Jackpine Mine Expansion Project. Does Alberta need this?

Re. The Proposed Expansion of the Jack Pine Mine in Fort McKay, Alberta.

Here is a letter I wrote to the Joint Review Panel.

__________________________________________________

I wish to state that I am writing to the Joint Review Panel, as a citizen of Canada, to demand that my public servants, who are answerable to me, stop further development in Alberta because this is in the best interests of Canada, and all life on Earth.

I support the Athabaska Chipawa constitutional challenge to the expansion of the Shell-owned Jack Pine Mine, tar sands project. My reasons are as follows:

1)  As a Canadian citizen and friend of First Nations, I am concerned about the health and quality of life of the  next seven generations of humans, other animal and life forms and the fragile biosphere on which we rely for our very existence. Fossil fuels must be kept in the ground, or all life on Earth will cease to exist because of pollution and climate change.

2)  At all levels of government, (international [UN], national and provincial), there is a legal "duty to consult".* For this to be done in a respectful way, discussions must take place before plans are made and deals signed between governments and corporations. The First Nations know that they have the power to make decisions concerning their environment and the future. I, as a "newcomer", wish to support them because I and many of my fellow citizens realize that we all rely on Earth for our life, health and future existence.

3)  It is a well known fact that governments work with corporations. The mandate of the Prime Minister of Canada, (MP's, ministers, and civil servants), is to act in the best interests of the Peoples of Canada. (Tax-payers, voters and citizens - the lawful owners of Canada). The Prime Minister and the others mentioned are public servants - the servants of the public. Corporations do not vote in elections in Canada. The mandate of corporations is to make profits for their shareholders.Governments will make legal decisions under the directions of the people of Canada.(voters, taxpayers and sovereign citizens).

4)  I am concerned with the proposed destruction of the natural water supply, the boreal forest, the Muskeg River, the loss of habitat (caribou, wood bison, Canadian lynx, different birds and fish etc) and the creation of yet more tailings ponds.

5)  The Chipawan people have the right to live in their traditional lands and they have treaty rights. There are serious health problems in Fort Chipewa already, caused by past and current tar sands developments.

6)  The transportation of bitumen in pipelines and tankers is potentially highly dangerous to water aquafirs, boreal forrests, coastal waters, rivers, lakes and the sea. Bitumen should not be transported over vast distances. The proposal is that bitumenn will be extracted from underground and then transported thousands of miles. The citizens of the whole world will be the ones to decide what to do with fossil fuels, not the corporations.

The citizens of a country are the stewards of their own environment.in their own country. They have a moral and legal right to decide what is to happen to any fossil fuels they own. Their governments, elected and employed and paid by the Peoples, will.do what they are told to do by the people who voted them into office. Governments will not do what they are told to do by corporations because they do not have any mandated moral or legal right to do this.

I urge the Joint Review Panel, (and a group of independent observers ) to ensure even-handed and broad discussion and decision-making with regard to the present situation concerning the extraction of fossil fuels in Alberta in the broad context of the future of life on Earth.

Yours faithfully.

Frances Oommen

* The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Any citizen can write and give their opinion Before December 2012 to:

The Joint Review Panel Secretariat,
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency,
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor,
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3

Your letter will go in the public record.

You are being conned....

The most powerful government and corporations in the world, in the USA, keep talking about the need to continue producing oil and gas. ie dirty fossil fuels. This is important to them and for "growth" and "business as usual". Their purpose is for life on Earth to continue as before, even though this is unrealistic in the short and long term. The bottom line is, that there is less fossil fuel around than their used to be. The world has only had large quantities of fossil fuels available since between approximately the 1850's and today - approximately 200 years. That is not very long in the history of eons of time on Earth.(*1)

The USA is bankrupt, financially and morally. Its trillion-dollar debt is unbelievable and will crash soon.(*2) The USA is clinging to power and wants to control and use raw materials that are available in other countries. This includes it's friendly neighbour to the north, Canada. Sadly it is setting itself up to be hated by other countries. There used to be tremendous good will towards the USA

The peoples of the world know that if we are to go on using fossil fuels, like we are now, life on Earth will end because burning fossil fuels will cause increasing climate change. (*3) The amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) will increase in the the air we breathe. The people at Copenhagen were realistic, but the USA government and the corporations denied there was a problem.(*4) The USA and the corporations are trying to encourage people to follow their plan of "business as usual" because they know that people do not want to give up their comfortable modern life. A few people are finding out the truth for themselves (*5), but may people haven't go a clue about the changes that will take place in the future. Many people are unprepared because they believe what they are told by the government and the corporations. (*6)

The governments and the corporations are unrealistic. They are not serious about saving Earth for future generations

Thinking people know that we need to :

a)   Conserve energy - live a simpler life and use less fossil fuel energy,
b)   Develop and use alternative, free, and infinite clean energy, or do without,
c)   Develop and use free Tesla energy ( the USA governments and the corporations stole this away). Nikola Tessla, the inventor, said that the free energy that he had invented, was for the benefit of the people of the world. (*7)

Why do the most powerful governments and corporations want to find and use more fossil fuels all the time?

