Save BC's Grizzlies: Say "NO" to Site C Dam!

Big dams did not start out as a cynical enterprise; they began as a dream. They have ended up as a nightmare. It's time to wake up.
      - Arundhati Roy

Super, Natural British Columbia or Sterile Moneymaking Machine? You decide...

 A very important part of our natural world is in jeopardy! While the World Bank has ceased funding most large dam projects, and countries like the USA have stopped building large dams and "are now spending great amounts of money trying to fix the problems created by the existing ones" (International Rivers Network), the BC Government is pushing to build a large hydroelectric dam called "Site C" across the Peace River in Northern British Columbia. Touted as eco-friendly, it is anything but: greenhouse emissions from hydroelectric facilities can equal those put out by natural-gas-fired plants (V. L. St. Louis et al, 2000). Because of the threat of this project, the Peace River has recently been listed as the fourth most endangered river in BC. With a proposed running life of only 70 years, this project is not worth the destruction it would cause!    

The Peace River Valley is very important to a wide range of animal species, including endangered species, and its loss would have numerous and serious implications, even beyond the obvious habitat loss. The valley is a sub-climate region, able to support far greater concentrations of wildlife than surrounding areas, and the valley's south-facing slopes provide much-needed early nourishment in springtime. If these areas were to be flooded by the proposed reservoir, many animals would die of starvation. Also, ungulates such as deer and moose use the river's islands as nurseries, and would lose many more newborns to predators like coyotes if they did not have these refuges. Beavers make their homes along the river's banks, but would be unable to do so in the proposed reservoir for various reasons. Grizzlies use this valley as a corridor, and their populations would be dangerously isolated without it. Clearly, the abundant populations of wildlife currently residing in this area would be decimated by the proposed Site C dam. But the risk to wildlife is not the only problem!

Mercury poisoning, water loss, loss of prime agricultural lands, homes, and heritage sites, as well as huge losses of treaty lands belonging to local First Nations peoples, are all at risk. A major archeological find has been made in this valley which challenges the currently held theory of the origins of the first human settlers in North America. In addition, the river is an internationally acclaimed tourist destination, sought after for its natural beauty, accessibility and abundant wildlife. This is only a partial list of the assets that we will lose forever if the Site C project should proceed.

 Alternative power sources such as geothermal, solar and wind promise to be less expensive and more environmentally friendly, but have not been fully explored by this government. Studies have shown that conservation of energy in this province has the potential to save over 50% of energy currently being consumed. The dam is expected to take ten years to build; with advances being made every day to make solar and wind more inexpensive and efficient, the Site C project would undoubtedly be obsolete before it was even operational. In light of the impending loss of a valuable ecosystem, we need to send a clear message to the BC Government that the Site C project is unacceptable, and that focus should instead be directed toward the development of more eco-friendly power sources and conservation initiatives. Please help the BC Government to abandon their archaic notions, and give them a new, more eco-friendly focus!

For more information, visit the following sites:

http://www.peacevalley.ca/

http://www.nositec.ca/

http://down-the-river.blogspot.com