Dear Greens,

Some years start off slowly, with the cold of January taking forever to pass, but 2010 was not one of them!  Activists have had plenty to keep us busy this winter— from climate change deniers, to nuclear waste, to prorogation, and much, much more.  It’s an incredible honour to lead this party at a time when we really can make a difference. 

I have so much to report on since the last edition of Pure Greenius! 

On December 18th, the Wall Government announced that they are adopting all of the recommendations of the Uranium Development Partnership Report, with the exception of the proposed large nuclear reactor. The Wall Government announced plans to enhance uranium mining and exploration in the province and to keep nuclear in the range of Saskatchewan’s future energy options.  They also announced their support for a nuclear centre of excellence at the U of S, including a research reactor that will be used to develop small reactor technology for use in nuclear powered mines and for powering remote communities, many of which have little or no access to emergency services.  The Wall Government’s Dec. 18th announcement also left Saskatchewan open as a possible site for a nuclear waste depository - during the public consultations on the UDP Report, the people of Saskatchewan overwhelmingly rejected a nuclear waste depository.  To comment on the Wall Government’s recent announcement, as well as to discuss the results of the Copenhagen climate negotiations, the GPS held a press conference on December 21st.  I am very disappointed in the Wall Government’s inability to listen to the people of this province.

 

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is calling on the Wall Government to urgently pass legislation prohibiting the transportation and/or storage of nuclear reactor waste across or within provincial boundaries, and to immediately put a moratorium on all nuclear development in the province, including nuclear reactors of any size, the advancement of nuclear research, and any new uranium mines.  It’s time to say no to nuclear, once and for all. 

Our hard work as non-nuclear activists has successfully kept Bruce Power’s large nuclear reactor from being built in Saskatchewan, but our work on that front is far from over.  Bruce Power has now taken their plans westward and is targeting Alberta as a site for their large scale nuclear reactor.  Peace River has been identified as a potential location.  The Alberta Government is making every effort to ensure the people of Alberta do not get to have a say in Bruce Power’s plans.  An imaginary line dividing our two provinces will not make much difference to the danger that comes with a nuclear reactor.  The people of Alberta need our help.  Please watch for future communication from me on this issue in the coming weeks and months.  There will also be a lot happening over the next while to stop Saskatchewan from becoming the site of a nuclear waste depository.  We need the help of concerned citizens everywhere to protect the people, animals, and ecosystems of Saskatchewan and Alberta from the nuclear industry.  Cameco has also recently ramped up uranium mining in our province at twice the previous rate.  As the only political party in Saskatchewan opposed to uranium mining, we need to tell our MLAs that the people and ecosystems of Northern Saskatchewan are more important than Cameco’s profit margin.  The effects of uranium mining hurt our people and our land, only Cameco benefits.  Leave the uranium in the ground! 

On January 23rd, I spoke at a rally to protest the prorogation of Parliament and to tell Stephen Harper to get back to work!  It was an amazing rally to be part of.  Approximately 400 - 500 people gathered in downtown Regina on a freezing cold afternoon to stand up for democracy.  Seeing so many proud Canadians standing in solidarity to make our voices heard gave me great hope for the future.  The Regina rally was one of many rallies held across the country that day to protest the prorogation of Parliament, proving that Canadians do care!  The support for proportional representation at the rally was overwhelming!  It’s time to change our electoral system to one that makes every vote count, and in can all start right here in Saskatchewan!  The Green Party of Saskatchewan is calling on the provincial government to adopt legislation that will discard our outdated “first-past-the-post” electoral system and replace it with a more democratically representative electoral system based on "proportional representation”. 

I am taking some really amazing classes at the University of Regina this semester, including Politics and the Media.  My term paper for the class will be a research paper on the Public Relations campaign to deny global warming.  This is a topic that needs all of our help to counteract the negative effects of propaganda put out by the American Petroleum Institute.  Their goal is to create doubt in people’s minds about the existence of global warming by using public relations techniques to confuse the public and create doubt.  There tactics are unfortunately working, even though there is zero doubt among the scientific community about the existence of global warming.  In fact, recent scientific studies reveal that the problem is getting worse than ever.  Runaway global warming is happening much faster than was expected, and so we can expect to see the oil and gas industry fund propaganda denying its existence and to pay scientists to tell their lies.  It is all so incredibly frustrating, especially since this is taking away from urgent work that needs to be done to prevent runaway global warming, but we must all work to stop this misinformation from confusing the public, leading to further inaction that will eventually kill us all for the sake of greed.  Watch for my full-length editorial about the Public Relations campaign to deny global warming in the next edition of Pure Greenius.  A plan of action will be sent to members in the coming weeks. 

I have enjoyed excellent media coverage in recent months, including radio, newspaper, television and online coverage.  The news section on our website will be updated shortly with press releases and media coverage from the past ten months. 

From February 16-19th, the Green Party of Saskatchewan was asked to be a community partner in the University of Regina’s ART Cares program, which is a program put on by the Department of Arts during reading week to encourage university students to become more involved in the community.  I worked with two amazing student volunteers for the week, and we concluded the week with a press conference to call for alternative solutions to the province’s coyote bounty.  Please refer to my full article on the coyote bounty in this edition of Pure Greenius.  We have received much appreciation from concerned citizens for making our voices heard on this issue. 

My work over the next two months will be to compile a grassroots policy document consisting of all policy resolutions passed by the membership since our party’s formation.  This will allow me to identify any holes or gaps in our existing policy, and to then issue a call for policy resolutions from the membership and the public, especially in those areas that I’ve identified the need for new policy.  Our tentative plans are to hold a policy convention in the summer of 2010 to adopt new policy resolutions.  By 2011, we will have an impressive and comprehensive policy document that is 100% grassroots! 

It’s hard to believe the 2010 AGM is fast approaching.  I can’t believe my first term as leader of the GPS is nearly done!  The Green party of Saskatchewan has experienced a high rate of turnover of our leaders in recent years.  When I made the decision to run for GPS Leader in 2009, I did so with the intention and willingness to stay on as GPS leader for the long-term in order to lead this party to victory in the 2011 election, so I will of course be running for re-election.  We desperately need Green voices in the Saskatchewan legislature.  Sometimes I wonder what will be left of our province by the end of the Wall Government’s first term.  I know we have a lot of work ahead of us, and I am excited to take this party to the next level.  We are the only socially and environmentally progressive political party in Saskatchewan, which means the people of this province are depending on us.  We won’t let them down!  Thank-you to the entire membership and all of our supporters for an amazing first year as Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan!  I hope to see you all at our AGM in Regina on May 8th.

In Solidarity,

Larissa Shasko