VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — (Marketwire) — 07/23/12 — WWF today expressed its disappointment with Premier Clark–s statement laying out the province–s “minimum conditions” for the construction of heavy oil pipelines through British Columbia. WWF, in partnership with the Coastal First Nations and Great Bear Initiative, recently launched the –Canadians for the Great Bear– campaign () to oppose the construction of oil pipelines and oil tanker traffic through the Great Bear region of British Columbia–s north coast.
“WWF is disappointed that Premier Clark has missed the point of the concerns expressed by the clear majority of British Columbians with respect to the Northern Gateway proposal. This has never been about the need for more capacity to respond to catastrophic oil spills, or about the need for more revenue. The concern is that the Great Bear region is no place for oil pipelines or oil tankers. Not now, not ever, and not at any price.
“WWF will continue to work with First Nations an d others to secure a healthy future for this global ecological treasure. We need a smart ocean plan that provides for a strong diverse economy, sustains healthy coastal communities and families, and protects ecological integrity – and that includes a permanent, enforceable ban on oil tankers through the Great Bear Sea. At a national scale, we need a Canadian energy strategy that respects nature and does not put our most extraordinary places at risk.”
– Darcy Dobell, VP, Pacific Region, WWF-Canada
About WWF
WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive.
Contacts:
WWF-Canada
Riannon John
416-347-1894