Council and allies call for halt to fossil fuel digs in the Arctic
The discovery of 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Arctic region has triggered a fossil fuel rush by petroleum companies such as Shell and Exxon.
Foreign Ministers from Canada, Norway, Denmark, Russia and the United States gathered for an “Arctic Summit” and were expected to discuss the impacts of expanded explorations at a meeting in late March. The meeting caused international controversy when the Canadian government was criticized for not including Iceland, Finland, Sweden or First Nations from the Arctic region in the talks.
The Council of Canadians, the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) and the Alaska based REDOIL Network issued an open letter to the Foreign Ministers stating the urgent need for a moratorium on new fossil fuel exploration in the region. “Agreeing to a moratorium on all new exploration for fossil fuel resources is a logical first step in the transition off of fossil fuel reliance with a just transition to sustainable jobs, energy and environment,” groups state in the letter. “Melting glaciers, sea ice and permafrost in the Arctic region send a clear warning signal that greenhouse gas emissions caused by dependence on fossil fuels have reached dangerous levels. A moratorium on all new fossil fuel exploration is necessary to prevent further devastating impacts on local Indigenous peoples.”
The Council of Canadians, IEN and Greenpeace made their presence known at the summit entrance. Hoisting banners that read: “Leave it in the ground!” and “Arctic future: not behind closed doors” a crowd gathered in view of Foreign Ministers as they came to the meeting. The Council of Canadians and IEN also formally delivered copies of the open letter addressed to the Foreign Ministers to an RCMP representative who then delivered it to the Summit.
Go here to read our media release and open letter, and to see pictures from this action. |
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Here’s more about what’s new at the Council of Canadians:
Win! Deal to sell NB Power scrapped
Strong public opposition has pulled the plug on a deal to sell New Brunswick Power.
In October 2009, the New Brunswick government announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Hydro Québec to facilitate the sale of the New Brunswick Power Distribution and Customer Service Corporation, more commonly known as NB Power.
The Council of Canadians raised many concerns about the deal, including the astounding level of secrecy surrounding it, and the lack of public consultation with New Brunswickers. We expressed concerns about the sale’s impact on the capacity to expand in-province local renewable energy sources, the lack of clarity for a fair worker transition plan, and the precedent being set in affirming an export-oriented energy vision. Our New Brunswick chapters participated in the provincial campaign opposing the sale.
“This is a victory and a testament to the power that people have when we unite and organize for the common good – the NB Power sale was a raw deal from the beginning” said Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy Campaigner with the Council of Canadians in a media release following the announcement of the decision to scrap the deal. “The opportunity now exists for New Brunswick to direct NB Power to play an important role in the transition to a provincial green economy. Instead of trying to sell a bad deal to the people of New Brunswick, the focus can now be shifted to improving conservation, energy efficiency and expanding public and community-owned renewable energy. This will create local ‘green jobs’, reduce dependence on imported oil and reduce emissions.”
To read more about this go here.
To read our media release go here.
Taking action on World Water Day
The Council of Canadians put water in the spotlight on March 22, World Water Day.
 Chapters and members across the country took part in creative actions to highlight the importance of public water, calling on the federal government for a National Water Policy that promotes water as a public resource and a human right.
On Parliament Hill, we delivered more than 56,000 petitions from our members to Prime Minister Stephen Harper asking him to act for clean, public water. In Williams Lake, B.C. we joined with the Tsilhqot’in National Government to defend Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) and the local watershed from being destroyed by a mining company under a federal government loophole known as “Schedule 2.” In Toronto, our local chapter organized Water Forum 2010, bringing people together to talk about watershed issues, water quality and water protection. In St. John's, Newfoundland, the Sandy Pond Alliance, a coalition representing the Council of Canadians, Sierra Club, Mining Watch and others, announced it would launch a legal challenge to have Schedule 2 declared illegal.
These are just a few examples of the actions that took place across Canada in support of public water. Our chapters also organized film screenings, panels, toasts to public water and many other events to raise public awareness about the need for a National Water Policy in Canada.
Go here to read more and see pictures from the events.
Photo: Staff from the Council's national office deliver more than 56,000 petitions from our members to Parliament Hill.
Liberals back Canada-Colombia free trade agreement bill; pre-election monitors warn that free trade deal won’t strengthen Colombia’s democracy
Last week, a fast-tracked bill to enact the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) passed in the House of Commons with the backing of both the Conservatives and the Liberals.
The Council of Canadians has been campaigning against this agreement because it will bring no benefit to people in either country. The Colombian government and military have been charged by human rights groups for perpetuating abuses on the Colombian people. Canada cannot be complicit to this and should not be making deals with the Uribe administration. Modifications to the enactment bill – proposed by Liberal Trade Critic Scott Brison and intended to appease concerns that Liberal members have with the agreement – will have the Colombian government report annually on its human rights record. A parliamentary committee recommended in June 2008 that the assessments be done by an independent source. We have demanded that this independent Human Rights Impact Assessment Report be done before the Bill is further debated.
Both the NDP and Bloc Québecois opposed the bill, as did unions, human rights and social justice organizations across Canada.
In February, a 22-person delegation of professionals, analysts and citizens of more than seven countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, the U.K. and Mexico participated in a pre-electoral observation mission in Colombia in the lead up to the congressional elections. Carleen Pickard, Director of Organizing for the Council of Canadians, was part of the delegation.
