News

April-May 2004

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

6th Vancouver Island Paddlefest

This year’s Paddlefest, May 15 & 16th, is a free weekend festival with activities and events for paddlers of all ages and paddling abilities. Located at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith, BC, the event will include vendor/ trade show, workshops, demonstrations, race events, fun activities, live entertainment and salmon BBQ.

Paddlefest 2004 is celebrating 100 Years of Paddling in conjunction with the Town of Ladysmith’s 100th Birthday. You can take a trip back in time to see how paddling and boat design have evolved over the years and also have an opportunity to check out the latest industry designs.

There are on-land and on-water workshops offered both Saturday and Sunday to help you hone your paddling strokes, pack your boat, practice rescue techniques and even teach you how to build your own woodstrip kayak.

Leading manufacturers, retailers and outfitters will have booths set up for you to check out the latest gear and pick up festival deals. 100 boats of different makes and models will be on-hand for demos. WaveLength personnel will also be there.

For information: www.paddlefest.bc.ca or 604-328-4300.

Seaward Donates Kayak

Seaward Kayaks of Ladysmith, BC has donated an Aurora fiberglass kayak to the Georgia Strait Alliance as the grand prize this summer for its raffle to raise funds for marine conservation in the region. The raffle, including two other great prizes, will begin in mid-May, with tickets available at the Vancouver Island Paddlefest. The raffle will run till mid-September. For tickets, contact 250-753-3459, gsa@georgiastrait.org.

Moving Sea to Sky

In March, Don and Paula Jamieson, owners of Sea to Sky Kayaking School and Squamish Kayak and Adventure Center, made the big move to North Vancouver under the new name of Sea to Sky Kayak Center. After years of building their reputation in Squamish as river kayaking instructors, especially rolling experts, they are now more accessible to the urban paddler. The new location, at the mouth of the Seymour River, is an ideal spot to “try before you buy”. With moving water features just upstream and the ocean just downstream, ocean paddlers and river kayakers are able to get on the water from one location. The new Center offers a wide range of equipment, including top lines for whitewater kayakers, as well as equipment and accessories for sea kayakers. info@seatoskykayak.com, 604- 983-6663, www.seatoskykayak.com.

Playboating Wins Award

Playboating with Ken Whiting has just won “Best Professional” at the 21st Annual National Paddling Film Festival. A distinguished panel of kayaking professionals from across the USA judged and chose Playboating as the winner from 25 featured amateur, accomplished and professional entries, which included footage of rivers and seas from virtually every corner of the world. Playboating with Ken Whiting is an instructional video filmed by award-winning videographer, Chris Emerick, on the rivers of Canada and Chile. The video covers the 40 hottest playboating moves and is designed for novices, intermediates and experts: www.playboat.com.

Demo Day Upcoming

The North Sound Sea Kayaking Association’s 2004 Demo Day will be held May 22 from 10 am to 5 pm at Thornton Sullivan Park on Silver Lake, Everett, Washington. NSSKA has been promoting Kayaking in the Everett/Snohomish county area since 1985, with a wide cross-section of members with various levels of kayaking experience. The club has been sponsoring sea kayaking introductions to the general public for years and is sponsoring the Demo Day with local area kayak providers. For more infomation: http://nsseakayaker.homestead.com.

Anything but Dismal

A new event is being offered on the historic Dismal Swamp Canal, in southeastern VA and northeastern NC, called “Paddle for the Border”. The event is being hosted by the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, South Mills, NC; the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Suffolk, VA; and the City of Chesapeake Parks & Recreation Department, Chesapeake, VA. The 200th anniversary of the canal will be held in 2005. A maximum of 100 boats will participate in this historic event on a first-come pre-registration basis. A registration fee of $20 per person by April 16th will cover all costs, including an event T-shirt, lunch and shuttle service. For more info: www.dismalswamp.com and www.cityofchesapeake.net or call the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center (252- 771-8333) or the City of Chesapeake, Parks & Recreation Department (757-382-6411).