1)   To use the energy using weapons to threaten war or attack countries which have oil and gas. (*9)
2)   To control the people of the world. Powerful countries wage war with their own armies, with paid mercenaries, or by "drones" (unmanned vehicles), or indirectly (by proxy by other countries), so their own soldiers do not die,
3)   To control the people of the world by keeping "the petro-dollar" the strongest currency in the world.
4)   If there is a country which wants to use another currency or gold to buy and sell fossil fuels, the USA government will kill the leader of that country and take over that country's oil and gas supply. (ie Iran, Iraq, Libya and again in 2012, there is a threat to Iran.) (*9)

How does the USA, Canada and UK and other powerful countries and  the corporations get away with this con job?

a)   They control the main stream media, including national broadcasters such as CBC. To a large extent,. BBC is completely controlled in UK. People forget to think for themselves.
 b)   They are changing laws both to allow oil and gas companies to explore and extract fossil fuels as they see fit, (*10)
c)   They have cancelled laws and reduced regulations which weaken the law with regard to protecting life on earth and the environment.(*11)
d)   The governments and the corporations "divide and rule" people of different countries.They separate people into different religious, ethnic and racial groups. (*12)
e)    Governments and corporations want to create fear and hate between the peoples of the world. They encourage peoples to be greedy and selfish and this creates more negative feelings.

The people of the world know that "people are people." All we want is a healthy, simple life for our families.
A community to live in, trust, sharing and love and respect, friendship between different communities, and trust in the future. (*13)   

All this negative stuff causes more unnecessary distress and suffering around the world. We, the peoples of the world, know how to build a better world. But we have forgotten where our creative power lies.

1) Olduvai - ASPO (Association for the Study of Peak Oil). The Olduvai Theory. "Sliding Towards the Post-Industrial Stone Age" - Richard C. Duncan (1996) www.dieoff.org 2) The trillion dollar debt of the USA keeps rising. ($11.2 Trillion as of July 2012, Wikkipedia) When it crashes the "petro-dollar" economy of the USA and the world will collapse. 3) www.350.org 4) Copenhagen Climate Change Conference December 2009. "Climate of Denied Opportunity" - John Vidal, Cameron Robertson and Shahani Fernando. The Guardian. 5) Information on the end of oil - ASPO Chart. ASPOUSA.org/peakoil "Oil Discoverey - the Growing Gap" 6) Media and alternate media. "Media Disinformation in America" - William Blum, February 7 2010 7) Tesla Memorial Society of New York, "Tessla" the movie. 8) The Pentagon - Energy used in war. This is kept secret in a "black budget". "Secret Pentagon Documents Reveal Pre-war Plans to get Big Oil into Iraq" - Greg Muttitt, July 17, 2012. 9a)Media - unreported news video, "Project Censored 9)i.e.Iran (Mossadeq) and Iraq (Saddam Hussein). "THe Anti-democracy Foreign Policy: Iran". Jacob G. Homberger, January 21, 2005 www.fff.org 10) Dick Cheney, oil and gas "The Haliburton Loophole". Editorial - New York Times, november 2 2009. Allows "fracking" and resultant pollution of the bioshere. www.independentwatertesting.com 11)Canada - Omnibus Bill C-38 12) Spying on muslims in the USA. "Post-911 Homeland: America Declares war on Islam" - Stehen Landman, October 12 2012. 13) "Syria The Story thus far". William Blum 2 October 2012 "Syria: Evidence of Foreign Countries Support to Terrorists, Letter to UN Security Council" - Global Research www.globalresearch.org 14) "Islam and the Politics of Hegemony" Dr Chandra Mussaffar. (GRTV - Global Research TV). "Free Speech and the Muslim Community in America" Sorya Sepahpour-Ulrich, September 18, 2012

Gathering for a good cause at the Canso Causeway

Approximately two hundred people came together on Saturday, 22 September with signs, flags, goodwill and leaflets to hand out to the people in cars and trucks, driving by on the Trans Canada Highway.

The people at the action came from different places in Cape Breton Island, mainland Nova Scotia, (Antigonish, Indian Brook, and Halifax) and Prince Edward Island.

They are all speaking out against the proposed oil and gas exploration, and possible fracking. This commercial activity has been approved by the government for right next to the pristine waters of Lake Ainslie. Lake Ainslie is part of the Margaree River Watershed.

