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Every Second Strait of Georgia Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at islandtides.com Uniting TheThe SalishSalish SeaSea ~~ FromFrom CoastCoast ToTo CoastCoast toto CoastCoast Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Volume 21 Number 2 January 29-February 11, 2009 $1 at Selected Retailers Tide tables 2 Saturna 3 Letters 4 What’s on? 5 Bulletin board 7 Ferry ridership drops; staff reduced BC Ferries CEO David Hahn announced January 20 that in the face of a ‘significant drop in ferry ridership’ and resulting reduced revenues, the company has ‘transitioned’ 35 management and administrative positions. The announced reductions ‘primarily’ affect management, although Hahn left the possibility open that ‘while no front-line or ship-based employees are directly impacted at this time … Photo: Derek Holzapfel further changes and possible lay-offs are anticipated in shore-based positions It’s the time of year for sealions to hang out on the Belle Chaine Islets in the southern Strait of Georgia. including unionized staff.’ No details have been released on what Cap-&-trade failing the emissions test; calls positions have been affected, although Public meetings for Hahn said that the transitioning included ‘several senior management and director Plutonic project for carbon tax ~ Patrick Brown and Christa Grace-Warrick level positions’. 0 Opportunities for the public to comment on the Carbon cap-&-trade, a government-initiated European industry is currently covered by the Plutonic Power proposal for a massive hydroelectric system devised to let ‘free market economics’ Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). Ferries’ fuel rebates project on the three rivers that flow into the head of take care of greenhouse gas reduction, is failing. Initially, each country in the EU was Bute Inlet are taking place. Three meetings, are being The scheme to prevent climate change has responsible for setting caps and issuing permits replace surcharges held: in Powell River, Campbell River, and Sechelt on fallen prey to the ‘market’s’ insatiable need to for its industries. Industries favoured in BC Ferries has announced that, instead the Sunshine Coast, (for details see ‘What’s On?’ page 5). ‘game’ any entity put up for trade. particular countries were given emission caps of fuel surcharges, they will offer fuel The Sunshine Coast has been the site of several run- Prices of ‘carbon credits,’ the trading entity, that far exceeded their current emissions, or rebates on minor routes and the of-river power proposals and many applications for are so low and volatile that there is no incentive were granted credits at no cost. Other politically Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route, starting water rights. Similar meetings in Sechelt and Roberts for greenhouse gas emitters to reduce, or to well-connected industries managed to elude the February 12, 2009. Creek have drawn crowds, recently. create the technology to reduce, the production scheme altogether. In fact, some early This is a result of reductions in the Hosted by the Canadian Environmental of the deadly climate change accelerants. participants were reported to have reaped a price of fuel over the past few months, to Assessment Agency (CEAA), the meetings are taking Fragmented schemes in various parts of the windfall of many billions of dollars by charging where it is costing less than the price place amid indications that the federal Conservative world have only added instability—and spice to customers for carbon credits that they received allowed for in the company’s budgeting. government, in its upcoming budget, plans to traders efforts to ‘game’ climate change for from governments for free. For much of last year and previously, significantly relax the requirements for federal profit (see BOX ‘Gaming…’, page 2). How did Eastern european nations, building new, fuel prices had exceeded the budgeted government environmental oversight of development all this come about? modern plants to replace dirty Soviet-era ones, price. The difference in cost was projects. How Low Are The Prices? are a large source of oversupply of EUAs, since accumulated in separate ‘fuel cost In fact, the federal NDP says that it has obtained a Cap-&-trade has a four year history in the their caps were set on the basis of 1990 deferral’ accounts for each route, and copy of proposed legislation that would not only European Union (EU) (see BOX ‘How It emissions levels. ferry customers paid a fuel surcharge to exempt any project from federal environmental Works…’, page 2). Recently, the European ‘Developing’ Countries Part cover the deferred costs. assessment at the request of the provincial Union Allowance (EUA) prices per tonne of Fuel prices dropped markedly government, but would also undo major parts of the of the Muddle CO2 equivalent have ranged as low as 18 Euros, throughout the fall of 2008, while federal Environmental Assessment Act, passed in A further destabilizing complication was that or about $22. customers continued to pay the 1992. In BC, this raises the possibility that