A report on the observation mission concluded: “The serious concerns raised by the pre-electoral mission combined with the ongoing human rights violations and the continued climate of impunity in Colombia further support the immediate halt of the (Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement) and the call for an independent and comprehensive human rights impact assessment. Canada entering into a free trade agreement with Colombia now not only sends the wrong message to Canadians and the Colombian regime, it also may make Canada and Canadian companies complicit or passive supporters of continued violence in Colombia.”
To read the full report on the observation mission go here.
Take action! Write to Liberal MPs and question their flip-flop on this issue. Go here to see our recent action alert.
Have you renewed your 2010 Council membership yet?
 As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Council in 2010, we will be working hard on the issues that matter to you: protecting our fresh water, public health care, energy resources, fair trade deals, and the values that make us distinctly Canadian.
We need your help
The work we do would simply not be possible without your continued financial support and commitment. As a membership-based organization we rely on generous individuals like you to run our campaigns. We do our work without a penny of corporate or government funding. This financial independence allows us to take on multinational corporations, and the governments that cater to them, to ensure the values we believe in are protected for future generations.
It is more important than ever that Canadians have a strong and united citizens’ movement to speak out on their behalf. So if you haven’t already done so, please renew your 2010 Council of Canadians membership today so we can continue to strengthen the things you value most about Canada.
Contact us at 1-800-387-7177 or click here to renew your membership right now through our website. If you are a member of our monthly Canada Plan, your membership will be renewed automatically. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Parliamentary committee hears why ‘Buy American’ is a bad deal for Canadians
Profiting from municipal frustration, and exaggerating the impact of “Buy American” policies on Canadian companies, the Harper government and provinces signed a multi-pronged government procurement agreement with the United States on February 16 that will see provincial and local spending powers permanently limited under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
In return for fleeting access to a sliver of the original $280 billion worth of U.S. stimulus money for infrastructure, Canada’s provinces are to be included in the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) – a plurilateral contract signed by only 40 countries that forbids listed national and sub-national governments and agencies from favouring domestic content or considering other local benefits when spending public money.
Last week Council of Canadians’ board member Steven Shrybman spoke to the federal government’s Commons Committee on International Trade. “The Canada-U.S. Procurement Agreement is a remarkably one-sided agreement under which most benefits flow to U.S. companies seeking access to Canadian procurement markets,” he told committee members. “The egregiously one-sided nature of these arrangements will, I hope, serve to underscore the pressing need for much greater transparency during the process of international trade negotiations if our international agreements are to serve rather than betray the interests of Canadians.”
To read more about why “Buy American” is a sellout for Canadians go here.
Strong line-up of international speakers set for Council’s counter-G20 forum
 The Council of Canadians will confront the pressures of global capitalism and a failed model of world trade that has led to inaction on climate change, the loss of clean, accessible water and rising corporate power as Canada hosts the G8 and the G20 in Ontario June 25-27.
We will be putting the issues of global trade and economic justice in the spotlight Friday, June 25 during a major public forum featuring world-renowned speakers Maude Barlow, Naomi Klein, Vandana Shiva, Amy Goodman, Susan George, Pablo Solon, Clayton Thomas-Mueller and Leo Gerard at Convocation Hall in Toronto. More details about the event will be available soon.
On the afternoon of Saturday, June 26 we will take part in a major family-friendly march against the G20. We will also be participating in workshops and forums at the Peoples Summit taking place in Toronto the weekend of June 18-20.
Go here for all the latest updates.
For more information about the People’s Summit go to www.peoplessummit2010.ca.
International water issues highlighted in new Blue Planet Project blog
The issue of access to clean, safe water is a growing concern around the world. Unequal allocation and lack of access to clean water has created a crisis of sanitation. The raw numbers are shocking, further pointing to a profound impact on overall human dignity and suffering. The UN estimates that 1.4 billion people have no access to clean water, while 2.6 billion people in the world live without toilets and bathrooms and are often forced to defecate in waters where they also retrieve water for drinking. Every year, 2.2 million people, mostly children under five, die from preventable diarrhoeal diseases caused by lack of access to clean, safe water.
The Council of Canadians’ Blue Planet Project is part of a global water justice movement trying to obtain a United Nations human right to water covenant. Anil Naidoo, Blue Planet Project Organizer, will be highlighting the ongoing work, struggles and victories achieving this important goal in our new Blue Planet Project blog available at www.blueplanetproject.net and at www.canadians.org.
Go here to read the blog and all the latest updates.
War resister Ann Wright speaks to cross border issues
 It can be nerve-wracking when you don’t even know if your main speaker is going to make it to the event.
That’s what organizers of a recent panel discussion had to worry about when they invited Ann Wright, a retired U.S. army colonel and former American State Department official turned war resister and peace activist to Toronto. Her latter activities have resulted in several minor convictions – all for peaceful protests. As a result, Wright was placed on the U.S. FBI watch list, and was barred from entering Canada three times in 2007. This time, she made it through and was able to visit the International Student Centre at the University of Toronto last month to talk about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and about war resisters in Canada.
“I'm strongly opposed to the wars and I think it's important to speak out. If we don't, the government won't know the feelings of citizens,” she said in a media interview before the event, which was sponsored by the Council of Canadians, CODEPINK, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Science for Peace and rabble.ca.
Photo: Members of the Windsor Chapter greet Ann Wright as she crosses the border from Detroit.
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