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Strait of Georgia Every Second Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at Coastal Currents ~ Bridging The Gulf Since 1989 islandtides.com Canadian Publications Mail Product Volume 19 Number 22 November 1—14, 2007 50¢ at Selected Retailers Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Tide tables 2 Saturna notes 3 STVR 3 Watch the clock 3 Letters 4 What’s on? 5 Cariboo 6 Bulletin board 11 Carbon tax only way, says BC Photo: Helen Schnare, Galiano Photography Green leader A last memory of summer, a sea of islands, looking south from Mount Galiano. Damian Kettlewell, BC Green Party leadership candidate, is challenging BC Commentary by Patrick Brown premier Gordon Campbell to implement Panel finds Morning what economists worldwide see as the most economically efficient means to SPP-style, precautionary principle out the window Bay ruined drainage prevent climate change—a carbon tax. It has been said that the Security and Prosperity be viewed along with the April 1, 2007 ‘Cabinet A British Columbia Farm Industry Review Board ‘Mr Campbell is not using the proper Partnership is dead, because it is stalled. It may Directive on Streamlining Regulation’ passed Panel handed down its decision on October 25 in a economic tool to reduce greenhouse gas be that after George Bush has gone, the lavishly by the Canadian minority government’s long-running dispute between Morning Bay emissions,’ argued Kettlewell. Kettlewell guarded ‘summit’ meetings will be cabinet, again without new legislation or Vineyard and Estate Winery, North Pender Island, recently interviewed SFU professor discontinued in the face of US protectionism parliamentary debate. and its neighbours, Tekla and William Deverell, Mark Jaccard, an internationally and paranoia. The Canadian government was already in Cheryl Grunbock, and Terry Chantler (representing recognized expert in resource and But that doesn’t mean that the efforts of the process of a radical change in approach to owners of property in the Harbour Hills subdivision). environmental management, on the corporate heavyweights to eliminate the the regulations that exist under the many pieces The Deverells had alleged that, in developing the issue of carbon tax. boundaries between the three economies will of federal legislation intended to protect ten-acre vineyard, Morning Bay’s owner, Keith Watt, Jaccard argues that a combination of cease. They’ll just be even less visible; witness Canadians, their health and safety, their had altered natural drainage patterns which had carbon sequestration and emissions current efforts to ‘harmonize’ regulations and environment and the conservation of natural damaged Tekla Deverell’s well-established organic trading is insufficient to ensure that make them less effective. resources. The SPP ‘framework’ has the effect of garden, killed trees, and had also introduced British Columbia meets its challenging The SPP, a political umbrella set up by the reinforcing this new approach and facilitating chemical herbicides and pesticides into the air and climate change prevention targets. President of the US, the President of Mexico, the wholesale adoption of US regulations water. Other neighbours had expressed concern that Jaccard, whose book Hot Air: Meeting and the Prime Minister of Canada, meets once which, often as not, were written by the very Watt’s agricultural and drainage practices had Canada's Climate Change Challenge a year to direct the progress of numerous industries that they were meant to regulate. threatened their property and also the aquifer from was published recently, stated that a working groups in their efforts to integrate the The Precautionary Principle which they drew their drinking water. carbon tax is the most efficient means to The Panel’s decision held that Morning Bay had ensure that corporations and individuals economies, security, and commercial law of the Canadian regulations have been generally failed to follow ‘normal farm practices,’ had in fact take immediate action to curb their three NAFTA countries. The group is advised written with the precautionary principle in damaged neighbouring properties, and must carbon emissions. by the North American Competitiveness mind. This regulatory principle is intended to immediately undertake significant mitigation ‘I strongly urge voters to support Council, thirty CEOs of large corporations, and deal with the frequently encountered situation measures. Professor Jaccard’s recommendation of assisted by numerous officials from all three where there is a risk of serious or irreversible governments. Procedural Complications a carbon emissions tax, both here in harm about which there is significant scientific British Columbia and across Canada,’ The latest meeting, at Montebello, Quebec, The dispute was the subject of four full days of uncertainty. It holds that: said Kettlewell. ‘The most efficient way of in August, 2007, was heavily defended by police hearings on Pender Island and in Sidney, in January • the absence of scientific certainty is no getting BC’s corporations to reduce their and the armed services. The entire SPP process