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[rhino]

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/281/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11815

[Matt]

As far as I can tell, The Canada-China Investment Treaty (FIPPA) will allow Chinese firms to seek damages against Canada should we deprive them of potential profits... ie: if BC successfully blocks Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline. Furthermore, its my understanding that this treaty will not be debated in parliament.

Unless it is stopped, this would come into effect on November 1st and allow Chinese investment the right to weigh in on Canadian decisions for the next 31 years. With Chinese firms (government) purchasing Canadian resource companies at the rate they are, this treaty could seriously hamper the ability for Canada to make decisions that benefit Canadians without exposing ourselves to lawsuits.

This is disconcerting to read.  Harper's polices promote a fire sale on Canadian Resources.  Good for short term profits, but terrible for the environment and terrible for long term.

Further reading:


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-quietly-table-canada-china-investment-treaty/article4573635/

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/16/why-rush-canada-china-investment-deal

[silver ghost]

As far as I can tell, The Canada-China Investment Treaty (FIPPA) will allow Chinese firms to seek damages against Canada should we deprive them of potential profits... ie: if BC successfully blocks Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline. Furthermore, its my understanding that this treaty will not be debated in parliament.

Unless it is stopped, this would come into effect on November 1st and allow Chinese investment the right to weigh in on Canadian decisions for the next 31 years. With Chinese firms (government) purchasing Canadian resource companies at the rate they are, this treaty could seriously hamper the ability for Canada to make decisions that benefit Canadians without exposing ourselves to lawsuits.

This is disconcerting to read.  Harper's polices promote a fire sale on Canadian Resources.  Good for short term profits, but terrible for the environment and terrible for long term.

Further reading:

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/sustainab...s-policy-expert

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politi...article4573635/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/...article4575332/

Ugh...why did i have to be reminded of this right before bed. We have to write letters/call our MPs offices before its too late, this could have very serious implications for our country!

[troutbreath]

Takes 2 minutes to fill out the form with your name and address.

[silver ghost]

I would try to help with these sort of things but in the big picture unless 75% of us stand up for our rights nothing will ever change.

Aaaand... that is the EXACT attitude that can be used to explain why issues like pipelines and tankers are still on the table when they should have been shut down ages ago. That is like saying: "Nobody else is doing anything why should I".

If you feel strongly about an issue, you should be among the first to attack it in whichever way you can. if it means writing a letter, making a phone call, attending a rally, i would encourage you to do any or all of the above, for if it wasn't for the people who raise their hands in a crowd and say "excuse me, that's not right" (David Suzuki, Martin Luther King), we would be in a far darker place than we are today.

Honestly as a 21 year old guy I am already sick of the corruption of this world.

At age 21, it is probably a good idea to get involved with the issues you feel strongly about now, and encourage others to do so also.

This being said... as a 23 year old guy I'm going to go write my letter right now 

[Matt]

Honestly as a 21 year old guy I am already sick of the corruption of this world. I would try to help with these sort of things but in the big picture unless 75% of us stand up for our rights nothing will ever change. Not nearly enough people are even aware of this sort of stuff. I will watch it all burn. I hope 2012 does happen and we have to restart from the basics. At least then MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, we will do things right.

I'd encourage you not to take a jaded view, it doesn't accomplish anything.  I was feeling the same when in 2009(?) when I heard that developers wanted to build a giant ski/golf development on top of Brohm Creek in Squamish.  I wrote a couple letters stating why I thought it was wrong to destroy this particular creek, I went to the public consultations etc.  Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought this way, because quite a few people showed up!  In the end, the developers were not given permission to break ground.  For me, this came as a bit of an epiphany that I, just an ordinary guy who liked to fish, could make a difference.  Brohm Creek still remains as an important steelhead-bearing stream.

Fast forward to summer 2011 when I first heard of Enbridge's plans to build the Northern Gateway pipeline from the tar sands to the coast, then ship it by tanker along a dodgy route.  I wanted to do what I could to stop it, but what could I do?  I drafted a letter, mailed it to Christy Clark and about ten other politicians.  I also posted the letter on Facebook and from that, at least 15 of my friends wrote their own letters.

Compared to this spring, the opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline has increased many many fold.  Its no longer an obscure pipeline somewhere up north, its probably one of the most politically charged issues in western Canada now.  Just this past Monday, about 3500 people showed up on the lawn of the legislature building in Victoria to show their opposition to Northern Gateway.  I wouldn't have seen that coming in May.   You can be sure Christy Clark is re-thinking her ambiguous stance on Gateway.  Northern Gateway ambiguity is probably one of two issues which has probably already cost Christy the election this spring.

I find it cool that issues such as Gateway are making environmentalists out of normal people and simultaneously raising awareness.  Perhaps this is somewhat of a coming of age for environmentalism in BC... there were a lot more suits and soccer moms than hippies and "activist-types" at the demonstrations against Enbridge and tankers.