Login / RegisterEconomist Mark Jaccard nervous about direct action to stop coal trains
Long-time SFU professor and environmental economist Mark Jaccard claims he’s “not feeling all that great” about the act of civil disobedience he says he’s been forced to partake in this weekend for the sake of future generations.
In a statement released today (May 3), Jaccard explained why he will go to White Rock with other protesters at dawn on Saturday (May 5), to block Burlington Northern Santa Fe coal trains from reaching Vancouver’s ports.
“I’ve worked hard in university to do a masters and a PhD in computer modelling of sustainable-energy policy,” Jaccard told the Straight by phone today. “I’m still an advisor right now to the California Energy Commission, because California is moving ahead. And I do work with people at Stanford University, who work in collaboration with departments of the U.S. government. But basically, North American politicians have backed away on this [climate change], and I just think that this is inexcusable.”
So after more than a quarter century at SFU, Jaccard is now turning to civil disobedience.
“All I will say is, I have no idea what will happen on Saturday,” Jaccard said. “But I think everybody should be doing this.”
Jaccard noted that he has tried to bring the dangers of climate change to the attention of leaders of “all political stripes” and he headed the B.C. Utilities Commission during the reign of NDP premier Glen Clark. He said he still holds out hope that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will seek him out for his advice.
“You never know,” Jaccard said. “So I don’t close the door on that.”
However, with policies like expanded pipelines and ramped-up tar sands production, according to Jaccard, “Stephen Harper is willingly searching for profits and political benefits at the expense of our children.”
Jaccard said he had not heard of a 2008 action in the north of England, which U.K. author George Monbiot referred to when he spoke to the Straight that year.
“They did one of the most daring actions I’ve seen for a very long time, where they dressed up as railway workers, learnt all the right track signals for stopping a train, stopped this coal train, boarded it and tipped all of the coal out on to the tracks,” Monbiot said in a sit-down interview in a coffee shop in his hometown in Wales.
“You expose yourself to potentially serious charges in doing this, so it was an incredibly brave action, but an action very clearly motivated by the recognition that, if you don’t do this and you don’t stop the burning of coal, then we have to contemplate the end of life as we know it. So in terms of the aims of the action, it was a very mild thing to do, but in terms of the way the law perceives it, it was a very dangerous thing to do.”
...and calling that extremism is wrong why? Pretty disgusting that someone who endorses fraud and vandalism as a method of societal problem-solving is teaching our kids.
He said, "with policies like expanded pipelines and ramped-up tar sands production, according to Jaccard, “Stephen Harper is willingly searching for profits and political benefits at the expense of our children.”
The extremism here is on Harper's side of the debate. Harper is the one putting profits ahead of the health and well being of every Canadian and others on the planet as well. When debate and discussion are shut down, all you have left is extreme activism. And that's what Harper is going to get. He and the oil barons may believe profits are the most important part of a society but most Canadians apparently don't.
Harper and his ilk need to rethink their plan and recognize the power of the people. Too many ordinary Canadians are willing to do what ever it takes to stop the centralized power of the few wealthy individuals who will gain from this ill conceived, environmentally disastrous plan. Unless Harper reconsiders the path he's chosen I fear we are in for a long, hot summer and then some. I for one will be doing anything I can to save Canada for my grandchildren and future generations.
The argument against coal is a very strong and important one, but doing things like this makes those who oppose you instantly tune out.
Consider those recent oil protests, or the occupy mob... would the minds you hope to change be more apt to listen to someone that is well spoken, willing to listen to what you had to say, willing to allow a bit of give and take, or someone pouring molasses on themselves at the art gallery that starts chanting slogans anytime you try to speak to them?
This partisanship sickens me; there are simply too many people, beliefs, and opinions in this world to think that yours are the best and that you and the rest of the world shouldn't settle for anything less. Make no mistake, that is the underlying issue here and with a vast majority of the world's other problems, and it happens on both sides of the so called political leanings.
Joudy, you're the one who has missed the point. What you've described is not justification for these actions, it's an arms race.
I think BC residents would be amazed at how much coal is shipped from our ports for burning elsewhere.
The BC Climate Initiative should be exposed for the farce it is. You can't walk the walk when you are the trafficker of carbon drugs. The atmosphere does not respect political boundaries.
BNSF is the largest carrier of coal in North America. The US ports are full to capacity and Prince Rupert's Ridley Island Terminals is ramping up its capacity. More Alberta coal will be diverted to Prince Rupert from Roberts Bank in Delta, BC to make way for US coal to be shipped and burned elsewhere via Roberts Bank.
I've worked with them and the one common mindset they hold is their contempt for "the little people". Even if millions of citizens protested peacefully, yes it's inconvenient and the powerful have to mouth empty promises but in the end, they powerful know that the people have to go home and it's business as usual.
In any group of people, there will be some who hold their ideology so dear that no amount of evidence, however compelling, will lead them to change their minds. As climate change most directly challenges extreme ideas of personal freedom and unfettered markets, it is this fringe that ends up in denial. And often the powerful and the decision makers are in this fringe group.
It's time for direct action. Climate change has been understood since the 1960s and the powerful have been given the opportunity to do something substantial for decades. They did absolutely nothing.
Violence? No, there are many non-violent direct action techniques. Gene Sharp in his famous book www.aeinstein.org/organizations/org/FDTD.pdf gives many non-violent direct action suggestions.
In fact, DOXA festival has some excellent films on the subject and I highly recommend them. For example, how to start a revolution - http://doxafestival.ca/festival/films/revolution.
Your "knowledge" of signal systems ignores the fact that on BNSF, as will most North American railways, all trains are in radio contact with a central control centre that has every train in front of them on a computer screen. If the controller thinks a signal has gone wonky and the rail is otherwise clear, he/she can give permission to the crew to run through the signal.
Regardless of how you want to attack the problem, stay away from the tracks. I don't care what happens to you or anyone else nutty enough to go along with your scheme. I do care about the lives of railway workers you could be putting at risk, and the several thousand tons of coal you may dump all over the BC countryside.
That british example was added for some reason by the writer at the straight - in fact above it said Jaccard had never heard of it.