Are Hypocrites and Opportunists Taking Over Our Lives?

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Dear Editor,

 When a hollow man like Jim Prentice can don a phony cloak of "green," take on a sacred trust as this nation's "Minister of the Environment," then hightail it off to a cushy job with "CIBC" (which is helping to bankroll the Alberta tar sands, the world's dirtiest energy project), be afraid. Be very afraid. 
Jim Prentice, Climate Criminal
  
Dead ducks in an Albrta tar pit. (Vancouver Sun photo)
As Prentice skulks off into the night with visions of money bags dancing in his head, he gets a pat on the back from Stephen Harper and a free pass from a polite media.
Fish caught near tarpits - Jason Franson CP
Preoccupied with political "process," "strategy" and "positioning," news outlets obviously no longer believe they have any duty to actually hold the ethical behaviour of our leaders up to any kind of public scrutiny. That would just be wrong! Instead, they pontificate on how the balance in the cabinet might now be affected or, if Prentice might now be positioning himself to become Prime Minister!

(Remember my reference to "hypocrites and opportunists? I rest my case.) 

One newspaper fit for fish-wrap actually referred to this traitor as the "epitome of public service" and a "capable" leader! Yet this is the same climate criminal who, while in office, did squat on the carbon file, the most important if the climate change genie is to be put back in the bottle. Squat. Nothing. 
What can be done?
Before the story of Prentice's departure broke, it hadn't really occurred to me that companies involved directly in tar sands extraction, along with big banks who lend money to them, would even qualify as "ethical" fund investments. (And who would?)


The Don of Canada's Climate Criminals
Upon checking my own, I discovered, with dismay, that they included both!

So I have now personally set the wheels in motion to divest myself of any financial holdings I may have in the development of that despicable project known euphemistically as "the oil sands."   
If you want to be remembered as a friend of Mother Earth, rather than one who stood by while the Harpers and Prentices of the world acted as accomplices in her demise, I hope you'll do likewise.

Larry Powell is a blogger and activist near Roblin, in western Manitoba. 
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A couple more climate crooks. Sen. Duffy (l.) & Sen. Wallin (r.).





Also conveniently neglected by Prentice/Harper et al in this scenario are the indigenouse people living downstream from this incredibly destructive project. Here is an excerpt from a submission by the Indigenous Environmental Network. l.p.


"Fort Chipewyan, which is located on the shore of Lake Athabasca and downstream from numerous tar sands mines, has been described as ‘ground zero’ for the devastation caused by Alberta’s oil boom. A local doctor has raised concerns over alarmingly high rates of what should be very rare bile duct cancers in the town, as well as reported abnormal rates of immune-system related conditions. A study commissioned by the Alberta Health Services confirmed in 2009 that there were indeed elevated cancer rates in the community.
"High levels of dangerous toxins in the Athabasca River have been found in areas downstream from tar sands developments. A study in 2007 commissioned by the local health authority of Fort Chipewyan revealed high levels
of arsenic, aluminium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, phosphorous, selenium, titanium, and phenols in the water. It found high levels of arsenic, cadmium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and resin acids in the sediment, as well as high levels of mercury in tested fish."
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COMMENTS:
Larry - I read your letter. This is a shameful act. And replacing the environment Minister, we have none other than Mr. Baird. Now that is a joke.


JOHN FEFCHAK
Virden, MB



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