most taxpayer money on lawyers contest.
I’ve pounded away at a few stick-in-the-mud Smithers councillors, who seem more intent on flower pots on Main Street than open for business signs.
But in the case of Royal Dutch Shell wanting to drill some holes in northwestern B.C., I could not agree more with Wet’suwet’en chief Alphonse Gagnon (Kloum Khun).
“My disbelief for your happiness with how you’re conducting yourselves is alarming,” Gagnon said.
“It’s a slap in the face.”
Call it the Sacred Headwaters, call it the Klappan, call it Bob’s Picnic Area, I could really care less.
The risk simply outweighs the benefit.
One has to hand it to Shell’s Kathy Penney for bravely walking into the lion’s den but despite her protestations that Shell’s goal is to do it right—and let’s take that at face value—one thing remained extremely clear.
Coalbed extraction, unlike forestry, mining or most other energy projects, the odds, like the benefits, are stacked in the company’s favour.
Last year, Outrider Energy pulled out of the Telkwa coalbed project, which was panned for both environmental and economic reasons.
The Klappan-Sacred Headwaters-Royal Dutch Shell scenario is not much different—just bigger.
The short-term economic injection is minimal, long-term even less so, with only a handful of meaningful positions.
Unquestionably, coalbed methane extraction is a valuable resource, otherwise why would Shell be there. The question for northerners is whether or not they will share in that economic windfall.
A venture such as this is a gamble for any corporation. In this instance, both northwest B.C. and Shell are putting up big stakes—their money, our environment. The only problem here is… only they have a chance to get paid off.
And on that basis… are you ready my left-leaning friends?
GET THE SHELL OUT!
I agree with you.
Those tie-dyed, livin’-off-the-grid Chicken Littles telling us the world is coming to an end if we don’t get out of our cars and start pedalling Schwinns will need a second cup of non-fat decaf mocca latte to go with their organically-grown alfalfa sprout and tofu sandwich after they hear this one.
That evil right-wing, big C conservative column writer in The Interior News they have grown to dismiss as a someone who would be happy to nuke a whale, or cut down the last tree if somebody could turn a buck on it, is fully onboard when it comes to coalbed extraction.
Earlier, this year I pounded away at poor Hazelton Mayor Alice Maitland for summarily dismissing a slurry pipeline proposed to run through her neck of the woods.
I lamented that Maitland should at least take a close look at the project before telling the company and potential employer to talk to her hand.
And I haven’t exactly been onboard with the First Nations, who turned an environmental assessment of the Kemess North project, into a socio-cultural examination, or rather, who can spend the most taxpayer money on lawyers contest.
I’ve pounded away at a few stick-in-the-mud Smithers councillors, who seem more intent on flower pots on Main Street than open for business signs.
But in the case of Royal Dutch Shell wanting to drill some holes in northwestern B.C., I could not agree more with Wet’suwet’en chief Alphonse Gagnon (Kloum Khun).
“My disbelief for your happiness with how you’re conducting yourselves is alarming,” Gagnon said.
“It’s a slap in the face.”
Call it the Sacred Headwaters, call it the Klappan, call it Bob’s Picnic Area, I could really care less.
The risk simply outweighs the benefit.
One has to hand it to Shell’s Kathy Penney for bravely walking into the lion’s den but despite her protestations that Shell’s goal is to do it right—and let’s take that at face value—one thing remained extremely clear.
Coalbed extraction, unlike forestry, mining or most other energy projects, the odds, like the benefits, are stacked in the company’s favour.
Last year, Outrider Energy pulled out of the Telkwa coalbed project, which was panned for both environmental and economic reasons.
The Klappan-Sacred Headwaters-Royal Dutch Shell scenario is not much different—just bigger.
The short-term economic injection is minimal, long-term even less so, with only a handful of meaningful positions.
Unquestionably, coalbed methane extraction is a valuable resource, otherwise why would Shell be there. The question for northerners is whether or not they will share in that economic windfall.
A venture such as this is a gamble for any corporation. In this instance, both northwest B.C. and Shell are putting up big stakes—their money, our environment. The only problem here is… only they have a chance to get paid off.
And on that basis… are you ready my left-leaning friends?
GET THE SHELL OUT!
