[NatureNS] blackoutspeakout

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2012 16:36:00 -0300
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Hi JS,

On 4-Jun-12, at 3:44 PM, desolatechair@gmail.com wrote:

> Chris
>
> Jeez with all these sponsoring organizations - and many certainly  
> are credible (e.g WWF) and not just engaging in a political pile on  
> (hmm, where to start...) - I still can't find one that seems  
> actually willing to discuss the section(s) of the act that are of  
> such concern. Mostly they seem to put forward remarkably similar  
> 'top 10' lists full of 'might' and 'could' and 'possibly' - pretty  
> difficult to make a reasoned conclusion on unfortunately.

I'm not sure what you are referring to. I've seen lost of very  
specific information from Ecojustice, Wildsight, the Sierra Club and  
others.

The Environmental Assessment Act is being repealed; many provisions of  
the Environmental Assessment Agency undercut; the Kyoto Protocol  
Implementation Act killed, the Fisheries Act is being gutted; the  
Navigable Waters Protection Act weakened to exempt pipelines and power  
lines; the National Energy Board's reviews subject to reversal by  
cabinet; the Species at Risk Act compromised to allow various  
exemptions; a fifth of Parks Canada staff are to be cut; the National  
Round Table on the Environment and Economy is being liquidated;  
various oil, gas, and nuclear regulations are being made less  
environmentally rigorous and more industry friendly; Environment  
Canada's Environmental Effects Monitoring Program will be scaled back  
and the Municipal Water and Wastewater Survey cut; the list goes on  
and one.

N.B. Why the vast majority of these belong in a budget implementation  
bill is anyone's guess.

In Bill C-38 there is an index at the top of the bill the specifies  
the different pieces of legislation that are being appealed or amended  
and what page number they are. I have no difficulty a reaching a  
reasoned conclusion.

> And with all due respect to your top 10 lists - Elizabeth May?  
> Seriously dude, come on! I've seen her in action and god bless her  
> but I think even she would be amused to be put forward as impartial  
> source when it comes to this (or probably any) government.

I'm not making a claim that she is not partisan. Elizabeth May is the  
leader of the Green Party of Canada. As such she speaks from a  
partisan perspective, but she is also someone with a lifetime's  
experience in the environmental movement, for many years director of  
the Sierra Club of Canada, and prior to that a senior policy advisor  
to Tom McMillan, Minister of Environment under the Mulroney  
government. Consequently she has very considerable insights into  
environmental legislation. Note: the NDP's environment critic, Megan  
Leslie, and the Liberal's environment critic, Kirsti Duncan, are  
equally opposed to the environmental provisions of Bill C-38.

> Lastly - regarding the imminent threat to democracy in Canada - this  
> ain't my first rodeo; and omnibus bills are a fairly common process  
> in Westminster-derived parliamentary democracies (and others); so  
> I'm cautiously optimistic that we will somehow be able to muddle  
> through unscathed.

Just because people refer to it as an "omnibus" bill doesn't mean much  
of anything one way or the other. There's never been one this enormous  
(70 pieces of legislation; 452 pages) in Canadian history that  
extended over some many separate sectors. What matters, however, is  
not the name but:

a) what is in the bill (and much of that is dreadful); and
b) trying to stuff so many unrelated things into one vessel that is  
then shoved down the throat of Canadians without the proper  
legislative oversight.

As for optimism ... be my guest. ;~>

Cheers!

Chris


Christopher Majka
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2G5
c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca

It's true we're on the wrong track, but we're compensating for this  
short-coming by accelerating. - Stanislav Lec




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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi JS,<div><br><div><div>On =
4-Jun-12, at 3:44 PM, <a =
href=3D"mailto:desolatechair@gmail.com">desolatechair@gmail.com</a> =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">Chris<br><br>Jeez with all these sponsoring organizations =
- and many certainly are credible (e.g WWF) and not just engaging in a =
political pile on (hmm, where to start...) - I still can't find one that =
seems actually willing to discuss the section(s) of the act that are of =
such concern.  Mostly they seem to put forward remarkably similar 'top =
10' lists full of 'might' and 'could' and 'possibly' - pretty difficult =
to make a reasoned conclusion on =
unfortunately.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I'm not sure what you =
are referring to. I've seen lost of very specific information from =
Ecojustice, Wildsight, the Sierra Club and =
others.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Environmental Assessment Act =
is being repealed;
many provisions of the Environmental Assessment Agency undercut; the =
Kyoto
Protocol Implementation Act killed, the Fisheries Act is being gutted; =
the
Navigable Waters Protection Act weakened to exempt pipelines and power =
lines;
the National Energy Board's reviews subject to reversal by cabinet; the =
Species
at Risk Act compromised to allow various exemptions; a fifth of Parks =
Canada staff are to be cut; the National Round Table on the Environment =
and Economy is being
liquidated; various oil, gas, and nuclear regulations are being made =
less environmentally
rigorous and more industry friendly; Environment Canada's Environmental =
Effects
Monitoring Program will be scaled back and the Municipal Water and =
Wastewater
Survey cut; the list goes on and =
one.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>N.B. Why the vast majority of these =
belong in
a <i>budget</i> implementation bill is anyone's =
guess.</div><div><br></div><div>In Bill C-38 there is an index at the =
top of the bill the specifies the different pieces of legislation that =
are being appealed or amended and what page number they are. I have no =
difficulty a reaching a reasoned conclusion.</div><br><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">And with all due respect to your top 10 lists - Elizabeth =
May?  Seriously dude, come on!  I've seen her in action and god bless =
her but I think even she would be amused to be put forward as impartial =
source when it comes to this (or probably any) =
government.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I'm not making a claim =
that she is not partisan. Elizabeth May is the leader of the Green Party =
of Canada. As such she speaks from a partisan perspective, but she is =
also someone with a lifetime's experience in the environmental movement, =
for many years director of the Sierra Club of Canada, and prior to that =
a senior policy advisor to Tom McMillan, Minister of Environment under =
the Mulroney government. Consequently she has very considerable insights =
into environmental legislation. Note: the NDP's environment critic, =
Megan Leslie, and the Liberal's environment critic, Kirsti Duncan, are =
equally opposed to the environmental provisions of Bill =
C-38.</div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">Lastly - regarding the imminent =
threat to democracy in Canada - this ain't my first rodeo; and omnibus =
bills are a fairly common process in Westminster-derived parliamentary =
democracies (and others); so I'm cautiously optimistic that we will =
somehow be able to muddle through =
unscathed.<br></blockquote></div><br></div><div>Just because people =
refer to it as an "omnibus" bill doesn't mean much of anything one way =
or the other. There's never been one this enormous (70 pieces of =
legislation; 452 pages) in Canadian history that extended over some many =
separate sectors. What matters, however, is not the name =
but:</div><div><br></div><div>a) what is in the bill (and much of that =
is dreadful); and&nbsp;</div><div>b) trying to stuff so many unrelated =
things into one vessel that is then shoved down the throat of Canadians =
without the proper legislative oversight.</div><div><br></div><div>As =
for optimism ... be my =
guest.&nbsp;;~&gt;</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br></div><d=
iv>Chris</div><br><br><div> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: =
normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: =
normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: =
none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 14px; "><div>Christopher Majka</div><div>Halifax, =
Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2G5</div><div><a =
href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><=
div><br></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
medium; "><i>It's true we're on the wrong track, but we're compensating =
for this short-coming by accelerating</i>. - Stanislav =
Lec</span></div></span></div><div><br></div></div></span><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></body></html>=

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