Caribous or no caribous

The Big Wild referred in its latest newsletter to two articles that kind of aim for opposite goals - one to protect the caribou, the other one to simply not care about caribou for industry's sake.
 
The first article from Globe and Mail reports on the newly established Boreal Business Forum that will try to ensure that the 21 member companies of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) take actions towards meeting the goals of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. The (unfortunately only) three-year-agreement was signed last year and aims to protect much needed habitat for caribou and other species as well as to implement more sustainable wood harvesting practices.   


The nine companies that make up the forum are consumers of the FPAC's products. They include newspaper and magazine publishers, office supply retailers, and consumer products companies such as Kimberly-Clark; Lowes, Rona Inc., Office Depot; Axel Springer AG, Time Inc., The Globe and Mail and Hearst Corp.


From the article: The signing of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement “represented a historic milestone in the environment-forestry debate. But like many agreements, signing is not the end point – it’s the start,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, director of environmental strategy at Office Depot. “As a business that uses forest products from Canada … we look forward to working with [the signatories] to achieve the desired outcomes of the agreement,” Mr. Siddiqui said.

Let's hope for the best. 

Meanwhile in Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources, lead by the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, announced plans to exempt all industries from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for most of the caribou habitat in Ontario. This proposal, when enacted, would effectively remove all legal protections under the ESA for caribou. The Ministry is jeopardizing the recovery of caribou in Ontario and failing to uphold its North American-leading Endangered Species Act.   

There is nothing Honourable about that intention! First of all there should not be any exemptions to this act because it beats its whole purpose. Second, the North American-leading act makes me roll my eyes. I do not know the act in word and detail but it makes it sound to me that it's kept rather vaguely so to ensure no endangered species gets overly protected. Considering North American recklessness with nature - in the name of progress and economic growth of course - I wonder how hard it can be to be leading in any environmental issue in North America. Yes, I'm sarcastic again. This woman ought to be fired. Ontarians will shriek now that they don't need more unemployment and I wonder if this step of the ministry has something to do with getting certain industries back on track. Quote: Ontario has spent the last three years and significant public resources to create massive exemptions for industry instead of implementing the ESA to protect species and using the tools contained in the Act to assist with industry compliance. The Big Wild was therefore so kind as to pre-write a letter to Linda Jeffrey and you should click and sign it, too, now.