by Pieter Vorster | Mar 23, 2015 | News and Events, Newsletters
Green Greetings ! The Green Economy on Canada’s West Coast “Canada’s green energy sector has grown so quickly and has become such an important part of the economy that it now employs more people than the oil sands.” says Richard Blackwell in a report in the Globe and Mail, Dec 02, 2014. “That means the 23,700 people who work in green energy organizations (in Canada) outnumber the 22,340 whose work relates to the oil sands.” the report says…. “Worldwide, 6.5 million people are employed in the clean-energy sector.” he continues on. “About $25-billion has been invested in Canada’s clean-energy sector in the past five years, and employment is up 37 per cent…” So why are we still having to do battle with Big Oil? What is it about the promise of a growing green energy industry that promises long-term benefits that the Conservatives and their supporters (and to a degree the NDP and the Liberals) are not getting? The fossil fuel industry is on its last hiccup with Saudi Arabia emptying its in-ground reserves and selling them off cheap to capture that last bit of the oil market before it all goes bust. Ergo the recent low gas prices at the pump. It won’t last. It can’t. Ironically, the Arabian emirates, with their vast desert spaces close to the equator, are poised to take full advantage of solar, wind, and wave technology with a substantial local Middle East market. Most countries in Europe are already using wind & wave technology to supply local energy needs. Even China is now starting to take a hard look at green energy production...
by Pieter Vorster | Mar 23, 2015 | Environment, News and Events
The Theme for 2015 is: Water and Sustainable Development. How perfect is this year’s United Nations theme for my letter to the Editor? I am like you, I am nobody. The BC Ministry of Energy and Mines may not hear my lone voice. I write to you all, with the hope to inspire political and community action and to encourage community understanding of the precious resource we have at the ready, for our consumption. Quality water is mandatory for survival by all life forms. Our water is provided to us, some 4000 souls who reside in the Oyster River Watershed. This is my call for each of us to maintain and to improve the quality and quantity of fresh water for today, for this dry summer ahead, and with a commitment to the future generations. There are one billion people today without access to safe water for drinking. I am sure I have 100 reasons to say No to Hillsborough and their proposed coal mine in the Oyster River Watershed. However I will keep it brief, speaking directly to our elected government representatives in Victoria, I say “Do the Right Thing”. And this is my invitation to You all. Come and join me, I believe as a group our voices will be heard. “Do not issue a permit to Hillsborough. please, protect our drinking water.” We have a most valuable resource in our high quality water, managed by the CVRD’s Black Creek Oyster Bay Water System. Let us protect it and improve it. G.L. McFarlane, Black Creek,...
by Pieter Vorster | Mar 11, 2015 | Meeting Minutes & Reports
Present Sue Moen Dave Ferguson Linda Swanton Leroy McFarlane Ian Button Jonathan Kerr Michael Mascall Regrets Doug Cowell Mark de Bruijn Invited Guests Steve Wood Summary of Action Items: Action item # 1: All EDA members are requested to send a short bio and picture to Sue ASAP. Action item # 2: For internal EDA communications, all EDA members are requested to use the following 3 subject headings: a) FYI, b) Action, and c) Discussion. Please also attempt 1 subject per email. Action item # 3: Please use NIPR Gmail account for official communications with external organizations/individuals (all EDA members). Action Item # 4: Dave will ask GPC if a portion of revenue memberships sold will be given to the EDA. Action Item # 5: Linda will incorporate donation options at the bottom of every newsletter. Action Item # 6: Dave to add 3 items to the budget table: a) Reserve b) Election Campaign c) Emergency/Contingency Action Item # 7: Linda to research costs for newspaper adds / mail outs. Action Item # 8: Dave to draft a letter from EDA on the Coal Mine issue. EDA members to Action Item # 9: Leroy will distribute (to Ministry, MLA Weaver, etc) Action Item # 10: Sue and Michael to contact potential candidates and give them the deadline of March 20th for an answer. Call to Order Nomination of meeting secretary Motion to accept by: Sue Seconded by: Jonathan Unanimously approved Motion to accept agenda 2 items added (NIPR website and coal mine) Motion to accept by: Leroy Seconded by: Dave Unanimously approved Adoption...
by Pieter Vorster | Feb 21, 2015 | News and Events, Newsletters
Greens NorthIsland Newsletter...
by Pieter Vorster | Feb 8, 2015 | Meeting Minutes & Reports
Agenda: Intros – 20 minutes NIPR-FGPA history, goals, and progress – 20 minutes Group Priorities / Feedback & Ideas / Possible Candidates – 30 minutes Next Steps – 20 minutes Informal discussions Stated NIPR-FGPA Goals: Raise $10,000 for EDA activities. Develop Regional Networks: Geographic Action Teams. Recruit 100 new GPC members. Run a successful candidate sure and be election ready. Execute a robust Communications Plan. Priorities/Feedback/Ideas: Earning a Living Trade agreements / Revisit the more damaging ones, e.g. FIPA. Complete the First Nations Treaty process to create economic stability. Assuage fears of employees in resource extraction. Find organizations that provide re-training for new green technology. Greening up industry. Limiting / decreasing corporate power in the daily lives of Canadians. Regional Ecology - Fish farms. Security Restoring retirement age to 65 with full pension accessible at time of retirement. Guaranteed Living Income for ALL Canadians. Regional food security. Water: quality and security. Access to Unbiased Information CBC – the importance of our national broadcaster. Restoring “Freedom of the Press”. Expanding local media. New and better access to Internet Media. New resources and ‘channels’. Concern re the concentration of the ownership of media in...
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