The Green Party of Canada voted unanimously to launch a national campaign to overturn Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's approval of the Kinder Morgan pipeline project.

Vancouver Green Party city councillor Adriane Carr submitted a motion for an emergency resolution at a special general meeting held in Calgary, Alberta, on December 4.

The resolution was expanded to include campaigning against the approval of the TransCanada Energy East pipeline and to overturn the pro-Enbridge Line 3 pipeline decision made by the federal cabinet on November 29.

Members also voted to expand public discussion about climate change and pipelines to include the benefits of transitioning to a socially just, low-carbon renewable energy-based economy.

Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May also recently explained to the Georgia Straight why she is opposed to the Kinder Morgan pipeline.

Several politicians and public figures have denounced the approval, including the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs vice-president Bob Chamberlin, Vancouver Quadra Liberal MP Joyce Murray, and Mayor Gregor Robertson, who called the project "a direct threat to the city".

Carr previously held a town-hall meeting on November 30 to discuss the implications of the federal endorsement of the project.

Here is the full text of Carr's motion that she submitted at the Calgary meeting:

Emergency Resolution:

Action to Overturn the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain and Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Decisions and Oppose the TransCanada Energy East Pipeline

Submitter Name:

Adriane Carr

Co-Sponsored By:

The Vancouver Centre, Vancouver East and North Vancouver Electoral District Associations, representing over 700 Green Party of Canada members

Preamble

WHEREAS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Federal Cabinet approved Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project and Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Pipeline on November 29, 2016;

WHEREAS climate change is the biggest threat to our country, our planet and our children’s future;

WHEREAS the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain and Enbridge Line 3 pipeline decisions are not, as the Prime Minister claims, in the national interest, as they entrench the sunset fossil fuel industry instead of globally emerging low-carbon economy and makes it impossible for Canada to meet our Paris Climate Accord commitment to do our fair share to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GhGs) enough to keep global average temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius beyond which global warming becomes unstoppable and catastrophic in terms of its negative impacts on Canada’s communities, environment and economy;

WHEREAS, despite the Prime Minister saying he would not approve the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline if he thought it would harm the south coast environment, Kinder Morgan’s plans increase tanker traffic through the fragile, seismically active and navigationally hazardous Salish Sea from the current one tanker to ten tankers per week and pose extreme threat to the south coast’s environment as the vast majority of oil spills in restricted waters are caused by human error, human error cannot be eliminated and there is no known spill response or technology to clean up a diluted bitumen marine spill;

WHEREAS the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain and Enbridge Line 3 pipeline decisions were not based on scientific analysis of impacts on climate change or the environment, as the National Energy Board process did not allow submissions on full climate impacts nor, in the case of Kinder Morgan’s proposal, scientifically model a marine spill of diluted bitumen or provide scientific evidence related to the impacts, including noise, of increased oil tanker traffic on marine ecosystems especially including the endangered southern resident Orcas and wild fisheries upon which local livelihoods and cultures depend;

WHEREAS the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain and Enbridge Line 3 pipeline decisions betray the commitment of the Government of Canada which, on May 10, 2016, endorsed “without reservation” the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), including the clause that requires First Nations’ “free, prior and informed consent” regarding developments in their territories, yet the First Nations of the Salish Sea are adamantly opposed to the Kinder Morgan project;

WHEREAS the Ministerial Panel for the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project reported on November 1, 2016 that a question left unanswered by the National Energy Board’s consideration of Kinder Morgan’s proposal was: “Can construction of a new Trans Mountain Pipeline be reconciled with Canada’s climate change commitments?”

WHEREAS the public has not been adequately educated about accelerating climate change nor the threats related to expanding fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure, including the proposed TransCanada Energy East pipeline, nor the opportunities and benefits related to Canada rapidly transitioning to a low carbon, renewable energy-based economy.

Operative

BE IT RESOLVED that the Green Party of Canada conduct a robust nation-wide campaign to educate the public about accelerating climate change, the unmitigable negative impacts of Canada expanding fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure on global climate, our environment, our economy and relations with First Nations and the benefits related to Canada rapidly transitioning to a socially-just, low carbon, renewable energy-based economy;  

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Party, through this campaign, mobilize the public to fight to have the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain and Enbridge Line 3 decisions overturned;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Party, through this campaign, mobilize the public against approval of the TransCanada Energy East pipeline;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Party engage its members and Electoral District Associations in this campaign;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Party shall allocate adequate resources for this campaign.

Vancouver Green Party city councillor Adriane Carr