Nanaimo poll was wrong by large margin
Re: 鈥淧oll: Liberals have 12.5-point lead in Nanaimo byelection,鈥� Jan. 29; 鈥淢alcolmson wins decisively as NDP holds on to Nanaimo, Jan. 31.
The poll published in the sa国际传媒 predicted a 12.5-percentage-point sa国际传媒 Liberal victory, yet the NDP won by 9.2 percentage points. If the poll is accurate within 3.54 per cent 19鈯噒imes out of 20, how often would one expect it to be out by 21.7 percentage points? Maybe Mainstreet Research needs to review its polling methodology.
Jack Bradshaw
Comox
NDP wins with first-past-the-post
Re: 鈥淢alcolmson wins decisively as NDP holds on to Nanaimo,鈥� 鈥淥ne clear loser in key vote: Weaver鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Greens,鈥� column, Jan. 31.
The good news from this result is that we may get less bleating from the dippers regarding proportional representation. NDP candidate Sheila Malcolmson won with less than half the total vote.
And the comment by Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver in Les Leyne鈥檚 column that: 鈥淧eople are sick and tired of Nanaimo being known as an Orange town鈥� indicates that he needs to get out more. Nanaimo is a city, and those of us in the north end of it have the classy Michelle Stilwell (sa国际传媒 Liberal) as our provincial representative.
Jim Corder
Nanaimo
Notley鈥檚 comparison of鈯噑ewage is apt
Re: 鈥淰ictoria riles Alberta with support for oilpatch suit,鈥� Jan. 30.
How apt of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley to compare Alberta鈥檚 bitumen to Victoria鈥檚 sewage. Both are essentially sludge, with limited markets and a negative impact when they鈥檙e mixed with ocean water.
There are, however, some differences between the two products. For one, we in Victoria are actually doing something to treat ours. Second, we don鈥檛 delude ourselves into thinking that, contrary to all the laws of economics, the more we produce, the higher the price will be. And third, we don鈥檛 bully the federal government into building us a pipeline through the Rocky Mountains so we can load our output on ships and send it down the North Saskatchewan to be turned into fertilizer.
Although, come to think of鈯噄t鈯団��
Darwyn Stickle
Victoria
Going green to鈯噁eel鈯噂ood?
Re: 鈥淰ictoria riles Alberta with support for oilpatch suit,鈥� Jan. 30.
So Victoria is considering hiking its climate budget by $540,000 and planning to sue big oil and gas companies over climate change. This is nothing more than a public-relations stunt. Patching potholes and cutting down trees for priority bike lanes are within the city鈥檚 jurisdiction.
If Victoria and other regional politicians want to do something positive for the environment, why not figure out what to do with the glass and plastics that Victoria residents faithfully separate for recycling?
We probably feel good that plastic is recycled until we learn that the countries that receive the plastic from First World nations, such as Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, actually recycle nine per cent, incinerate 12 per cent and the remaining 79 per cent ends up in landfills or the natural environment, according to reports by Greenpeace, National Geographic and CBC Marketplace.
Wayne Cox
Saanichton
Put climate costs in financial statements
Re: 鈥淰ictoria riles Alberta with support for oilpatch suit,鈥� Jan. 30.
First: The article states that the lawsuit aims to 鈥渞ecover costs arising from climate change from major fossil fuel corporations.鈥�
Why recover these costs after the fact? Why not recognize them from the outset? Why not require major contributors to the costs arising from climate change to report their share in their financial statements as part of their cost of goods sold? Couldn鈥檛 climate scientists provide the data and tools necessary for the calculation? Couldn鈥檛 the 鈥渇ree market鈥� determine if the true cost of the product were worth paying?
Second: The majority of the article dwelt on the politically popular logical fallacy of the 鈥渘ot the point鈥� argument.
Rather than address the policy questions surrounding fossil-fuel use and climate-related impacts, attention was diverted to sewage treatment. Has the secretary general of the UN recently made a statement on sewage treatment that I missed?
