Not in our name (Canada & corps betray citizens, vets, climate)
{Project: basically a plea f/ donations, but a tale of how corrupt, anti-science, pro-corporation - esp oil & foreign corp Harper govt is. IOW, just like US GOP conservs}
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A film telling how a nation went to war against its own veterans and scientists, and kept its head in the tar sands on climate change.
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How many wrong decisions can one nation endure? Every week there's a new story that shows a shocking lack in judgment or ethics on the part of the government. It’s open season on the environment, on science, on the rights of veterans, and it shames us all.
cloud in the distance belches sulphur and nitrogen dioxide. (North of Fort McMurray, Alberta)
Media in disarray
Cuts to investigative journalism by most media outlets (including Canada's CBC, which has been decimated by recent government funding cuts) are allowing many stories to remain under-covered, or untold altogether.
Media consolidation has meant there are fewer voices reporting, with ever-tightening restrictions on what they can say. This is a critical threat to democracy, and it’s the principal motivation for this film. Independent voices must pick up the slack.
Science Abandoned
The Canadian tradition of being at the forefront of scientific research and innovation, critical to the nation’s prosperity, has been all but abandoned. The Harper government has pulled the plug on any science that doesn't conform to its specific oil and gas agenda, and it has effectively muzzled scientists by forbidding them from speaking out to the press.
Critical programs that monitored the melting arctic, smoke stack emissions, food inspections, water quality, oil spills and climate change have been systematically dismantled.
Hundreds of the world's scientists have written an open letter to the Harper government, voicing concerns over the inability to conduct basic research environmental and health issues, and other areas of science that should contribute to the public good.
It is a frivolous waste of taxpayers’ dollars to fund research only to have it repressed, causing decisions to be made without adequate data and information. This puts our citizens at risk, as it leaves us flying blind amid the dangers of increasing pollution and climate change.and other environmental hazards.
Our tradition of scientific prowess and innovation has been flushed down the toilet because of what scientific research is revealing -- the effects of our own country's destructive policies.
Canada at war with its own veterans
My grandfather fought with honour in the Second World War, and he received an adequate pension for his heroic contributions. However, since 2006 there has been an erosion of funding for veterans. The closure of nine offices has resulted in many veterans’ having to drive for as long as eight hours to receive support. The Harper government has also prioritized pageantry and photo ops over services to veterans. Lump sum payments have replaced lifelong pensions, leaving our soldiers with less.
Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino's tenure was mired in controversy -- from missing meetings and disrespecting veterans to callously turning his back on a veteran's wife who had come speak to him in person.Sadly his replacement is his biggest defender, and there has been no significant policy change since his resignation.
Veterans are left in need of treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), often leading to suicide. The number of Canadian soldiers who died in Afghanistan has now been exceeded by the number of soldiers who took their own lives, during or after the mission. Though these incidents have briefly captured the media’s attention, they are soon forgotten.
And in the worst betrayal of veterans it was disclosed the Harper government withheld 1.13 BILLION dollars of funds allocated for veterans and put it back into the treasury to balance the budget on the backs of our brave men and women in uniform.
If there is no law against that, there should be.
Tar sands = climate change
Stephen Harper was in New York on September 21 of this year, but decided not to attend the UN Climate Change Conference. It may have had something to do with the fact that Canada is listed 58th out of 61 on the list of countries dealing with the issue. Other studies have placed us dead last. Or that we conceal emissions data and ignore or remove environmental protections. Or that from Kyoto to Copenhagen, Canada has been a saboteur when it comes to dealing with CO2 reduction, and is commonly referred to internationally as a carbon criminal.
The Canadian government has spent over $40 million on TV commercials promoting the tar sands. Millions more have been wasted on American airwaves touting a "world class" environmental record.
They fail to mention that NAFTA is investigating how Canada is ignoring its own environmental laws: toxic leakage from gigantic tailings ponds is currently spewing eleven million litres a day of toxic liquid waste into the Athabasca river and surrounding ecosystems.
These heavy metals and hydrocarbons have been found to cause mutations in fish, and have been linked to an uptick in cancers and other illnesses amongst the Fort Chipewyan population. (Some of whom we plan to interview for the film)
Responsible resource development is important for Canadian prosperity, but allowing oil giants to pollute without limit is leading to tragic results.
The tar sands are set to triple in size over the coming years, ensuring the continued destruction of Canada's already fast-diminishing boreal forest. Top NASA scientist James Hansen has said that at this rate, it will be “game over” for Earth, as far as climate change goes. We don't know what Canada's scientists would have said -- most were fired or are unauthorized to speak out.
