Strip mining Alberta's mountains for coal, polluting our waterways, extirpating endangered species, destroying recreational areas . . . All for what? 1/n #abpoli #ableg
The Grassy Mountain project (Riversdale Corp) promises 385 jobs over 23 years. That's fewer than the jobs lost at #UAlberta alone in the past year because of #UCP budget cuts to post-secondary education. Coal mining licenses are NOT about job creation. 2/n
In 2018-19, the coal royalty brought in $10 million in Alberta, and the cannabis tax brought in $30 million. And cannabis won't leave us with irremediably polluted watersheds and devastated landscapes. 3/n
The Kenney govt did not consult Albertans before rescinding the 1976 land use policy that regulated coal mining on the eastern slopes. Not one Albertan I have spoken to believes this is a good idea. 4/n
Questions: Did the Jasons think they could get away with this travesty of democracy, nature, and the public interest by counting on public ignorance of what they were planning? 5/n
Did some Treaty 7 leaders think it was acceptable to agree to the strip mining of coal on the eastern slopes without consulting their members? aptnnews.ca/featured/austr… 6/n
Do Albertans know that the UCP govt also wants to change the rules of water use so that mines and other industries can draw more water from the Oldman River watershed? Apparently they will do anything to give multinational mining cos. what they want. cbc.ca/news/canada/ca… 7/n
Are Albertans aware that the UCP's approach to water regulation is to "allow market forces to drive water use" (as quoted by Drew Anderson in the Dec 2020 CBC news article)? 8/n
Can anyone explain what would drive any govt with even a whiff of concern for the public interest to grant coal mining licenses in the circumstances prevailing in this environment and in 2020? 9/n
Is the UCP govt counting on COVID pandemic restrictions to prevent public protests against coal mining on the eastern slopes? (Remember the Energy Minister's gleeful observation that COVID was good cover for building pipelines?) 10/10
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