Thanks Eric,

by Ingmar Lee

I keep on hammering on about ForestEthics because I fundamentally disagree with the approach that they are taking. Frankly, I find their behaviour quite appalling.

 

It is not only that, but also extremely dangerous that people believe that we've got the time to wait for the ponderous, foot-dragging and corrupt political system to turn around in the very very limited time available. Personally, I believe that we're waaay late, it's too late, -and not even the beginnings of a whiff of change in the right direction. This is a full-on emergency, as we all know, and if these tired old approaches are not working, why do some people keep on trying to work within this truly awful system.

 

I mean, can anyone out there be satisfied with the certainly pathetic progress that has been made on environment since the Campbell regime came to power?

And if people agree that we have lost so much ground, then why are we not, as a movement, looking inside our community and exploring other avenues?

 

I believe that cooperating and collaborating (I repeat, ad nauseum: their terminology) with corporate-controlled voracious Neocon capitalists like Gordon Campbell is anathema to environmentalism. I see that our once powerful and reasonably united environmental movement has now been irrevocably split by groups like ForestEthics, who choose to sit secretly with the Campbell regime and negotiate sell-out compromise deals, -and then spin the sorry result as though it was an accomplishment achieved and supported by the movement.

 

ForestEthics does not speak for me. I believe they have squandered and severely disempowered the community. I believe that this schism must be recognized by everyone who purports to be interested in environmental issues.

 

This schism is not unique to BC. It is a global phenomenon, -and giant trans-national corporations have learned that the easiest way to perpetuate business as usual is to make an appearance of Green effort, and then get that justified by the support of quisling groups which will spin insignificant efforts as being something that will make a difference.

 

I believe that the distinction must be made clear, -there are those who will compromise, collaborate and profit by their environmental effort, They will be satisfied by their mediocre progress and their considerable paycheck. They will get support, -as  reasonable environmentalists from the corporate media, and they will be treated with respect by government and industry.

 

But they will not protect the environment. They will compromise, and then Greenwash their deal as a significant accomplishment. ForestEthics may make slick videos, but they can never rally or empower the movement.

Cheers,  Ingmar



    Hi Ingmar,
     
    It seems that you agree with the basic message of the video - global heating is serious and we need to build a movement and do something about it NOW. Sorry, that should have been clear to me from your initial message which I did not read carefully the first time.
    
    I spend a significant portion of my time and energy trying to challenge the idea that perpetual economic growth is a practical proposition on a finite planet. And this is a tough message to convey even with concrete examples of how, for example, the Highway 37 'green power' transmission line and power projects would increase emissions by facilitating coal mining.
    
    And yes, like many people on this list who do not make it their main focus, I oppose private power projects on our streams and rivers (except the tiny ones which are usually off-grid and displace private diesel generation).
    
    But my point is that this is a great video, and I extend my congratulations to those who made it happen even if they might (or might not in this case - i don't know for sure) disagree with me on some very important points about what action needs to be taken.
    
    Cheers,
    
    Eric



        Hi Eric,

         Just like the folks at ForestEthics, you choose to equate anyone who opposes the privatization and outright trashing of our final wild rivers with those who "deny the seriousness of global warming."

         I'd be surprised that anyone on this list is ignorant of the ecological emergency of climate change, and furthermore, I'd expect that most Canadians disagree with the world's several global heating deniers who defy the vast scientific consensus. What concerns myself and many others in the environmental movement are when so-called Green organizations choose to collaborate with environmental troglodytes like the Gordo government, which on the one hand, they helped re-elect for its promises to institute a bogus and insignificant carbon tax, while simultaneously promoting and enabling the expansion of Canada's filthiest industry, -the Alberta Tar Sands. It defies logic and ethics that any environmental organization could have missed Gordo's big plan for delivering nearly half of tar sands product out through our coast, and from there, to combustion chambers around the world.

        We've already seen the results of ForestEthics behind-closed-doors collaborations with Gordo over the Great Bear Rainforest, the Mountain Caribou and the sorry results of those deals do nothing to inspire any confidence that they could lead any sort of effort that would prevent such planet-trashing projects as Gordo's proposed "Energy Corridor." Stopping this hideous mega-project just has to be at the top of any credible environmental effort. It's incomprehensible to me that some enviro's argue for the immediate importance of trashing and privatizing our rivers, while the same proponents get their ducks in order to facilitate the delivery of Dirty Oil through our province, from where it will surely destroy the world.

        Cheers,  Ingmar
     
 

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