DEAR EDITOR:
I heard that the Harper Conservative government has just announced the elimination of 776 positions at Environment Canada, as a cost-saving measure.
This is most alarming in view of the stream of reports informing us about the crisis we face if we do not take serious steps now to protect the natural environment and the biosphere. Our federal government is like the proverbial monkeys - "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" - as they dismiss the obvious and are wilfully turning a blind eye to the immorality of their action.
"Silence and acquiesce" seems to extend its reach to street level as we go on living our lives as if we can continue to trash and pollute forever. BURNABY NO ER Gary E. Slavin THE
We cannot ignore the fact that tar sands, a thick, sticky form of crude oil that requires vast amounts of energy, water and chemicals to dislodge from the earth, is now flowing through the underground pipes in Burnaby. It is being pumped into ships on our shore and shipped through Burrard Inlet out through the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and federal plans are to allow this to increase.
You may agree or disagree with Jim Hansen of NASA, who says that if we significantly tap into the tar sands, it's essentially game over for the climate.
However, there is no denying there is enough oil in the tar sands if extracted to generate trillions of gallons of chemical sludge as well as trillions of dollars. And trillions of dollars have a way of exerting a lot of pressure.
There is a choice to be made and time for everyone to join the discussion. A notice on Facebook announces that interested individuals will gather at Inlet Drive and Hastings in Burnaby on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. I will be there, as I believe decisions about our future must be made by people.
Elsie Dean, Burnaby
