Canada’s government has been talking tough about greens and their antics to delay big energy projects and inhibit the country’s ability to exploit its natural resources.
Joe Oliver, the natural resources minister wrote a tough letter and then it was leaked that the Prime Minister’s Office may be calling hippies an ‘enemy of the people of Canada.” All good red meat for folks who think global warming is a crock and that energy should be both abundant and cheap.
But the tough talk has turned out to be a good thing for the greens, as they report fund-raising is through the roof:
Environmental groups involved in the debate over Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway oilsands pipeline to the west coast report that donations have soared in recent weeks — especially after Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said U.S.-funded environmentalists and jet-setting celebrities are trying to hijack the regulatory hearings.
“We’ve seen an unprecedented surge of support,” said Emma Gilchrist of the Dogwood Initiative, a B.C.-based group which has received $12,000 in unsolicited donations since Oliver’s letter. “We’ve got checks that say, in the memo section, ‘Thanks to Joe Oliver.”‘
The Sierra Club warned its supporters in December that it could be a target during the Conservative government’s upcoming review of charitable status. “We got 100 per cent more than we hoped for,” said director John Bennett.
This is good news, oddly enough. Now that radical green groups have demonstrated that they are able to raise enough money to keep them in patchouli and lentil soup, they won’t be needing any tax-payer cash.
It’s rule 4 of Bayonetism:
4. Non-Governmental Organizations receive no tax-payer funds, ever. It’s the ‘Non’ part of being an NGO, see? If you don’t like it, go hug a tree.
Certain interests will fight tooth and nail to maintain this global warming scam. They have put all their bets on the CO2 horse and the chance of making billions off a .038% trace gas will never come again. Tax repeal is the worst nightmare to many politicians as well as admitting they were hoodwinked and fell for a illogical ponzi scheme. A good education has no bearing on either common sense or greed.
In Calgary, I read that response from the Sierraites a little differently: it is bluster. Perhaps they gained $500 instead of their expected $250?
Some spokesman, maybe a Suzuki-prole, said that Canadians support United Way, the Heart Fund etc., but do not support environmental groups well, which is why they go to the States. With 11X our population, even the one-fifth the American proportion of support as Canadian will bring in 2.2X as much as Canada by itself brings in. The proportion of rich elite who support the Canadian green movements are probably less than the American rich elite, also, as Canada is a resource-based nation more than a manufacturing or high-tech nation. I can imagine that Silicon Valley would be more green- & hippie-friendly than the oil, mining or forestry groups.
Our Minister’s shot-across-the-bow to the green group was well received out west, where we see a lot of American presence in our business on both sides. In some ways it was unfair, as the resources are going to the States, so the receivers have a moral reason to object to how they get what they get. Same as we complain about child labour in India for our running shoes. What is morally criminal, though, is the funding that comes from, say, American gas producers who seek to limit competition to their gas resources, not protect the “environment”.
It is terrible that full disclosure is needed for NGOs. We live in not just a litigious society but a society based on lying, deceit and double-dealing. But is that not the nature of human society? What Rome different? Is Britain different, now that we understand Blair thought the FOI legislation he brought in was the biggest mistake of his career and an obstacle to “good” governance?
There is little desire to cooperate and maximize society’s benefit where there is a real or potential reduction in personal benefit: this seems to be a lifeform problem. Primates with i-Phones are not the only self-interested species. Full disclosure seems to be the only way to minimize it, as even the liars don’t want to be admit their lying. Clinton couldn’t admit to getting a blow-job. Bush couldn’t admit that he was told there were no WMD in Iraq. Doesn’t matter the scale of the supposed error. Few of us seem able to admit that we have made one.
FOI acts and full disclosure. Liars cannot stand being found out as liars. It’s all ego. And regular folk can’t stand being associated with or assisting liars. It is one one human condition that says people are inherently worthy of respect. It is better to have less but respect than have more and no respect. If the Wall Street crowd were booed on the podium and in the streets, they would behave better. If Al Gore and Hansen were given raspberries and not ovations, they’d temper their statements.
The “good news” assumes that more money equals more results. More money usually means more paid junkets to conferences in exotic locations. More money means more morons being suckered and at least that is satisfying..
i guess that shows that they can be taken off the tax-exempt list and cut them off of taxpayer’s funds
Abso-freaking-lutely, cut the buggers off. I’m sick and tired of paying the freight for lobbying of the govt. Council of Canadians and all their compatriots can raise funds themselves. No cash? Too bad so sad…
Dear Past and Future Donors,
Did you hear? Barry Goldwater said, “. . . toilets are the Enemy of the People”. Show him who the real Enemy of the People is by putting $100 (Gold level) or $200 (Platinum level) or $500 (Columbium level) or $2 (Joe Biden level) in your toilet and flushing. Let Barry Goldwater, and other Evil, Reich-wing Rehuglikkans®, know that you can’t be fooled by their rhetoric: flush those dollars away for freedom and sensible environmental and economic standards.
Sincerely,
Your non-partisan friends at the Tax-Exempt Committee to Reelect Obama 2012.