and March this year. Watt claimed that he had excuse for not taking action (often regulatory); greenhouse gas emissions is through is conducted in considerable secrecy, and has pursued ‘normal farm practices’ in the development • proponents of a new technology or economic means—in other words, by been little debated in the US congress, the of the vineyard and that he had the right to do what substance must show that it is without risk of using money as an incentive. Mexican congreso, or the Canadian parliament. he did. major harm before it is used (known as the ‘It would be most economically The Panel, having investigated the site of the Harper on Regulations reverse onus provision); efficient to use market pressures to dispute and presided over an unsuccessful mediation When asked what was going on, Prime Minister • if there is a less hazardous viable encourage corporations to self-regulate attempt, spent what it described as ‘an extraordinary Stephen Harper attempted to trivialize the alternative to any substance it [the substance] and thereby reduce their harmful amount of time’ in resolving procedural issues prior summiteers’ deliberations by noting that they should not be used; and emissions. Financial incentives are to the hearing. It was deluged with documentation had discussed standardizing the composition of • all relevant information on substances ultimately what corporations are most from all parties, and amassed a total of 663 pages of jellybeans and the size of baby food containers. must be made available to the regulatory body. responsive to. If it becomes a competitive transcripts. In their report, the Panel makes it clear This was pretty insulting, and showed a The precautionary principle is also at the advantage for BC’s companies to reduce that they found this made the drafting of their remarkable contempt for both the press (who heart of the recently adopted European Union their carbon usage, they will be driven to decision ‘more onerous and time-consuming than it may deserve it) and the public (who most ‘Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and implement innovative strategies to would otherwise have been’. certainly do not). Restrictions of Chemicals’ (REACH), maintain production while also Nevertheless, the Panel, chaired by Christine However, it appears that there was, in fact, implemented by the EU in all its member minimizing their carbon footprint. Elsaesser, persevered and their final report numbers considerable discussion on the ‘harmonizing’ of countries, covering substances used in each ‘Implementing a carbon tax will also some 25 pages. regulations between the three countries. The country, traded between EU countries, or traded have an additional benefit: corporations NACC said it was ‘pleased that the three externally. The Panel’s Conclusions that are able to successfully curb their governments appear to be close to completion The Risk Management While the complainants questioned many Morning emissions and come up with new … on the conclusion of a voluntary trilateral Approach Bay farm practices, ranging from the siting of the methods of production efficiency will be Regulatory Cooperation Framework.’ vineyard on a steep slope, the layout of the vineyard, However, the US, driven by an administration able to patent and sell these strategies in As with all SPP actions, there has been no the method and schedule of clearing the land, the devoted to deregulation and industry-written foreign markets. BC can be a leader in public debate, since no legislation was drainage strategy, and the chemicals used, the Panel regulation, has taken the approach that the fight against climate change, but we necessary to implement such a deal; it can be attempted to boil the issues down to one: ‘Are the regulations are, by definition, an irritant to need to use market incentives to adopted by Cabinet, even the cabinet of a Morning Bay farm operations with respect to water trade and that the facilitation of trade is more encourage our corporations to become minority government. This ‘framework’ for drainage, both quantity and quality, conducted in important than the public interest in health, more efficient with their carbon usage. A ‘harmonization’ is intended to be applied accordance with normal farm practice?’ generally to any and all regulations, and should SPP-STYLE, please turn to page 2 VINEYARD, please turn to page 6 CARBON TAX, please turn to page 4 We are adding to our Archives—visit often to get news and background to current topics. PDF articles and past editions are easy to read and to email to friends wwwwww..iissllaannddttiiddeess..ccoomm and colleagues. Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, Nov 1, 2007 Margaret Isobel Irving – 1912-2007 Born in 1912 to Harold and Ruth Payne of Saturna Island, SPP-SYLE from page 1 Margaret (Margo) was the youngest of four siblings. Although she lived in the era of ‘children should be seen and safety, and environmental protection. This has led to some AT FULFORD HARBOUR not heard’ the Payne children enjoyed a unique island alternative regulatory principles: lifestyle.

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