Natural ecosystems were worth protecting in 2007 – the election year – because they define us as a people.
In 2009, yeah, maybe not so much.
The 2007 Progressive Conservative election platform:
“Among our greatest sources of pride is our clean and beautiful natural environment. It defines us. It makes living here wonderful. It makes visiting here unforgettable. Our natural ecosystems are worth protecting for future generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
Also from the 2007 Tory election platform:
…enforce the provisions of the Sustainable Development Act regarding the responsible and sustainable development of our natural environment, ensuring that our resource development decisions address the full range of environmental, social and economic values and that workers, environmentalists, industry, communities, aboriginal peoples and others have a say in how our resources are managed. [Note: You actually have to have a sustainable development act that’s in force in order to enforce it.]
From 2009, the plan for massive steel erections in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as CBC describes it in their online story:
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams says he is willing to risk losing Gros Morne National Park's UNESCO world heritage status if the cost of preserving it is too high
-srbp-