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Protecting Resources & Our Environment

www.BCgreens.com

British Columbia could one day be the 'Greatest Place on Earth' but there is a lot of work to do to honestly claim that title. It is true that our province is a spectacular part of our world and British Columbians have a lot to be grateful for all BC provides. However in the last one hundred years the rapid depletion of resources and high levels of badly planned development has put us deeply into environmental debt. The BC Greens recognize that a protected environment with conserved resources is essential for healthy communities and a strong economy.

BC Greens plan for the environment will conserve resource use with improved efficiencies in homes and business practices and protect wilderness for its priceless values to the world and the ecological services like clean air, clean water, healthy soils and biodiversity protection that it provides.

Reverse Climate Change

To slow the rate of climate change we need to price the cost of pollution into the economy and embrace energy conservation and alternative energy sources that will eliminate carbon emissions from burning petroleum products. Greens promote tax shifting as a crucial step to combating climate change by imposing higher taxes on polluting industries while reducing personal income taxes and providing financial incentives for clean-tech industry.

The BC Greens would use a portion of these collected taxes to build new transportation infrastructure, including pedestrian, rail, bicycle and public transit. Greens support a combination of carbon taxes and a global cap and trade system -- not either or, but both.

Strengthen the Environmental Protection Act

BC Greens are committed to restore and enhance public and local government control over resource use, development and protection. We would repeal Bill C 30 and reaffirm the right of local and regional governments to say no to development and resource use that is not in the economic, social or ecological best interests of their region. Greens would establish regional ecological and energy management boards to review development proposals and we would strengthen the environmental assessment process to ensure resource use is sustainable and environmentally benign.

Legislate Home-grown and Local Food Security

BC Greens are committed to tax relief for agriculture to create jobs and local government reforms to encourage expansion of local food production and processing. By decentralizing food regulation and strengthening local food availability, public health and safety and BC’s provincial security will improve.

Protecting Our Environment and Resources Will:

• Ensure the Agricultural Land Reserve remains intact and support small family farms.
• Take immediate and substantive action on climate change.
• Prevent genetic modification of our food supply
• Promote smaller scale forest tenures such as woodlots and community forests, promote selective logging and investment in value-added wood industries.
• Reform the Agricultural Land Commission and the appointment process
• Eliminate invasive species through job creation in control measures and preventative planning.
• Enshrine the right to water and air quality into our human rights code
• Move fishfarms off wild salmon migration routes and encourage closed containment systems.
• Protect Burns Bog as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Halt provincial Gateway and other expanded pavement and bridge solutions in favour of transit and bicycling infrastructure and compact, intact communities
• Protect community water supplies from development and keep water under public control.
• Pass strong Species at Risk legislation.
• Minimize the environmental impact of mining and oil and gas extraction
• Strengthen Environmental Assessments and Standards and reform the appointment process.