Paddle for the Presidency

A group of Colorado College Alumni are planning a mass-paddle of the entire Mississippi River this summer to encourage youth voting and participation in the political process. A non-partisan organization is organizing events along the entire course of the river involving local bands and entertainment and starting a coalition of youngvoters dedicated to registering their friends. Experienced paddlers are encouraged to come along to provide the desired visibility in event cities and to encourage media attention. Donations are welcome. For info contact Doug Vilsack, P4P Program Director, 515-991-3114, Colorado Springs, CO. www.paddle4president.org.

World’s Longest Paddle Marathon

The 6th Annual Yukon River Quest canoe & kayak race between Whitehorse and Dawson City, Yukon will start Wednesday, June 23rd, 2004. Entry deadline is May 26. Eleven teams have entered the race so far, five from England, two from the USA, three from Canada, plus a Canada/USA joint team. This is the longest endurance marathon canoe & kayak race in the world, a total of 742 km. (Where else can you paddle 24 hours a day?) The race begins in downtown Whitehorse at 12:30 using a LeMans style start. Competitors start on Main Street, race to First Avenue and down to the gravel bar in front of Yukon Government Building. There they will jump into their canoes and push off into the water. The trip to Dawson can be expected to take from three to five days. Nearly $15,000 cash is up for grabs. Yukon River Quest: dotjeff@aptalaska.net, 867-668-4630 or 867-333-5628, www.yukonriverquest.com.

New Whitewater Kayak Park

A $1.5 million whitewater and kayak park has opened on the Truckee River in the heart of Reno’s bustling downtown hotel- casino district. The park’s official grand opening is scheduled for May 2004 in conjunction with the inaugural Reno River Festival, May 14-16, which is being organized to celebrate the new unique park. The Reno River Festival will host a weekend of activities on the water and will bring together today’s top pros for free clinics and product demos. The whitewater course is a total of 2,600 feet long, rated a class 2 to 3 for difficulty and includes north and south channels that surround a city park on an island in the river. It features 11 “drop pools” and boulders for kayaking maneuvers, a slalom racing course, and flat rocks along the shores for easy river access and spectator seating. In addition to being open and free to the public, the whitewater park boasts pedestrian bridges to city streets, an amphitheater for concerts, open grass areas for picnics, food vendors and is a perfect compliment for Reno’s numerous annual festivals and special events. For more details about the Reno River Festival, see www.RenoRiverFestival.com or call 800- FOR-RENO (800-367-7366).

Offshore Oil and Gas?

While countries around the world have opened their doors to offshore oil and gas exploration, the coast of BC has been protected from these activities by a 30 year old federal moratorium. Now the federal government is considering whether to lift the moratorium to allow offshore oil and gas exploration. There are many risks to offshore oil and gas exploration, from the harm of seismic testing on fish and whales during exploration, to the chronic spills affecting birds and other wildlife during drilling.

Citizens who believe that jeopardizing BC’s coast is not worth the projected three and half years of oil supply that drilling might provide, can make their voices heard at upcoming review panel sessions or send in written comments. To participate in the panel review, people must submit their application ten days before each session.

Federal public review sessions: Queen Charlotte City (April 5-6); Masset (April 7); Lax Kw’alaams/Port Simpson (not confirmed); Prince Rupert (April 15-16); Kitkatla (April 17); Kitimat (April 20-21); Bella Coola (May 5-6); Alert Bay (May 7); Port Hardy (May 10-11); Vancouver (May 11-13); Victoria (May 13-14). For more on times and locations, and how to participate in person or in writing, see: www.moratoriumpublicreview.ca. For more info on this issue, see www.GeorgiaStrait.org and the Oil Free Coast Alliance’s website www.oilfreecoast.org.

