Comox Valley, March 18, 2013 – “Coal Not Required” is the theme of an upcoming youth-organized event at North Island College scheduled for Tuesday, April 2.
Speakers from the local organic farming, aquaculture and grassroots communities will answer audience questions and share their vision of what a sustainable economy in the Comox Valley can look like.
Event organizers and participants consider the proposed Raven coal mine an unacceptable risk to local food and water security, as well as the Valley’s reputation as a tourism destination and wildlife hotspot. Instead of opening a new coal mine that harkens back to the last century, they want the region to act as a leader for diverse local economies that profit from stewardship, not industrial resource extraction.
“The Comox Valley is literally perfectly situated for sustainable development,” says event organizer Vanessa Scott. “But can we have it all – clean water, healthy soil, small business diversity, wilderness and recreation, fresh air, abundant local food – and coal mining too? I don't think it fits. This event will share local views on how to best harness our resources while safeguarding the environments and character that make this place so unique.”
Panelists for Coal Not Required: Growing a Sustainable Economy in the Comox Valley include: Matthew Wright, Communications Manager for the BC Shellfish Growers’ Association; John Snyder, President of CoalWatch Comox Valley; local organic farming advocates Arzeena Hamir and Barbara Odegard; and Torrance Coste of the Wilderness Committee. In addition to the speakers and panelist Q&A, audiences will screen a short video produced by the Wilderness Committee titled Island Opposition to the Raven Coal Mine.
The event is hosted by local community organizers, including the North Island Students’ Union, and the Wilderness Committee. Coal Not Required is a free public event and will take place at the Stan Hagen Theatre at North Island College on Tues. April 2 from 4:30-6:30pm.