De-regulation and oil routes

Gulf of St Lawrence is important to Canadian identity.

by David Suzuki

 

We Canadians love the wilderness. Whether we're talking to visitors here or people we meet in our travels, our conversations almost always end up about our great outdoors and pristine natural spaces. Caring about the environment is one of the ways we define ourselves.

But how good are we at protecting what's at the core of our identity?

Despite national parks that act as natural wildlife reserves, and bold policies adopted by some of our most progressive provinces to combat climate change, the fact remains that our environmental regulatory system is being downgraded by a federal government that gives some industrial interests priority over the environment and the overall long-term economy that depends on it.

This is especially dangerous when it comes to preserving ecosystems that rely on strong policies and regulations to thrive. For example, Canada has the longest coastline of any nation but only protects one percent of its ocean and marine environments — well under the 10 percent recommended by the Convention on Biological Diversity of the United Nations.

Softening environmental laws could have a direct impact on the Gulf by allowing the oil industry access to this fragile and complex ecosystem.

Proposed regulatory changes make it look like the environment is not a priority. The federal government recently signaled its intention to gut the Fisheries Act by stripping down habitat protection provisions, and it plans to amend the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act in a way that would make it easier for mining and oil companies, for example, to jump through regulatory hoops and get projects up and running faster than the time required to evaluate all their impacts on nature.

These legislative changes could have serious repercussions for the health of marine environments, including the Gulf of St Lawrence. Oil and gas reserves there have industry and governments eyeing the economic opportunities. Softening environmental laws could have a direct impact on the Gulf's health and future by allowing the oil industry access to this fragile and complex ecosystem.

I had the chance to visit the Magdalen Islands, in the heart of the Gulf of St Lawrence, in spring 2011 with my friend George Stroumboulopoulos. We were filming a web segment to raise awareness of the Gulf's importance and the risks associated with oil and gas drilling. The natural beauty there so inspired me that I wrote "The Declaration of the Defenders of the Gulf". It says, among other things, "Now, exploding human numbers, technological power, consumptive demand, and the global economy are putting the Gulf under multiple stresses. We understand that our economic and social wellbeing depend on a healthy Gulf ecosystem."

It's a call to slow down and consider the values of nature and the importance of the area to the people who have lived there for generations and, indeed, to all of us. Now is the time to defend one of the planet's most precious and unique ecosystems from industrial development.

There's been a lot of buzz around possible oil and gas development in the Gulf of St Lawrence, including a proposal to drill in the Old Harry area. The stakes are high. According to the Quebec government, the Old Harry prospect alone is twice the size of the Hibernia oil field, with about two billion barrels of oil and up to five trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

We must reflect on the long-term impacts of industrial development — from an environmental perspective and in consideration of the communities that have depended on the Gulf's bountiful resources for thousands of years. The David Suzuki Foundation and its friends and partners are committed to raising awareness about the consequences of today's choices on the people of tomorrow.

Scientists say we need to know more about the Gulf's ecosystems and the complex relationships people have developed with them over millennia. That's why we must invest in science-based research and strengthen our knowledge before doing anything that could jeopardize the health of the Gulf's ecosystems. The Fisheries Act and the CEAA are based on sound scientific information. It is of utmost importance that any changes to these laws be informed by the same scientific knowledge.

The Gulf of St Lawrence and all of Canada's marine ecosystems are invaluable to us all. We need to keep strong laws to ensure we protect these places that give us so much and help define us as Canadians.

Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Science Project Manager Jean-Patrick Toussaint

 

David T Suzuki, PhD, Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation, is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster.

David has received consistently high acclaim for his 30 years of award-winning work in broadcasting, explaining the complexities of science in a compelling, easily understood way. He is well known to millions as the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's popular science television series, The Nature of Things. An internationally respected geneticist, David was a full Professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver from 1969 until his retirement in 2001. He is professor emeritus with UBC's Sustainable Development Research Institute. From 1969 to 1972 he was the recipient of the prestigious EWR Steacie Memorial Fellowship Award for the "Outstanding Canadian Research Scientist Under the Age of 35".

This article is reprinted with permission.

Website: http://www.davidsuzuki.org

References
  Convention on Biological Diversity of the United Nations
  Fisheries Act changes
  Strombo and Suzuki
  The Declaration of the Defenders of the St Lawrence
  David Suzuki Foundation and its allies (St Lawrence Coalition)
  Drilling in St Lawrence
  Fisheries Act and the CEAA are based on such scientific knowledge

© Copyright 2012 David Suzuki, All rights Reserved. Written For: StraightGoods.ca