Paul Brunckhurst
Victoria
City bought steel from the biggest polluter
Re: 鈥淰ictoria riles Alberta with support for oilpatch suit,鈥� Jan. 30.
I found the City of Victoria鈥檚 call to sue big oil and gas companies to be highly hypocritical.
The city, which purchased the steel for the construction of the new Johnson Street Bridge from China, the world鈥檚 largest polluter, is now concerned about climate change. China produces as much CO2 as the United States, India and Russia combined; 28鈯噋er cent of all CO2 generated is from China.
Victoria councillors would be better off putting their efforts to ensure the materials and goods they consume are sourced from environmentally ethical sources versus the cheapest source. And what about suing the airlines that pump CO2 directly into the upper atmosphere?
Where does the blaming and finger-pointing at others for our limitless consumption end?
Bruce Elliot
Central Saanich
Ottawa joins gang against Venezuela
Re: 鈥淨uiet Canadian diplomacy aided anti-Maduro effort,鈥� Jan. 27.
I am saddened that Ottawa will join the gang that would overthrow the government of Venezuela.
Venezuela has earnestly pursued a democratic socialist path.
Vast Venezuelan oil reserves are a key target of U.S. and multinational corporate designs. The power to tighten or loosen the spigot in Venezuela is a key to global oil profits.
From the late 1990s, Venezuela rode high on oil revenues, making socialist reforms easy. Life for the poor improved.
Oil revenues cushioned Venezuela鈥檚 errors and miscalculations, but in the world oil-price dip, things unravelled and stiff U.S. sanctions blocked remedies otherwise available through the global banking community.
To rally opposition among the middle classes and many of the poor, the Venezuelan private sector has held back medicine and food from ordinary outlets, putting them instead through a black market and thereby firing massive inflation.
There has been a mass exodus and warm welcomes for those who can afford to settle out of country. Poorer masses seek meagre relief back and forth across the borders.
If the Venezuelan military will not flip to the U.S., Venezuela will be hit with heavy U.S. air assaults followed by troop deployment from Colombia, NATO鈥檚 鈥渁ssociate member.鈥�
It is a dirty shame that sa国际传媒 is on board with this. We should be helping Venezuela, not helping to ruin it.
Dave Cursons
Cawston
Maduro鈥檚 backers are鈯嘾ictators
Re: 鈥淰enezuela鈥檚 Guaido is a usurper,鈥� letter, Jan. 30.
Recent letter writers condemned attempts to oust Nicolas Maduro as president of Venezuela.
A brief reading of news sources reveals that Maduro has stacked the supreme court, ignored the opposition-controlled legislature, ruined the economy, and unleashed thugs to beat up and kill protesters.
Inflation is 1.8 million per cent, health care is on the verge of collapse, crime is rife and people are starving. More than 10 per cent of the population has fled the country.
His only international supporters are Russia, China, Cuba, Iran and Nicaragua 鈥� dictatorships all. He is also supported by the heads of the Nicaraguan armed forces 鈥� by virtue of making them rich.
The letter-writers argue that Maduro should be removed by elections. It is well-documented that recent elections have been rigged and that Maduro has disqualified or locked up political opponents.
Perhaps future letter-writers should do some research before reflexively defending 鈥渟ocialism.鈥�
Edward Feher
Victoria
McCallum spoke truth鈯噒o power
Re: 鈥淢cCallum resigns as ambassador to China after remarks,鈥� Jan. 27.
The late American journalist and author Ambrose Bierce defined diplomacy as: 鈥淭he patriotic art of lying for one鈥檚 country.鈥� (The Devil鈥檚 Dictionary, 1911.)
John McCallum, the former ambassador to China, has so far been the only government official talking any sense about the arrest of the Huawei executive in sa国际传媒. Speaking truth to power. No wonder he had to go.
Ian MacDonell
Victoria