The First Nations leaders who had arranged this event, warmly invited the rest of us to stand with them. Both First Nations and us newcomers are all coming to the same conclusion.. We're all very concerned that this proposed drilling activity will negatively affect the fresh water on our small island.

We are getting to hear about how polluted water can affect the health of the people, animals and plants in a particular area. ie in Indian Brook. At Indian Brook the people cannot use their water for any purpose because of commercial activity. Also, in Colchester County, there are overflowing and leaking pits of fracking water, (industrial waste which contains radioactivity from underground). The company, Triangle, which signed an agreement with the government, refuses to clean up.....
 
The Peoples of Nova Scotia, who came to the Causeway are looking ahead to the needs of the next generations. Water is sacred. Without clean water there will be no healthy plants, animals or humans in the future.

Our event was a positive coming-together, with drumming, singing, a water ceremony -  some wet eyes, a time to meet and make new friends, a sharing of information and trust. Mist and warm rain, eagles gathering above us...........

"Good energy",     "We're all on the same wavelength", "The divisions are disappearing,,,,,"

“In Unity there is Strength” – One friendship at a time

In Nova Scotia and around the world the First Nations people and the rest of us (the people who have moved to colonize other countries), have had a change of heart and are concerned about saving the environment and Earth, We spoke out at Copenhagen, but our voice was ignored.

There is a realization that we are now on the same wavelength and that now we have the same concerns for Earth.

There is a history of negative relationships between our two peoples. But there is a realization that this fractured community was created by the British. This clever policy of “Divide and Rule” has been continued by the federal and provincial governments and the corporations ever since to their advantage.

In the past, the way that the laws have been written, have excluded all the citizens in decision making. Increasingly, right now, even the elected representatives in parliament and in the Nova Scotia Legislature are not given the opportunity to discuss and vote on matters of concern to the citizens. We voted these people into office, to act on our behalf. Undemocratically, decisions are being made by small groups of people, behind closed doors.   

Good news

Recently, the First Nations people around the world have been told that there is a “duty to consult” them. (This is written clearly in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. It is the law at the national and provincial (state) government level in each country. Although this requirement is in place, First Nations peoples’ continue to be ignored. They are not being consulted until after all the agreements between governments and corporations have been signed, and after it is too late to change their "business plans". This is convenient for governments and corporations, and shows disrespect for First Nations. First Nations peoples are speaking out about this travesty. They know that they have strong rights in this regard.

Now is our chance to work together and support each other in our goals to save Earth. If we stay separated from each other, nothing will change. 

“One friendship at a time”, is the only way to achieve our goals. We need to have a website, or even have a picture gallery on this blog, where people can post photos of friends, and talk about their concern for Earth and a healthy future for our families – and the next generations of living beings on earth.

Then the governments and the corporations will know who is in charge and do what we say to save Earth for future generations.

Together We Will Save Earth

There are more of us than there are of them. (1) Be strong and confident.

Remember our history and know that we are the ones in charge. (2)

Our politicians are public servants  –  servants of the public. (3)

We, the people, (citizens, tax-payers and voters), vote them into office.

Don’t be conned by governments and corporations. (4)

Our governments, civil servants, the police and the army, are public servants.

We pay their wages, salaries and pensions.

Corporations do not vote for governments. Their nature is to be the same as a psychopath. (5) Disregard them. They have no conscience.

The mandate of the governments and public servants is to serve the citizens, voters and tax-payers. (6)

The mandate of the corporations is to make profits for their shareholders. (7)

1) Rand Corp, "mosquitos" , no leaders, they can sting you to death.
2) See Wikkipedia - Magna Carter, England, habeus corpus, US Constitution, Bill of Rights, USA, Declaration of the Rights of Man and citizen of 1793, France.
3)
4) see Wikkipedia, profit motive, Articles of Incorporation, Corporation
5) Movie and book. "The Corporation"
6) 
7)
( incomplete)

Poem

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

Let him step to the music which he hears, however distant and far away".

Henry David Thoreau

Hi,

I have had a lot of time to think over the past few months.

There are two important topics that I will post first.
I want to share these two ideas with other people.

Yes:   -hear "a different drummer",
         -open your eyes and ears,
         -see your potential to make the world a better place,
          -know that you and the other people of the world are in charge - not governments or corporations,
          -know that original peoples and the newcomers to their countries, have the right to decide what will happen to their natural resources and wealth of their nation.

Believe..........
a)   We are all connected,
b)   All aspects of our lives, as individuals, communities, and all living beings, are in balance,
c)    We know, that if we are to survive with other living beings on Earth, we know we must save Earth.
d)    We are on the same wavelength with the other people and living beings of the world.

The adventure begins!

Love and trust, not greed and fear.