I find myself compelled to respond to Marie Wilson’s letter to you published in the June 24 edition of your paper (Fairy Creek land defenders must go).
In her letter, Wilson admits to never been to the site or the camps, claim the First Nations and logging companies have resolved the issue, and worries about the mess the land defenders will leave.
First, it is never a good plan to adjudicate a mess without seeing it for yourself. Secondly, there would not be so many First Nations and their elders participating in the blockade if there was an understanding between First Nations and the companies.
More importantly, regarding her concerns about importing concrete, has Wilson ever witnessed or is she at all concerned about the mess left behind after an area is clearcut or even selectively logged? I have.
The mess left behind by logging companies includes wide-scale damage to natural habitat, loss of species, destruction of the natural environment (trees eat harmful pollutants and turn them into clean air), the permanent loss of food sources for humans and other species, the loss of history (the entire south Island used to be covered in thousands of years old trees), forces wildlife to move closer to humans in search of food, and severely contaminates, and even changes the flow, of rivers and streams, affecting everything from the fisheries to the levels of CO2 in our air, and risks economic collapse when the resource is finally drained!.
What is worse, Ms. Wilson, some leftover cement that will eventually disintegrate and have grass growing up through it, or the ultimate loss of the resource as an economic generator (resource extraction and export has killed the economies of nations all around the world), along with permanent damage to this planet’s ability to sustain life?
Will Webster
Sooke
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