Rob's Ramblings

Earth Day is usually about rallies in parks, maybe some tree planting and recently corporate sponsored events.  But residents in Metro Vancouver took things to another level this Earth Day when they took direct action against climate change. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the Metro Vancouver region is transportation.  Despite this fact the provincial government is in the middle of several large highway expansion projects.  On April 22nd a group of local residents began occupation of a highway construction site.  They have set up tents, barricades, an outdoor kitchen, toilet facilities, a solar power centre and appear to there for the long term. About 25 are currently camped out, vowing to stay and stop the freeway they call a ‘climate crime.’ "Gateway's goal with the South Fraser Perimeter Highway is to triple truck traffic. What they don't tell you is that means triple the pollution, too," says North Delta resident Richelle Giberson. "I...

The StopThePave Earth Day Action has inspired a serious of tweets from Dan at http://bctrucker.com/ Unfortunately these tweets promulgate myths about greenhosue gas (ghg) emissions and transportation.  I guess there is still a lot of work to be done to educate the public around these issues.  And in that spirit here are some of those myths: 1. Building more highways will reduce congestion, fuel consumption and ghg emissions.   There is no evidence to support this idea. In fact, the evidence all points to highway expansion increasing emissions.  The proponents of the SFPR and the other gateway program projects even admit this in their own documentation. The provincial government studies, conducted as part of the Environmental Assessment Process, project an increase of 176,000 tonnes per year in greenhouse gas emissions ( http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/epic/documents/p247/d24666/1189031210771_a472fd1478e9414c83aed4d70a214df5.pdf ). Gordon Price of UBC has iss...

A group of local residents occupied a construction site for the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) for several hours on Sunday and unveiled a large banner reading "Climate Action Now." The action came on the heals of news that BC was the only province to see substantial increases in greenhouse gas emissions during 2008, the first year of the carbon tax implementation. The SFPR is part of the massive Gateway Program which even the proponents admit will increase ghg emissions by over 170,000 tonnes per year. The action along the SFPR alignment coincided with the annual pilgrimage to Burns Bog . rob_'s ramblings Technorati Tags: stopgateway , delta , climate change , vancouver

Morning commuters were greeted with new messages along Gateway Program construction routes this morning.  The construction announcement signs had been modified to read "Farms not Freeway", "Peatland not Pavement", "Homes not Highways" and "Transit not Truck Routes." The action occurred on the last scheduled day of climate talks in Copenhagen.  Government reports estimate the Gateway program will increase greenhouse gas emissions by over 160,000 tonnes per year.  Independent modelling puts the figure at over 300,000 tonnes. The signs modified included promises that transportation experts have consistently questioned. Some sign promise that the project will be " Reducing Congestion." Yet, Gordon Campbell said in 2003 “You cannot build your way out of congestion”. The signs also promise that the government is "Strengthening the Economy ."  The Provincial and Federal governments have provided massive investments to the Port in...

UBC Professor Patrick Condon speaks at Construction Blockade Originally uploaded by Rob__ Gateway Work Shut Down for Four Hours On Monday December 7th UBC Professor Patrick Condon joined a group of climate activists who occupied a freeway construction site in Vancouver.  Work was stopped at the site for four hours. The protest coincided with the first day of climate change talks in Copenhagen, where Canada received yet another Fossil of the Day Award. The notorious award goes to the country doing the most to obstruct progress at UN climate negotiations. This action was directed at the controversial Gateway Program, a massive freeway-expansion project that would increase greenhouse gases (GHGs) in a sector that is already the largest source of emissions in our region. The province's own assessment estimates the increase at over 160,000 tonnes per year. If the billions being spent on Gateway were re-directed to an emissions reduction program including cost-effective pu...

Public barred from Gateway Announcement Originally uploaded by Robs__ Residents of Surrey and Vancouver were blocked from entering the site of an announcement regarding the controversial Gateway Program on Monday. The announcement was held on private property behind barbed wire fences. Some in attendance speculated this was a deliberate attempt to keep the public from attending an event about the project which is becoming increasingly unpopular. The announcement was billed as the official launch of construction on the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) portion of the program. But it contained little new information. The Federal government promised support but did not offer any specifics in terms of funding. The Prime Minister painted the project as part of his government's economic stimulus package. But opponents pointed out that transit projects create seven times as many jobs as highway building. Dozens of protesters turned out to meet the federal and provincial government of...

Surrey Residents "Cancel" Gateway Originally uploaded by Rob__ As part of the International Day of Action on the Climate Crisas, residents of Surrey, BC modified a sign advertising the Gateway program . Light duty vehicles are already the largest source of ghg emissions in the lower mainland and the the Gateway program is projected to increase those emissions. Two signs on either side of the Pattullo Bridge were modified.  The banner added to the signs reads, "CANCELLED, Funding Diverted to Transit Improvements by LiverSmater BC, www.livesmarter.bc 'helping the Province go green'" The group also created a new website, www.livesmarter.bc , which parodies an official government program designed to help citizens reduce their ecological footprint.

Some interesting quotes from this morning's Metro Vancouver Sustainability Breakfast : “We have today the most road and parking capacity that we will ever need” - Bryn Davidson, Executive Director, Dynamic Cities Project "We need to redesign Gateway...[if we continue with the current design]...we will have wasted that money...we will have sunk it into a design that was inappropriate." - Anthony Perl, Professor and SFU Director, Urban Studies Program

Bill Rees speaks at afternoon rally Originally uploaded by Rob__ Rally outside the Bayshore Hotel Originally uploaded by Rob__ Hundreds attended two rallies this weekend to support the Livable Region strategy and oppose the gateway program . The first rally on Saturday was a standing room only event at a hall that seated 300 people. The second event saw hundreds brave the cold and driving rain to rally outside an appearance of Al Gore and Gordon Campbell in Downtown Vancouver. At both events experts from a wide background spoke on the negative consequences of the Gateway Program.

The recent Vancouver Sun editorial ( “Gateway is important for our future economic well-being” March 22 nd ) repeated the big lie that Highway One expansion is necessary to accommodate truck traffic volumes. In actual fact only 10% of the traffic on the Port Mann bridge is truck traffic. If the other 90% of drivers were given viable public transit options there would be more than enough room for truck traffic on the existing bridge.