Kick-starting Cross-border Organizing to Protect the Salish Sea

Monday, August 26, 2013

Just a week ago on August 21, 2013, I was standing on a bluff just outside Victoria overlooking Haro Strait, speaking to concerned residents about the Kinder Morgan pipeline. At the same moment, allies across the border were holding their own town hall meeting about fossil fuels, just 13 kilometres across the Kinder Morgan tanker route, on San Juan Island in Washington. 

On the American side -- on San Juan Island, Washington

We were there to highlight the combined impacts of all the fossil fuel projects currently proposed for the Salish Sea, learn lessons from campaigns on both sides of the border, and kick-start a new wave of cross-border organizing to prevent the Salish Sea from being turned into a global carbon corridor.
 

Eoin Madden explains the growing opposition to Salish Sea coal exports

We heard from Eoin at the Wilderness Committee about how community campaigns against coal in the Lower Mainland have blossomed in recent months, inspired by successes south of the border. I spoke about the environmental impacts of an oil spill in the Georgia Strait, and how unprepared we are to deal with a major spill of conventional crude at current levels of traffic, let alone a six-fold increase in tankers carrying diluted bitumen.
 
Alexandra Woodsworth talks about the potential impact of an oil tanker spills here
 
Torrance Coste speaks to BC residents about the Salish Sea's unique ecosystem
 
A Victoria whale watching company, Orca Spirit, expressed their concerns about increasing tanker traffic, given their reliance on a vibrant, healthy ocean for their income. Torrance from the Wilderness Committee emphasized that the Salish Sea is one ecosystem and one climate, and we need to treat it that way if we are to be successful in our organizing.
 
Torrance indicates where U.S. allies are meeting across the Salish Sea
 
We then made a cross-channel phone call to Stephanie from Friends of the San Juans, who shared the inspiring story of how a diverse coalition managed to defeat 3 coal export projects in the Pacific Northwest, and mobilize 100,000 people to speak out against the expansion of the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. Folks in Victoria shared stories and asked questions of their counterparts on San Juan and vice versa.
 
Signing a letter to elected leaders in both BC and Washington State to protect the Salish Sea
 
We wrapped up by pledging to continue to work together and find new ways to link up citizens who share these concerns to take action and put pressure on decision-makers on both sides of the border, and signing a petition to Premier Christy Clark and Washington Governor Jay Inslee, asking them to work more closely together to protect the Salish Sea. Watch this space to find out how you can sign it and get involved.
 
Taking action and signing up for campaign updates

It was a really inspiring day, and a perfect way to launch our Save the Salish Sea campaign on Vancouver Island! Click here to take action today by writing to Premier Christy Clark, urging her to protect this amazing region from fossil fuel expansion.

- Alexandra Woodsworth
Energy and Shipping Campaigner | Georgia Strait Alliance

 

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