Inuit of Clyde River v Big Oil, a block to seismic testing

October 11, 2018 6:38 AM

How an Inuit community won against Big Oil (New Republic), in which the Clyde River community teamed up with Greenpeace Canada to forge a new relationship in the wake of Greenpeace's public apology for demonizing the traditional practice of seal hunting and won in Canada's Supreme Court to block seismic testing that would have had a ound impact on marine animals.
posted by filthy light thief (6 comments total)

A good friend was the Arctic Coordinator (I may have that title all wrong) for Greenpeace Canada during all this. I'll see if they care to join the discussion. Do we still grant free accounts in cases like this?
posted by Evstar at 8:26 AM on October 11, 2018

Nice to have some good news on this front for once.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:30 AM on October 11, 2018

(profound impact?)
posted by ODiV at 8:40 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

Nice to have some good news on this front for once.

Yes, especially in light of today's Supreme Court ruling.
posted by Evstar at 8:43 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

That's great news, filthy light thief--thank you for posting. I had missed Greenpeace's public apology about the seal hunt stuff too--glad to see that.

Re: today's Supreme Court ruling that Ottawa has no duty to consult with Indigenous people before drafting laws that might affect constitutionally protected Indigenous rights: That's awful news, Evstar. I'm currently teaching about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the 94 Calls to Action, so I guess next class we can talk about just how many Calls this ruling contravenes.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:49 AM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]

Sounds good. in Louisiana, we need stories like this. People in Louisiana like the United Houma Nation are not recognized for this very reason--companies lobby and have long lobbied USA Interior to not recognize previous intergovernmental, colonial agreements, or their sovereign rights, for fear that they would have to spend more money on government relations, or see projects be decided against, because fishing economies have to be valued.

I suppose the whole continent is trending towards Louisiana, lately, eh.

Nevertheless, a good story of how intellectuals and professionals with broad but shallow knowledge can do very good work-- if they just get out of their own way and work with local environmental experts. Locals who are most likely harvesters and farmers with narrow but deep knowledge--hewers of wood, drawers of water.

What you do about governments who prefer to act without knowledge, will probably take that unity, and more.
posted by eustatic at 11:42 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]