Momentum builds for an Oil Free Coast in BC

While over 1400 Wildcanada.net online activists were sending faxes to key federal decision makers about the importance of the moratorium offshore oil and gas, Newfoundland was experiencing the largest oil spill in the history of east coast off shore petroleum development at the Terra Nova project. Approximately 1000 barrels of oil were spilled into the Atlantic Ocean last weekend, creating a nine kilometer long oil slick, and drawing into sharp focus the sort of disaster that could occur should the federal government decide the lift the moratorium on offshore oil and gas development in British Columbia.

If you haven’t sent a fax already, visit www.wildcanada.net/oilfreecoast/fax.asp.

Your voices of concern about the future of BC’s coastal environment were supported by a report released to the federal government on Friday, November 25th announcing that 75% of the people who participated in the federal hearings on the moratorium on offshore oil and gas support the moratorium remaining in place (view report).

As well, a report was released that summarized the views of 70 First nations, finding unanimous support for maintaining the moratorium at this time (view report).

To those of you who already sent a fax, thank you all for your incredible response to last weeks action alert on offshore oil and gas in British Columbia. To those of you who haven’t yet, please take the time to send the federal government a fax on this important issue. With intense media and government interest in off shore oil and gas development, now is the time to support recent events with a strong show of public support. British Columbia’s killer whales and wild salmon are counting on you.

Take action at www.wildcanada.net/oilfreecoast/fax.asp.

Still need more information? A new report, Putting the assumptions to the test, released this week by the Living Oceans Society and the David Suzuki Foundation, concluded that the arguments put forward in support of oil and gas activities are based on flawed assumptions and that maintaining the moratorium on offshore oil and gas is the best way to protect coastal B.C. (view report).