The Livable Blog

Video producer Damien Gillis has another important production for us to read and view:

Save Our Rivers Society is pleased to present this new 8-min video featuring conversations with two of Canada's top fish biologists, Dr. Gordon F. Hartman and Otto Langer - both former senior scientists and managers at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans - on private river power in BC. The two esteemed scientists - both known for standing on principle, even when not convenient - discuss their multiple grave concerns about the ecological risks of the Campbell government's private river power gold rush. They discuss topics from the impacts on fish & wildlife from "run of river" power projects - each concluding that they are categorically not "green" - to addressing our inadequate environmental review process, and the "endless growth paradigm" in our society, in order to become truly sustainable.

Both men have long careers in biology, management, academia and consulting, and have consistently spoken up to save fish. Dr. Hartman was famously one of the "dissident scientists" who blew the whistle on Alcan's flow regimes for its proposed Kemano Completion Project on the Nechako system. He and the other brave scientists were instrumental, along with a few solitary media figures - namely, Rafe Mair and Ben Meisner - in turning the tide of public sentiment against the calamitous KCP, thus saving large numbers of salmon and other species. Otto Langer, similarly, has spoken out in some challenging situations, taking his former employer, DFO, to task for not protecting fish - especially when it comes to salmon farms on BC's coast and gravel extraction from the Fraser. Both of these courageous scientists caution against this "irresponsible and reprehensible" private river power program, which has seen close to 700 of BC's most precious rivers claimed by private companies to make power for the US market.

"It's green alright. Because green is the colour of money." - Dr. Gordon F. Hartman

Rafe Mair & Damien Gillis are attending Plutonic Power's public comment meeting in Campbell River on Monday Feb 2 at the Quinsam Hall (discussion starts at 7PM); They are also holding their own meeting in Courtenay on Feb 3 from 7-9 PM at the Florence Filberg Centre.