Thread by @NicESpurling

1/ The @bcndp talk a big game about protecting the environment, but actions speak louder than words, so let's take a look at their actions over the past 3.5 years.
#bcpoli

2/ Trans Mountain Pipeline:
The @bcndp vowed to fight the pipeline in the courts through all available means. They tried to regulate it; for example, by requiring a permit for heavy oil flowing through the pipeline.

3/ The @bcndp fought for that in court. That court case was ultimately dismissed by both the BC. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Canada. They could have ordered a “Made in B.C.” environmental assessment of the project, but they didn’t.

4/ Protecting endangered species:
They promised to enact endangered species legislation, but didn’t, despite urging by scientists. There are over 1,800 species at risk of extinction in BC.

5/ Improving management of old-growth forests:
The @bcndp promised to modernize land-use planning “to effectively and sustainably manage” B.C.’s old-growth forests. They commissioned a review of old-growth management strategy in 2019.

6/ The @bcndp also made plans to defer logging in 9 areas (a total of about 353k hectares). Little of that area was actually slated for immediate logging. More than a third of that land was already protected and lots of it is non-forested areas, like mountain peaks, swamps, etc.

7/ Climate Change action plan:
The @bcndp promised a comprehensive action plan to meet climate targets. Along with @BCGreens, they did - they created CleanBC in 2018. Unfortunately, they have failed to meet the 2020 emissions target set in 2007.

8/ The @bcndp also approved the LNG Canada export project, which will generate emissions equivalent to 800,000 cars for each year of the first two phases of the project. Analysis by renowned scientist David Hughes shows that emissions will exceed targets by 160% by 2050.

9/ Fracking:
The @bcndp said they would appoint a scientific panel to review fracking. They did. The panel submitted a report in February 2019.

10/ The @bcndp assured the Canadian Association of Petroleum producers (an oil lobby group) that the report would not include a review of the health consequences of fracking even though other studies show that there are severe effects of fracking on health.

11/ A review of studies says that there is, “no evidence that fracking can be practiced in a manner that does not threaten human health." According to one author of the review, “we can say with certainty fracking causes harm to human health.”

12/ Banning fish farming on wild salmon migration routes:
The @bcndp pledged to implement recommendations from the Cohen Commission. They announced several farms would be closed or moved, but several remain along wild salmon migration routes in Clayoquot sound and elsewhere.

13/ Improving wildlife management:
The @bcndp platform said biodiversity is under threat and pledged dedicated funding. Instead, BC Wildlife federation says they cut spending. The NDP also did not follow through on promise to dedicate hunting fees to wildlife management.

14/ Increasing budget for BC parks:
The @bcndp aimed to increase BC Parks budget by $10 million in 2018 and in 2019. They increased it by 416,000, less than 5% of what they promised.

15/ Updating environmental assessment legislation:
The @bcndp said it would update environment assessment legislation to be strong and transparent. The government passed Bill 51, the Environmental Assessment Act, in late 2018.

16/ Scientists commended the @bcndp for overhauling the environment assessment legislation, calling the bill a “good start," but an open letter from 180 scientists identified three “deficiencies” in the legislation: a lack of scientific independence, peer-review and transparency.

17/ Ensuring clean, safe drinking water:
The @bcndp said it would work with the federal gov to improve drinking water quality in BC. In 2019, the Auditor General said the NDP is failing to protect drinking water from risks like climate change & industrial activities like logging.

18/ Bringing back investment in clean energy:
The @bcndp pledged to bring investment in wind, solar, and other clean energy projects back to BC. They Introduced Bill 17 to amend the Clean Energy Act, eliminating the requirement that B.C. be self-sufficient in new power.

19/ The law allows the province to import cheap power from the US, potentially including coal & gas-fired power. The @bcndp said it would not renew contracts with independent power producers, leaving decades-old family-run, green and clean power projects facing bankruptcy.