Thanks for your response bigdogeh, much appreciated. I'm 66 and still not sure how much is too much for me. I am pro development but like most people, nimby. As stated I will back fish farms here on the Pacific coast until I see concrete evidence of them harming wild salmon, and like most, I would prefer them to be on land but my fish culture background tells me that is not economically feasible, yet. I favor the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, responsible mining and logging, even urban development. I have a pessimistic view of the future of wild salmon because there are just too many factors facing them, including what I back, so I am part of the problem.
In short I believe there are just too many people with needs that don't include salmon.
You seem to be a person I would enjoy having a beer with but I fear I have pissed you off too much for that to happen.
thxs for your honesty Dave, everyone has an opinion and your entitled to yours. thxs for sharing it.
As to TheBigGuys comment I also have to hope the next generation is also more far sighted and optimistic. I can see where it could be easy to be a pessimist with some of what we see around us every day. but there is also alot of nature and natural beauty out there that is worth protecting. I thank you for your service (habitat restoration, etc). you must believe that that has had a positive effect? when you see people working together to make things better it gives you faith that change for the better can be possible. the environment can be strong to a point but it has to be given a chance to repair itself when it's been damaged.
I vaguely remember a quote from awhile ago that went something along the lines that not to worry, nature will eventually cleanse itself (look after itself) and eventually rid itself of the parasites invading it. I hope that isn't true, but in some ways maybe that will be what happens in the long run whether we like it or not. seems to be the direction were headed at the moment. and if people think that way maybe that's why there is this push at the last minute of our timeline to make as much profit as possible. maybe these corporations don't see a long term forecast for our people anyway. I don't know their thinking but I don't think it's the way most people with a conscience to protect the environment or for doing what's right think.
myself, I don't want to give up on our salmon. to give up on them is to give up on the whole ecosystem they belong to. I think you know that also.
sure, i'd have a beer with you. and yes, you've pissed me off...lol, and i'm sure i've pissed you off..haha. and i don't think i could ever change your mind in how you think and wouldn't expect that I could. and I don't think you could change mine. I am thankful you answered my question as it gives me (and others) some insight as to how others see where we've gotten ourselves and where were heading or would like to head.
I know I like to ramble on sometimes but here are a couple of cut and pastes I saved awhile back that give me some hope for the future. I continue to hope people become more educated and demand more accountability from our governments.
"What makes the BC Liberals "successful" is there's nothing they won't sell if the price is right...and that includes our collective inheritance of the natural resources and health of BC and our very future when you consider how destructive activities like natural gas fracking or even large scale conventional drilling are.
These are people who've reduced the world to an insane level where just continuing to "develop"(which usually means destroying ecological integrity) the world is seen as the only imperative.
There needs to be some beneficial point to activities which are in the end done in our name and supposedly in our interests...the BC government is supposed to be representing our interests and working for a better future for all BC residents. But the chances of that happening are almost non-existent when energy giants in undemocratic countries on the other side of the globe are basically dictating that we almost give away our natural resources while at the same time severely degrading the ecological health here that is essentially priceless.
We're giving away something incredible for a few baubles because that's the only thing that the corporate mindset which is behind parties like the BC Liberals thinks has any value."
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"On May 8'th, the total energy produced from renewables in Germany (wind, solar, biomass) was so great that it drove the wholesale price of 100 MW of power deeply negative (-220 Euros) for a period of twelve hours. During that time period, renewables were supplying 85% of base load. Overall, on average, Germany now produces 50% of it's base load from renewables and is on track to produce 100% by 2050. That is the future. It is also telling that every single Middle Eastern oil producing country is installing billions of dollars of solar, the most recent project, in Dubai, will produce Gigawatts of power for 2.5 cents per KwH, and the company will make a profit. You can't argue with those kinds of results.
The supporters of this project say it is great, but the governments' own statistics indicate a 95% probability of a significant spill from the pipeline, on the coast, within 50 years. When that happens, the 1.2 Billion the government is said to collect from the revenues on this project will be minuscule compared to the cost of cleaning it up, and most of it will never be cleaned up, it will sink to the bottom and produce toxins over a wide area for generations to come. The Exxon Valdez was the accident that 'could never happen', but it did. The blow out in the Gulf of Mexico ruined the Gulf fisheries, and thousands of livelihoods for generations to come.
The people who support this archaic endeavour are the same ones who greedily took billions out of Alberta, leaving it an economic cripple for the next 30 years. It is only the very short sighted, totally self absorbed and careless individuals who want this built, most of the rest of the country (over 78%) are deeply concerned about any future oil projects, and rightfully so.
The future for Alberta is NOT producing more low quality, difficult to transport and costly to refine bitumen for export. The consumption of fossil fuels has peaked and is declining rapidly. Even Saudi Arabia is getting out of the business and the anticipated global oil demand, per day, will decrease to 30MM barrels, from the current 90MM barrels over the next 25 years. The future is the same that is has been since the solution was first proposed to them in the 70's. Install domestic pipelines; invest in refining capacity; purchase retail outlets and create a truly national grid for delivering fuels for as long as the market holds for it, and that won't be that long. The first hybrid electric/CNG transport trucks with 20,000KW engines are already on the roads. Tesla is recreating the personal automobile at affordable prices and the demand is overwhelming. Don't waste your time and money on this, it isn't going anywhere."
if you've read to here, can I ask one more question Dave? do you have children or grandchildren?
may as well push for one more. have you ever fished the skeena or fished up at prince rupert, terrace, etc?
