This time last week, another gray day, but I was walking along Chesterman's Beach in Tofino. The day before had been warm, sunny, almost summery, as I watched the surfers and painted and pondered life. I went to a presentation put on by Friends of Clayoquot Sound about the condition of the area and current logging, mining and fish farm projects. This in an area that is a UN Biosphere Reserve, a lovely title that recognizes the ecological value of the watershed, but has no protection that comes with it. After the "War in the Woods" in the 80s, there were a couple of parks created as well as Iisaak, a First Nations run logging company. Now Iisaak is planning to cut in untouched watersheds, including on the east side of Flores and in a few pristine valleys.
So here's the rub, as it always is: jobs or environment? It is the same deal with the proposed mine on Catface Mountain, the hill facing Tofino Harbour. There is a huge copper deposit in the mountain and few jobs in Ahousat, the close-by community. To get at the copper, the company, Imperial Mines, proposes bulldozing the top of the mountain off, creating the usual tailings ponds, close by salmon spawning creeks and traditional gathering sites. Yes it will bring in money and jobs to the community and of course the traditional way of life is gone, but isn't there a better way to provide for a sustainable future? In the long term what will this mean for the area, for health, for the tourism industry, which is a huge money-maker right now? Up in the Yukon and in the BC Interior, mines sustain communities, and have done so for over 100 years. Is there away to maintain the jobs, get the resources and preserve natural systems? The cynic in me says if we don't mine here with relatively strong environmental regulation, the mining will go overseas and be even worse for workers and the land, water and air. FOCS is proposing conservation solutions, that is development that will maintain a healthy environment. The value-added jobs from the lumber industry haven't materialized and raw logs are still being exported. FOCS accepts that logging will take place, but proposed leaving pristine watersheds intact and cutting in areas that have already been developed. Things are better than back in the 70s and 80s when massive clearcuts were taking place, but there is still room for more enlightened resource management. We continually use resources like they are unlimited and expect products to be inexpensive, but do we ever see the true costs of what we buy? I am reminded of the Story of Stuff and Annie Leonard's other videos about our materials based economy. If there was effective recycling and reuse of consumer goods, perhaps Imperial wouldn't need to develop Catface, but I guess there is less money in that for them and their investors, that is, us, through our RRSPs and pensions. So this is were ethical investing comes in. Not so easy, as I found looking into funds that were not all resource-based, but there are some options out there. So I will write a few letters, think before I buy, and add to the momentum to create a sustainable Clayoquot and world.
The Secrets of Clayoquot Sound show comes to Victoria this Tuesday, April 5th at the Ambrosia Centre, and continues through April around BC. For more info and ideas for action see the Secrets of Clayoquot site.