Haida Nation Responds

The President of the Haida Nation, Guujaaw, has issued the following press statement on the Oil & Gas public process. “In 1985, the Haida House of Assembly passed a resolution that said no-offshore oil drilling would be considered until Haida Aboriginal Title was resolved. The Council of the Haida Nation, in consensus with the Haida All Leaders Process, strongly advises that Haida Citizens do not attend the BC Offshore Oil and Gas General Moratorium Meetings. The CHN has notified the provincial and federal governments that they must consult with and accommodate the Haida Nation. Public hearings are not an acceptable format. Public forums of the sort have only proven to accomplish the goals of the proponent. Every one of these processes so far have been tainted and bent for drilling. The Haida Nation is not an “interest” business group that should line up to be heard. If the province or the federal governments want to dialog with the Haida it must be done on a government-to-government basis. The Council of the Haida Nation will not attend these forums in any official capacity.”

Global Warming

It’s ironic that BC would be seeking oil and gas development at a time when fossil fuels are being recognized as being primarily responsible for global warming.

Despite a decade since the ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the problem is becoming worse.

“We have not made significant progress in curbing global warming in the last decade”, says Dr. Jonathan Pershing, director of World Resources Institute’s Climate, Energy and Pollution Program.“ (WRI is an environmental research and policy organization: www.wri.org/wri.)

“In fact, the latest scientific reports indicate that global warming is worseningPershing says. “We are quickly moving to the point where the damage will be irreversible. Unless we act now, the world will be locked into temperatures that would cause irreparable harm. To stabilize the atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases that lead to global warming, we must ultimately bring net emissions of these gases to near zero.”

Data from WRI’s Climate Analysis Indicators Tool indicate greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide rose 11 percent over the last decade, and are expected to grow another 50 percent by 2020. Studies indicate that the hottest years of the last 100 occurred since 1990, the date from which the UNFCCC measures countries’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Britain’s top scientist, Sir David King, has publicly warned that the most severe problem facing the world today is climate change. A recent report commissioned by the US Defense Department concluded that abrupt climate change from global warming could trigger war among states for food, water and energy, posing new threats to US national security. A study released in January in Nature magazine suggested that up to 37% of all species in several biologically diverse regions could be driven extinct from the climate change that is likely to occur between now and 2050.

In just the past 30 years, the average temperature in Alaska climbed more than 3 degrees C (5 degrees F), easily four times the global increase. Glaciers in all of Alaska’s 11 glaciated mountain ranges are shrinking. Since the mid-1990s, Alaskan glaciers have been thinning by 1.8 meters a year, more than three times as fast as during the preceding 40 years.

The global average temperature has climbed by 0.6 degrees C (1 degree F) in the past 25 years. Over this time period, melting of sea ice and mountain glaciers has increased dramatically. During this century, global temperature may rise between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees C, and melting will accelerate further. Just how much will depend in part on the energy policy choices made today. For more see “Glaciers and Sea Ice Endangered by Rising Temperatures”: www.earth-policy.org/Updates/Update32.htm.

But Localized Cooling?

The Earth’s warming is melting the Arctic ice cap by up to 15% per decade, and very cold, fresh melt-water is blocking the warmer water (fresh water floats on salt water) we usually get from the Gulf Stream—the warmer ocean water which travels up the Coast of North America from the Southern regions. If the Gulf Stream gets slowed too much or stops, the Eastern half of the US, Northern Europe, Siberia, etc. could enter another Ice Age abruptly. For more, see www.commondreams.org/views04/0130-11.htm, as well as The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight by Thom Hartmann.

Kyoto in Force for Europe

The European Union became a global leader in pushing forward the Kyoto Protocol, when the UN climate-change agreement formally entered into force for the bloc in March.

“As a strong bloc of soon-to-be 25 countries, the European Union has a special responsibility to show global leadership and pave the way for other countries to follow suit”, EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said.

The EU ratified the accord two years ago, but its full provisions enabling governments to monitor and report emissions levels only just came into force.

