Royal Dutch Shell Not sure how many people know this, but a panel that was to provide an environmental assessment of Royal Dutch Shell’s application to further expand its development in the oil sands approved the project. Interesting to note that they did point out that this project would—not could, but would—have adverse effects on wetlands, migratory birds, species at risk and associated aspects of the surrounding ecosystem. I laugh (or cry) when I hear people say that the economy is more important than wetlands or species at risk—because they are f***ing idiots. Wetlands are part of the same system we drink from and that keeps the planet habitable—and one of the species that will eventually be at risk is humans. But the lowly—or well-connected—goofs who approved the expansion can’t be blamed. Remember—if you had at some point learned it—Royal Dutch Shell are the same people who had Ogoni spokesperson Ken Saro-Wiwa (and others) assassinated in Nigeria for holding up a project that would suck massive profits out of Ogoni land, partially destroying it in the process—and not even giving recompense to the people who owned it. (Recent good news on that subject that I will include in a link at the bottom of this . . . rant). It is not news that governments and their owners protect capital first and constituents afterward—but the egregious lengths that the Conservatives have gone to in order to do this, by trying to absolutely destroy the environmental science community in Canada, is mind-boggling. It is, if I might coin a term, almost George-W-Bushian in its outright disregard for the best interests of the Canadian environment and the well-being of Canadians now and in the future. It’s like our natural resources are Iraq and he doesn’t care who he has to kill so that he and all of his rich buddies can get money out of it. Screw the future—do it now—first strike and all that—put them on their heels and they can’t fight back. Instead of tanks and “smart” bombs (you know the ones—they kill “enemy agents” while they play in the schoolyard or work in a hospital or sit at their desk in a factory) there are trade agreements and development approvals. But back to our good buddies at RDS—whose job apparently is planting trees if their commercials are anything to go by. Maybe if I was on that panel I would have approved it as well—I still have a few good years in me and I don’t know if I want corporate assassins visiting Carleton Place—if not for me then for my neighbours—I like them and I wouldn’t want anyone to catch a stray bullet. Wait—I’m being trite. What happened in Nigeria—reparations and court settlements aside (see link)—was horrible, and those people are gone for good when all they wanted was to be heard and treated fairly—kind of like Canadians. Here is a brief note on Mr. Saro-Wiwa: “Ken Saro-Wiwa was born in 1941 as the eldest son in an Ogoni family. After leaving university he pursued an academic career and became the most outspoken environmental activist in the Niger Delta decrying the devastation of the land, air and water at the hands of rich corporations and complicit governmental authorities. He was a writer, artist, journalist, and television producer and became the President of the Association of Nigerian Authors for three years until 1991, when he decided to devote himself entirely to the nonviolent struggles of his fellow Ogoni people. He chose to fight using nonviolent resistance techniques such as poetry, prose and peaceful protest. Saro-Wiwa was able to mobilize the people of the Niger Delta to push for adequate representation and the preservation of their homeland, which was continuing to be destroyed by oil exploitation. In 1994, Saro-Wiwa was given the Right Livelihood Award, often called the “alternative Nobel Prize”, along with three other environmental activists. The following year he was given the Goldman Environmental Foundation of California prize. It didn’t take long before the Nigerian government felt their economic interest in oil exploitation was being threatened by the growing movement of Saro-Wiwa and his followers.” What happened next—you can guess. I have the book written by his brother, Dr. Owens Wiwa: “The Politics of Bones.” Find it at the library or bookstore and see who we are dealing with when our government speaks for us. Question: What is the public good and how should the government serve it? Is it so two-dimensional that all apparent economic concerns will trump all other concerns? Are we, as a collective, powerless in front of multi-national conglomerates, even though there are over 34 million of us? Can the tar sands be developed in an environmentally sustainable way? Maybe—but we’ll never know—because all of our scientists are being fired and replaced by the white-helmeted “scientists” on Shell’s TV commercials who hold up baby trees and drink river water out of their hands and kiss deer, or whatever it is they’re busy with. We own the government—we are the government—that’s the deal, right? Mr. Harper’s Party is shitting on that deal. wiwavshell.org/
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 03:11:38 +0000
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