For more than 15 years, we have been working our butts off to save the spirit bear. While we’ve accomplished a lot, today I am asking for your help to assist us in taking the final steps to reach our goal.

Together, our efforts have resulted in the enactment of the largest land protection measure in the history of North America – a framework that permanently protects two-thirds of the spirit bear’s last intact ecosystem. I thank you for contributing to the largest youth environment network in the world and the most supported conservation initiative in Canadian history. The size and scope of our network have attracted international awareness through at least one mainstream or online media story everyday for more than a decade.

But there is still much, much more to be done, if we are to safeguard the gene pool of this fragile and globally important subspecies.

1. We must create meaningful sanctuary for the spirit bear, including: a) protection for the remainder of the spirit bear’s last intact global ecosystem and b) abolishing the coastal bear trophy hunt.

2. We must shift the route of the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline that will send oil tankers through spirit bear waters.

In the coming months, we are stepping up our efforts as the urgency to save this bear closes in. We need to make sure everyone is heard on this issue so, with your support, I personally commit to speaking to 500 schools and conducting 50 town halls. We want to engage hundreds of thousands of students globally by encouraging them to launch their own authentic and innovative social media campaigns to rally their peers on this issue. And we want to meet with every elected representative in British Columbia and Canada to ensure they know a balanced alternative is on the table that will save the bear without harming the economy.

But we can’t do it alone.

This holiday season, please consider making a donation of $50 to the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. Each and every dollar makes a difference. You can make a donation online or by sending a cheque to PO Box 91933 W. Vancouver, BC V7V 4S4.

You have always responded generously and passionately to our pleas for help. The timing has never been more important. And we can’t accomplish the goals we’ve set without the support of each of you.

I thank you for your consideration, for your ongoing support, and for your compassion for the spirit bear.

All my best to you and your family this holiday season,

Simon
—
D. Simon Jackson
Founder and Chairman, Spirit Bear Youth Coalition
www.spiritbearyouth.org

A new report released today shines a light on the dangers associated with Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway project which would send massive oil tankers through spirit bear waters for the first time. The report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Pembina Institute and Living Oceans Society, has also been endorsed by nine British Columbia organizations.

Canada is set to go to the polls for the third time in five years. But what will it mean for the environment and, specifically, for the spirit bear?

Politically-risky, but leadership-required policies on the environment appear to be a no-go zone for most of Canada’s major political parties.

Of course, for smaller parties, like the Greens, who are willing to be bold on the environment, well, with nothing to lose, not being risky would be risky.

It’s hard to believe that only three years ago, the environment was polling as the top policy issue in the country. Today, it barely registers in public opinion surveys.

Of course, the economic downturn of 2009 shifted the focus from long term planetary survival to short term family survival – that’s human nature and more than understandable.

The Liberals embracing the environment and subsequently receiving their worst electoral showing didn’t help the issue either (though that had more to do with the messenger than the message).

If 2008 was the environmental election, 2011 may well be the anti-environment election – at least on the national stage.
With a public still jittery about the health of the economy and political parties hypersensitive to a slide of even one percent in the polls, given the small margin for gains available to all, this is a campaign that will be dominated by the economy and leadership rhetoric.

That said, with most political observers believing that this election will render near identical results as the last election, every swing riding becomes that much more critical for every party as they search for elusive gains.

And in these few ridings, with an eye to getting out the vote, it is possible the environment could yet become a factor, albeit without the high profile of mainstream media coverage or questions in the leaders debate.

For starters, if the Conservatives are to win a narrow majority government – their best case scenario in this election – then they can ill afford to lose any seats, including Saanich-Gulf Islands, held by current Minister of State for Sports, Gary Lunn.

Once again Green Party leader Elizabeth May is trying to play the role of giant killer, taking on Lunn in her quest to find the Green’s their first elected Member of Parliament.

Though she failed to unseat Peter MacKay in a riding that was clearly a conservative stronghold in the last election, this time her chances are much improved for one reason: Gary Lunn always wins with a minority of votes.

The opposition vote in Saanich-Gulf Islands is divided between the Grits, the NDP and the Greens to the point where Lunn is usually elected with less than forty percent – one of the lowest winning percentages in the country.

While she’ll have to run against an NDP and a Liberal candidate (unlike last election), in this green-conscious riding, should May put forward a strong vision for environment that resonates on a local level, it is entirely possible she can do what no other ‘green’ (or Green) candidate has accomplished and convince the riding’s residents to vote strategically to give her the win.

Of course, environmentalists and so-called progressives have never had much success with the concept of strategic voting during a full-scale election campaign, but with a focused effort and one of their own to root for, this could be their best shot of success.

It also could be May’s last chance as leader, providing extra motivation for her supporters.

In Ontario, the 905 region will be a prime battle ground between the Liberals, fighting to hold their seats in their attempt to form a slim minority government, and the Tories, who, again, will be looking to make inroads toward a majority.
In this micro campaign, the environment could resonate with swing voters.

For years, this area has been ground zero in the battle for hearts and minds of citizens in the great oil sands debate.
On one side, you have small-c conservatives who are conservationists at heart and have a strong dislike for the “tar sands” – the brand created by the likes of Greenpeace who feel the environmental bar in this country can and should be raised.

On the other side, you have ethnic minorities and human rights champions who are beginning to embrace “ethical oil” – conservative commentator Ezra Levant’s re-branding of the oil sands that recognizes that this oil source is more ethical from an environmental and human rights stand point than the oil being imported from virtually everywhere else in the world.
The latter message has been adopted by the Tories, especially by Minister of Environment Peter Kent (not so coincidentally, an MP from the 905 region).

The Liberals are also in favour of the oil sands – and that could turn some votes away to the NDP or the Greens.
But they haven’t gone as far as the Tories in their embrace of the controversial oil source and the Grits have come out against the proposed Enbridge pipeline that would send crude from Alberta to the BC coast for shipment to China.

High profile environmental campaigns have targeted the 905 region in an attempt to create political pressure to stop the pipeline that would spur growth in the oil sands and potentially endanger the waters of the Great Bear Rainforest and the spirit bear, which inhabits the region.

Though this debate has become far too simplistic and is a tug of war for really only a handful of votes, it could be a determining motivational factor for enough voters to compose the margin of victory – or loss – in a few 905 seats.

There is also one other area – if you’re playing the long game – where the environment could gain profile, in this case, due to the election, not during it.

If the results do mirror those of 2008, this is likely the last election for most, if not all, of the current party leaders.
A leadership race within in all of Canada’s major political parties would be a once-in-a-decade-or-more opportunity to re-shape the political landscape.

Possible leaders in all parties – like the NDP’s Thomas Mulcair, the Liberal’s Justin Trudeau, and the Conservative’s (or former, in this case) Jim Prentice – are all dynamic candidates who have put forward innovative ideas on the environment.

Conservationists, fresh off playing an intriguing role within the BC Liberal leadership race (potentially having not elected Christy Clark, but strongly contributed to stopping the election of Kevin Falcon), might have their best shot of getting their supporters to become members of political parties so that they have a say in determining the leaders.

There is no question that of the current crop of leaders, environmental vision is lacking, but that doesn’t have to be the case in the next election.

So while the environment won’t be on the national campaign agenda, it could be a factor in individual races.

And those races will go a long way toward deciding if the next campaign does engage Canadians in a true debate on the state of our environment.