run-of-river the EU scheme also recognized credits issued Compare this with the expected cost of surcharge. The surcharge was reduced, hydro and fish farms could be exempted from review. by the United Nations’ ‘Clean Development carbon capture and storage (CCS) for a coal- then discontinued as the deferral Agenda for the Meetings Mechanism (CDM)’. These Certified Emission accounts were paid off. fired electricity plant, about $40–$60 per Reduction (CER) certificates have been issued At the Bute Inlet meetings, CEAA is looking for public Since that time, fuel prices have tonne (and CCS technology is currently far from by developing countries to projects, such as comments on the draft Terms of Reference for the continued to drop, and so now the practical implementation). This makes it quite biomass electricity generators and forestry establishment of a federal review panel for the project, deferral system will go into reverse, clear why the EU’s cap-and-trade scheme has as well as on the draft federal-provincial environmental projects which either avoided emitting the paying customers instead of charging. so far failed to produce demonstrable GHG impact statement (EIS) guidelines. The EIS guidelines GHGs which might have been emitted by some David Hahn, BC Ferries’ CEO, says, reductions. specify the studies to be conducted and the detailed other means of achieving the same economic ‘With our comprehensive fuel hedging These low, and more importantly, information to be provided by Plutonic for both the purpose (eg. the generation of electricity), or strategy in place, we don’t expect any unpredictable prices do not provide assurance federal and provincial environmental reviews. claimed to absorb GHGs. fuel surcharges during this calendar to industrial enterprises, their investors, or Information on the proposal has been made available Sale of these CERs yielded funds which year. In fact, we will revisit our costs their lenders, that capital investment in at public libraries in these three communities. At the could be invested in the developing country again in late June and will hopefully emissions reduction technologies will pay out in meetings, officials will make presentations and answer projects. India and China are currently major announce an increase in the rebates.’ a reasonable time period. (A similar questions. issuers. However, emission reductions Typical fare reductions are: for phenomenon is illustrated by the current Brief Public Comment promised by CERs are difficult to confirm, and passengers between the Gulf Islands cutback in oil sands investment in the face of often not credible. So, CERs have always sold and Tsawwassen (either direction) 45¢ Timeframe unpredictable crude prices, despite the for less than EUAs on the open market, and and for vehicles, $1.75; for passengers Public comments on both draft documents will be probability of a crude shortage within the next have effectively pulled down the price of EUAs. between Swartz Bay and the Gulf received by the CEAA from January 19 to February 18, few years.) Islands (return) 35¢ and vehicles $1.10; 2009 (notice of this short comment period was issued Most emissions reduction technologies North America Now In On for passengers between Horseshoe Bay on January 21, 2009). require years to design, build, and implement, The Game? and Langdale (return) 20¢ and vehicles Environmental and community groups have and cost a lot of money. Many of them A new, and greater, source of uncertainty right 85¢; for passengers between Campbell expressed alarm. The Western Canada Wilderness encompass significant technological now is the forecast adoption by the US under River and Quadra Island (return), 25¢ Committee’s Joe Foy says this is not green power. uncertainty and risk. President Obama of its own cap-&-trade and vehicles 85¢. ‘When you build 18 dams, as well as roads, bridges, and Cap-&-trade Shenanigans system. Canada, with its significant oil sands There is no fuel rebate on major transmission lines in salmon country and grizzly Prices have been volatile ever since start-up in GHG emissions, and its apparent preference for routes at present; apparently their habitat without adequate public environmental the European Union, where only about half of deferral accounts are not yet paid off. 0 CEAA, please turn to page 6 CAP-&-TRADE, please turn to page 2 is available at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the ‘Island Tides’ yellow boxes or racks inside! Nanaimo—Across from the Hospital Campbell River—Island Highway near Larwood Rd Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Ave Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd Sidney—Beacon Avenue Duncan—Cowichan Commons Mall South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, Jan 29, 2009 Stream crossing study shows improvements needed Face it, we’re A study of 1,110 road crossings over fish streams in 19 watersheds number of crossings in valuable fish habitat were compromised different! around BC has found that, in total, less than half of the crossings as well,’ said board chair Bruce Fraser.

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