“Now we have adopted all the necessary EU legislation to carry out our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol,” said Wallstrom. www.unwire.org/News/328_426_13897.asp.

Canada has ratified Kyoto and Canada’s prime minister, Paul Martin, has expressed his commitment to the Protocol. Former US President Clinton signed the Protocol towards the end of his term but shortly after taking office, President Bush revoked the US signature—despite the fact that the US pumps out 24% of the world’s greenhouse gases. Russia has also refused to ratify the Protocol to date.

The 10th UN Conference on Climate Change will be held Dec. 6-17 in Argentina. Because the past five conferences have failed to get US and Russian agreement on climate change, the focus of this event will be on creating a fund for adjustments to the reality of global warming. See “Prepare for the Worst” at www.ipsnews.net/ interna.asp?idnews=22904.

Privatizing the Ocean

The aquaculture industry is working with US regulatory agencies to privatize parts of the ocean.

Open ocean aquaculture (OOA) is the practice of fish farming up to 200 miles off the coast. Various US government agencies, most notably National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, are currently aggressively pursuing OOA.

There are experimental and demonstration offshore fish operations going on in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and Texas. Commercial operations are already underway in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Later this year, NOAA is expected to submit its offshore aquaculture bill to Congress, to set up a policy framework for the widespread commercialization of OOA operations. If the bill is passed by Congress it could be a green light not only a brand new giant polluting industry, but a wholesale privatization of the Continental Shelf and an end to public stewardship over the oceans.

There are possible environmental risks associated with offshore aquaculture including fish escapes, transference of disease to wild fish, discharge of sewage, and unsustainable use of marine resources.

A major motivation behind the push for OOA is the growing opposition to coastal fish farms and resulting tough state regulations. By locating offshore, fish farming operations could escape state control. For example, it would be possible to locate farms three miles off Alaska, even though the state has banned fish farming to protect its hugely productive wild fisheries.

There should be a moratorium on commercial OOA development until national aquaculture legislation is adopted and comprehensive, open and transparent regulations are formalized. See www.iatp.org/fish.

Law Suit over Farmed Salmon

Two environmental groups have gone to court against 50 salmon farms, grocerychains and fish processors worldwide under California’s tough anti-toxics law, claiming that the businesses are failing to warn consumers of dangerous PCBs in farmed salmon. The 50 defendants named include farmed salmon producers in Canada and Europe, such as Marine Harvest, Panfish, Stolt Sea Farm, Heritage and Mainstream, as well as large US-based retailers such as Safeway, Kroger, Albertson’s and Costco. More details at www.ewg.org.

Wild Salmon

Only Willows Inn on beautiful Lummi Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands is one of the latest establishments to sign a pledge to serve wild salmon only. See www.willows-inn.com amd for more developments in the Wild Salmon Only movement see www.farmedanddangerous.org.

Salmon Farms Get Free Ride

The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) has asked the BC Auditor General for an investigation into the BC government’s decision to hand back fines levied against aquaculture companies for operating in violation of their fish farm tenures.

Documents obtained by Sierra Legal Defence Fund under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that most fines were never collected, and some fines that had been paid were actually returned to the companies. As well, the companies were excused from back rent owing and their rate of rent was reduced, resulting in at least $1.5 million being foregone by the province (at a time of massive public servant layoffs and cuts to public services in order to balance the budget).

The documents show that 54 fish farm sites were out of compliance. Instead of the salmon farming industry complying with government regulations and fines, the government seems to have bent over backwards to comply with the wishes of the salmon farming industry. The Auditor General is studying the matter. For more see www.GeorgiaStrait.org.

Environmental Crimes

For consideration of culpability in a wide range of examples of environmental degradation, check out an article entitled “Environmental Crimes: Profiting at the Earth’s Expense,” by Charles W. Schmidt:

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2004/112-2/ focus.html