The hours in the field this summer have not let up but I could not resist sitting down to discuss a topic that has been on the tongues and minds of residents and members of the Eaglet Lake Farmers' Institute.
Economy when broken down into its roots means the "management of the household." The wealth or value of nations is often based on its economy or management of its house.
When one's house is becoming no longer a safe healthy environment to live, one must ask the question, "Is our economic growth good for us?"
Our house seems to be in terrible disarray. When breathing the vapors that envelop one's house you thus begin to cough and choke, it may be time for a new manager of the house.
One could also reconsider economic growth in the modern meaning as the opposite of wealth. As we all know one's health, mentally and physically, is the most valuable asset that you can have. The rest is just details.
Take a look at China's economic growth and then do a Google search on images of the citizens in the smog -covered cities wearing masks to protect themselves from this wealth generation.
There has been talk for several years of the construction of a limestone mine and kiln about 14 kilometres from Hope Farm in the glacial valley of Eaglet Lake where at the edge of the lake beside our elementary school the kilns will be placed.
Graymont (the mining company) has been in the lime and limestone business for over 50 years and is the largest lime producer in Canada as well as the third largest producer of lime in North America.
You will have to excuse me while I pull the NIMBY approach or not in my back yard.
Graymont's plans is to create three kilns to process limestone rock for flue gas desulphurization and mining applications.
These kilns can use energy from coal, natural gas and even wood. I was told by environmental health and safety officer Rob Beleutz of Graymont that Graymont will use the cheapest fuel available. If you want to know what the cheapest fuel is, look to the coal mines that were shut down in northeastern B.C.
Air pollution from coal combustion includes sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and heavy metals which can cause smog, acid rain, toxins in the environment, and numerous respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular effects.
According to Physicians for Social Responsibility, coal pollutants affect all major body organ systems and contribute to four of the five leading causes of mortality in the U.S.: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory diseases.
Coal combustion waste ponds and landfills contain arsenic, mercury, chromium, and cadmium, which can contaminate drinking water supplies and damage vital human organs and the nervous system.
At the climate summit in Paris, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau credited the provincial and territorial leaders accompanying him in Paris for having already taken on a leadership role on climate change in this country.
"From cap and trade, to a ban on coal-fired electricity generation," he said, citing actions already taken by many provinces. "From world-leading innovation on carbon capture and storage to a revenue-neutral carbon tax, we can learn and build on these models."
When new projects like Graymont's Giscome project are underway and discussing using coal, you have ask yourself what type of lip service is Trudeau giving the public.
As an organic farmer downwind from the proposed kilns and mine, not only is my health and that of my neighbors at risk, but so is my way of life and my means of providing Prince George with increased food security.
The biogeoclimatic region of our farm is known as the SBSvk, which is the wettest biogeoclimatic unit in the guide for site identification and interpretation for the southeast portion of the Prince George Forest Region, and also has the highest annual precipitation and the highest growing season precipitation (think acid rain and particulate matter raining on vegetable fields). Anyone who has gone for a drive in our region either during winter or summer knows of the precipitation of this region. A short drive down the road takes you into the ICH or interior cedar hemlock forests. The ancient forests are not just on a major highway where Christy Clark can do a photo op.
The proposed Graymont project is located within the Bateman Creek watershed. Bateman Creek flows in a northwesterly direction and drains into Eaglet Lake. Eaglet Lake in turn drains into Hay Creek and into the Willow River then into the Fraser River. The Fraser watershed is a major North American river basin supporting a highly significant salmon population.
Fish populations of Eaglet lake and its streams are reported to be (believe it or not) chinook salmon and rainbow trout, burbot, largescale and longnose sucker, mountain whitefish, dolly varden, northern pikeminnow, and other forage fish species.
Among other interesting species in the surrounding region is the pygmy waterlily (Nymphaea tetragona) which is a red-listed species of plant.
A red-listed species is defined as extirpated, endangered and threatened by the conservation data center of B.C .and must be protected (again think of the Ancient Forest with its rare plants recently in the news).
As a former forest ecologist, this is very disturbing.
Graymont will be extracting up to approximately 600,000 tonnes a year of limestone material for the proposed life of the mine which is 25 years.
Graymont's public consultation to the affected residents of the area was to say the least extremely poor. If I were a teacher and be assigning them a grade on this matter it would be a D for dollars.
Many residents of the affected area complained of not knowing anything about the project, not knowing of when public consultations where to be held or even the location. This is due to many in our community not having access to Prince George's paper or internet. There were no postings in the communities and no letters. Lack of public consultation is the name of the game, I guess.
Just look to Enbridge's folly.
I have to admit I was interested in this project as it would provide a supposed 12 jobs to the region, which are desperately needed since the last industry came in and exploited the land and left the region in shambles (anyone who has seen the mess industry left in the Upper Fraser knows what I am talking about). After learning of the use of coal as well as the Batement creek area to be the site of the mine, I have changed my mind as I do not believe this to be proper management of our house and I don't want my burbot fish to taste like arsenic, mercury, chromium, and cadmium, nor my certified organic vegetables.
