Glory Hallelujah.
Two pieces of good news in one glorious day. I'm about to pop.
I don't know about you guys, but the Sandy catastrophes, back to
back, put me in the worst holiday funk. (Here in NYC, we haven't even
had a winter frost, and are about to cut down the majestic Conifer next to our house, in anticipation of an even higher category hurricane. The past 3 years, we've been hit by a tornado and 2 hurricanes, and Hannity keeps on telling his TV droids that global warming a liberal delusion.)
The second Sandy event is so tragic, I cannot bring myself to even write
about it now.
Then, low and behold, a bright note from the great Elizabeth Warren!
Immediately followed by the note below in my mailbox.
They say that whenever things seem too bleak to humanly bear, the Gods kick
in. And indeed they have:
AMAZING NEWS! The government of British Columbia announced today that Shell is withdrawing its plans to drill for gas in the Sacred Headwaters and that gas drilling is banned in the area. Yes that’s right, Shell is gone!
This is an incredible victory so please join us in celebrating this success! Your unwavering support for our Sacred Headwaters campaign was a game-changer.
Taking on big-energy giants like Shell is no easy feat. In fact, Shell rarely backs out of projects that serve its bottom line. This is the kind of challenge—high stakes and big adversaries—that ForestEthics thrives on. We make it our business to do the impossible and with your help, we did just that. Now the majesty and wildness of the Sacred Headwaters will not be scarred by thousands of Shell's gas wells.
Wins like this take patience and determination. Its been five years since we joined the fight alongside the First Nations and nearby communities—the people who rely on the pristine waters and wild salmon of the mighty Skeena, Nass and Stikine Rivers. They bravely battled Shell’s plans to drill more than 4,000 gas wells in the Sacred Headwaters. We wanted the world to hear the story of their struggle. So we reached out to you for help.
Time and time again you answered our calls to action. Your voice gave this campaign the momentum and power it needed to succeed. Nearly 100,000 of you, collectively, said “No” to dirty energy and fractured landscapes, and “Yes” to wild places, clean water, wild salmon, and jobs.
We brought your message to the British Columbia legislators and to Shell Canada's boardroom. We went global and told Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser at shareholders meetings in The Hague that Shell had to get out. It was a message the government and Shell could not ignore.
Today, after years of hard work and perseverance, the dream of protecting the Sacred Headwaters from Shell’s destructive plans has come true. Shell and the government of British Columbia listened to our voices by permanently protecting the Sacred Headwaters from gas drilling. Let’s relish this victory.
The Tahltan First Nation, on whose territory the Sacred Headwaters are found, were at the core of this battle. They were the first to look Shell in the eye, fearlessly draw a line in the sand, and stand up for the Sacred Headwaters. I have nothing but admiration for their courage and congratulate them and their downstream allies for uniting to defeat Shell’s plans.
This victory announcement today proves that when we unite, we create the world we want.
I am thrilled to be able to share this amazing day with you and proud of all that everyone did to make this victory possible. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Sincerely,
Karen Tam Wu
Senior Conservation Campaigner
Forest Ethics Advocacy
P.S. Join us in thanking the government of British Columbia for their part in getting Shell and gas drilling out of the Sacred Headwaters. We plan to deliver messages of thanks in 24 hours. Please take a moment right now to send your words of appreciation.