Tar sands tailings pond
Kinder Morgan vs the people
Texas oil giant KinderMorgan just had a judge rule in its favour against the citizens of Burnaby, British Columbia in a case involving pipeline expansion, even though the majority of citizens (including the mayor) are against it -- a clear example of industry's needs taking precedence over those of the people.
Initially, Kinder Morgan had claimed that it would twin an existing pipeline. Then it was revealed that with the federal government’s approval, the pipeline would traverse a completely different route, through Burnaby Mountain’s protected conservation areas. When Burnaby residents organized protests against the pipeline, Kinder Morgan brought lawsuits against some of them.
This legal action is obviously a bullying tactic, attempting to intimidate the citizens. [We have been involved in the protest, and it is worth noting that this heavy-handedness may be having the opposite effect. So far it seems to have only angered Burnaby residents and strengthened our resolve.]
The shocking resignation of Marc Eliesen (former CEO of BC Hydro) from his role as an intervenor in the National Energy Board’s approval process of the Trans Mountain Pipeline caught many by surprise. His letter of resignation described the hearings as a “public deception” and “fraudulent process”.
FIPA and foreign labour
You will often hear the argument that the oil and gas industry is creating many great high-paying jobs for the working Canadian. Though once true, a disturbing new trend is emerging . Recently, at the Sunrise tar sands site, the company was using cheaper foreign labour instead of experienced Canadian workers, leading to rampant safety violations. The unskilled workers were unable to read the instructions.
Also unsettling is the Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Trade Agreement (FIPA) that Harper just signed with China. This agreement, which half the members of his own Conservative Party vehemently oppose, favours China's needs over Canada's laws. It is binding for the next thirty-one years.
"Not in Our Name": the film
“Not in Our Name” (NION) will explore the axis of Industry, Media, and Government, which prioritizes corporate interests over the people's. The film will show how similar tactics are being employed in the US, Britain, Australia…leaders administering the instructions of the multinational corporations who bought them. They count the profits while we, society and the environment count the cost.
If we don't vigorously confront their stranglehold on our governments, we will have forever crossed the Rubicon, and there will be no turning back.
The footage in “Not In Our Name” will directly contrast the pristine natural beauty of Canada with the damage that has been caused by radically de-regulated industry. We will interview veterans from several theaters of war, and scientists from varied fields of research. We will capture the urgency of what's at stake.
For example, the desolate opening scene, set to an ominous sustained bass note, will be shot from a drone flying low and fast over a seemingly endless tailings pond. The drone climbs high revealing the epic scale of the sprawling tar sands. Cut to interview, and the many violations are systematically laid out for the world to see. Satiric commentary will counter-balance the bleak and often infuriating facts so that the film will be entertaining as well as packed with information.
NION will put all the disgrace in one place in hopes that it will serve as shock treatment for people who don't realize the full extent of what's going on, and a galvanizing force for those who do.
Timeline
The film will be released a month before the Canadian federal election in October, 2015. Because of the timeliness of the issues, this release date will help with promotion of the film. But more importantly, we hope to make sure that people are aware of the truth about this government, one that is not acting in the best interests of the people it was elected to serve.
We plan to submit NION to festivals around the world, and to seek as many viewing platforms as our resources will allow.
On the chance that the “Not In Our Name” Kickstarter campaign dramatically exceeds our funding expectations, we will be able to increase the film’s scope and power as we hire more people from the local Vancouver film industry to help us achieve greater impact.
Since there are no corporate underwriters it will be beholden only to the truth. Showing this truth in a cinematic context--a context that's powerful and easily shared--will help bring to an end the damage that has been done to our nation.
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Risks and challenges
Although it is not illegal to fly drones over a tailings pond, I don't doubt that we will be harassed by security or workers. Upgrading to professional drones that are long-range, programmable, and GPS-enabled will help minimize security run-ins.
Persuading scientists to speak freely could be a challenge, as their treatment by the Canadian government may have left them somewhat intimidated. But I am hopeful that their frustration and their need to be heard will outweigh their fear of reprisal. Veterans, on the other hand, are not as reticent. We already have one who is ready to share his story.
Making a film for $30,000 is definitely a challenge! But with careful management of our resources, we’re confident that it’s a challenge we can meet.
Finishing the project by Sept 2015 will mean an intense production schedule, but because much of the research has been completed, we can begin shooting footage as soon as we reach our funding goal.
We will work as hard as your contributions will allow. Thank you so much for your time. And please, be sure to TELL OTHERS about this project. We’re all in this together.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1916096034/not-in-our-name
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