Our No Tanker Campaign seeks to protect the coastal waters of the Great Bear Rainforest from the threat of six proposed oil and gas projects. This campaign will address the expansion of the Alberta oil sands - the largest contributor to Canada’s global warming emissions

The Problem
It is critical that British Columbians act now to stop these proposed oil and gas projects and the tankers that threaten to ply our fragile coast. The risks are devastating and numerous:
-Climate change. Oil and gas tankers in BC facilitate the massive expansion of the Alberta oil sands, the single largest contributor to the growth of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions;
-The certainty of spills. Industry averages suggest that there would be a "moderate" spill of over 1,000 barrels every 6-7 years and a "major" spill of over 10,000 barrels every 16 years;
-The impossible clean-up. In ideal conditions the oil industry considers a 15% clean-up of spills a success, a target they have never actually achieved;
-The local ecology. Tankers would be travelling through grey whale migratory routes, passing over 650 salmon spawning rivers and through feeding grounds for humpback and orca whales. Over 20 threatened and endangered species would be negatively impacted by a spill;
-Jobs and communities. An oil spill would devastate the coastal communities and First Nations that rely on tourism and fishing for their livelihoods.

The Opportunity
Success in this campaign will be an important step towards radically changing the course of Canadian energy policy over the next ten years. Big oil in Alberta has yet to be served a defeat over a Global Warming related issue, but they also have never gone up against the BC environmental movement.

Over 22,000 people have already signed our petition calling for a legislated ban on tanker traffic and thousands of people have attended public meetings on the issue. Grassroots citizen groups, First Nations, fishery workers, tourist operators, celebrities, and many political leaders want keep our coast oil tanker free.

With both provincial and federal elections on the horizon now is the time to take this campaign to the next level and make it a top of mind issue for voters. In doing so, we not only protect our coast but put pressure on the dirtiest and most greenhouse gas intensive oil development in the world.

Campaign Goals
1. Stop the expansion of Tar Sands related oil and gas infrastructure development throughout BC.
2. Create a broad-based, grassroots network of citizens opposed to tankers in BC’s inside passage.
3. Strengthen the long standing government policy banning tankers in northern waters into a legislated federal moratorium.
4. Foster provincial regulation against new oil and gas infrastructure in BC’s coastal waters.

We are seeking $20,000 in support of these project goals. Please visit www.dogwoodinitiatve.org to donate.