LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- February 13, 2007
Dear Sir:
These days it seems fashionable to declare war on anything you dislike. Thus we have the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on corruption, the war on terror and now the war on global warming.
In addition to this list of crusades, our Premier has declared a war on bark beetles with such vigour that some of the beetles appear to be moving to Alberta to avoid his wrath. Unfortunately, his campaign to set up coal-fired electric generators in the province threatens to undo any effects his ferocious assault on the beetles might be having.
The burning of coal produces more atmospheric pollutants than the burning of any other fossil fuel. The more CO2 these plants belch into the air, the more global warming results, and the better the bark beetles like it, since they are much better able to survive our warmer winters. Of course milder temperature is not the only contributing factor to the plague of beetles, but it is a major one, and burning coal strikes me as rather like pouring oil on a forest fire.
Good for the oil companies, bad for the forests. A coal fired generator is good for the coal companies, and the bark beetles, but bad for the forests and the people who live in our valley.
I suspect that Gordon Campbell cheerfully endorses the line taken by the corporations which sell fossil fuels, to the effect that: a) there is no such thing as global warming, and b) if there is, it has nothing to do with the activity of human beings, and c) if it has, it has nothing to do with the consumption of fossil fuels.
This is the propaganda of the Industry of Denial, and it is flourishing, although the recent United Nations Report on Global Warming has caused a temporary setback.
I suggest that, if wars are to be declared, we declare war on Gordon Campbell.
- Don Burbidge, Princeton
Dear Barry Penner
As Minister of the Environment, I expect you to do something to protect ours. I realize that it is difficult to balance the demands of growth and industry with our natural resources, but the earth is not an unlimited bank account. We have been drawing on an environmental "line of credit" for too long, and climate change is the toll or interest we are finally having to face.
None of us can afford the costs! The earth is not playing the game of economics the same way we do, the planet needs tending or things will spiral far beyond our control. (Katrina, New Orleans, Stanley Park....)
Please consider opposing the proposed coal power plants proposed for Princeton and Tumbler Ridge. Do what you can to promote wind power, tide power, solar power, and run-of-river power projects.
Support the delicate ecosystems that are threatened in BC by industry and resource extraction. That's your job isn't it? Regards,
Angelique Wood, Hedley
Dear Gordon Campbell
I moved to the Similkameen from the dirty downtown eastside of Vancouver in May 2006 BECAUSE of the burgeoning wine industry, organic farming and small agricultural businesses.
I want to participate in an economy which promotes more than a singular MONETARY bottom line. I want to contribute toward a region and a government which emphasizes human health, health of the planet, and health of the plants and animals which nourish us.
I do not consider ANY form of coal combustion for energy to be viable with technology as it currently exists.
Greenhouse gases and mercury are not incidentals or "externalities" which we can avoid considering.
I ask you and your government to put a stop to the proposed power projects in Princeton and Tumbler Ridge NOW. This is a fragile ecosystem which we need to take care of before it can no longer take care of us. Regards,
Angelique Wood, Hedley
The Editor;
The historic drum beating official agreement called a 'memorandum of understanding' signed by the three local forms of government, the Town of Princeton, the Regional District Area H and the Upper Similkameen Indian Band has more significance than most people realize.
It ties right in to what is happening on a much larger scale, politically and economically but secretively since 2000.
There has been numerous 'memorandums of understanding' agreements signed all over this Continent in relation to the North American Union for what is called the 'Harmonizing Policies of the three countries, Canada, the United States and Mexico.'
The 'Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP)' appears to be a framework for moving Regional Governments toward increased regulatory cooperation between the three Nations of our Continent.
There is a ten lane highway being built with chain link fences on both sides, paralleling I-35 to unite the three Countries. There has been no Congressional or Parliamentary approval for this 'deep integration agenda' yet the agreements have been signed by President Bush, former Prime Minister Martin and President Fox in 2005.
The SPP agreement which includes 'the security agenda' for the N.A.U. was finalized in March of 2006 with Prime Minister Harper joining the other two Leaders. The next meeting is planned for March 2007.
The Canada Action Party and other organizations that are investigating the SPP policies state that this is essentially derived from the Free Trade of the Americas Agreement (FTAA).
It has been called a 'Bill of Rights for Corporations' who have been dubbed the Super-Citizens with the power and ambition to achieve total domination. They operate within the North American Advisory Council established by the three governments to inject 'creative energy' into their efforts related to the total integration of the three Countries of the N.A.U.
This is merely a thumb nail sketch of what has taken place on the National level, being patterned after the secretive Bilderberg's Council of Western Political Leaders, Financiers, and Industrialists who engineered the integration of the European Countries to form the E.U.
These non-elected participants claim to represent a 'new enlightened business class' formed for the purpose of transforming public policy by consolidating enough power to become a virtual parallel government with elected politicians as puppets.
These bureaucrats violate the sovereignty of the individual countries with the help of all the regional groups who unknowingly sign these memorandums of understanding agreements thus falling prey to this
'new World Government scheme.
I exhort the followers of Jesus Christ who supplies the pure creative energy to pray for the discernment we need so as to not be deceived by the evil doers of the Money Masters in these end days.
- Kay Hardy, Princeton
To The Editor;
We would like to express our thanks to the most kind gentleman (we did not get his name) who helped us 'unstuck' our car on the Old Hedley Road on Friday, January 26th. You Princeton people are really special!
- Lou and Maureen Lechner, Langley
