The Coal Problem
We're running out of time to stop global warming
November 9 2011: The International Energy Agency says that we're headed for irreversible, possibly catastrophic climate change in just 5 years if we don't radically cut back on fossil fuel energy use. The IEA is a conservative, well respected global organization -- and they're saying that the future of our planet is at risk!
Coal can't be part of our future. BC is a major exporter of coal. We've got a problem. Here's what you can do about it.
The BC government: a lack of vision, a failure of leadership
The BC government says it wants to double the export of coal out of BC. 18 new coal mines are at some stage of planning in the province. Our premier has announced a "jobs plan" for BC that amounts to mining more coal (and gas, etc) and selling it overseas. Our premier recently traveled to Asia to seek out new markets for BC coal and financing for new BC coal mines.
These initiatives will make global warming worse and commit us to severe and disruptive corrections in the future. What we need from government is a decisive plan for the transition off of a fossil fuel economy. What we're getting instead is a short term re-election plan that ignores the serious problems which lie ahead. BC has a moral responsibility to do better. Read more about the excuses government uses to justify its actions.
The billboard Pattison doesn't want you to see
[ Update Feb 22 2012 -- BC Ferries responds to FOI request. Correspondence shows that Pattison Outdoor erroneously suggests that the Sierra Club is behind the billboard campaign (organised by VTACC and paid for with public donations), and further suggests our billboard highlighting Westshore Terminal's status as North America's No. 1 exporter of global warming pollution (at that time) may "border on being slanderous" -- even though it says the same thing (in coal export equivalents) on Westshore Terminal's home page! Read the full FOI exchange here. ]
We planned to rent two billboards from Pattision Outdoor at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal so that we could point out our government's hypocrisy over climate action (billboard at top) and draw attention to Westshore Terminals (billboard just above). Westshore Terminals (Roberts Bank Coal Port), the biggest exporter of coal (and global warming pollution) on the continent over the last 10 years, is located right beside the ferry terminal.
[ Update Feb 22 2012 -- BC Ferries responds to FOI request. Correspondence shows that Pattison Outdoor erroneously suggests that the Sierra Club is behind the billboard campaign (organised by VTACC and paid for with public donations), and further suggests our billboard highlighting Westshore Terminal's status as North America's No. 1 exporter of global warming pollution (at that time) may "border on being slanderous" -- even though it says the same thing (in coal export equivalents) on Westshore Terminal's home page! Read the full FOI exchange here. ]
We planned to rent two billboards from Pattision Outdoor at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal so that we could point out our government's hypocrisy over climate action (billboard at top) and draw attention to Westshore Terminals (billboard just above). Westshore Terminals (Roberts Bank Coal Port), the biggest exporter of coal (and global warming pollution) on the continent over the last 10 years, is located right beside the ferry terminal.
Pattison Outdoor said that BC Ferries wouldn't allow either billboard, but will not provide details (now obtained through FOI request). We then tried to rent two billboards side by side on Highway 17 just before the ferry terminal. Pattison Outdoor refused to rent us space for the billboard at left, suggesting that it "provide[s] opinions that might be misleading (i.e. not 100% factually correct.)"
We think there might be a different reason why they wouldn't rent us the billboard: the Jim Pattision Group, owner of Pattison Outdoor, is also the owner of Westshore Terminals Coal Port. Is it OK for them to ban this billboard? Read more
(click on the image to enlarge)
