Over the Edge + September 22, 2010 news 3 Activists Rally for Marc Emery’s Freedom UNBC students raise awareness about Emery Case HANNA PETERSEN NEWS EDITOR UNBC students Justin Laurin and Rachel Bennett organized a protest on Saturday the 18" in support of Marc Emery, a Canadian policy reform advocate and founding member of the BC marijuana party. Emery, also known as the “Prince of Pot”, has fought for the legalization of marijuana for years. Emery was first arrested in 2005 by the Vancouver police by request of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for selling marijuana seeds through the mail to customers around the world which was a business he first started in 1995. Emery was again taken into custody in 2009 and on May 20'", 2010 he was deported to the United States where he was sentenced to five years in prison. Emery’s extradition was based on charges of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. In a plea deal, Marc Emery agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana in exchange for five years in prison, an outcome that could have been far more severe considering that US law considers one seed equal to one marijuana plant and a thousand plants would then equal a life sentence. Marc Emery has been one of the most vocal supporters of the marijuana industry in Canada for years, but Canadian authorities have never treated him as a serious threat and only arrested him by request from United States officials. Emery even advertised, sought media attention, and filed ONLINE SOURCE Emery and his wife proudly display their patronage taxes. Emery has been largely ignored by Canadian authorities. The decision to investigate and arrest Marc Emery was ultimately made across the border. “It’s political,” Laurin said of the situation. However, the DEA has continually denies that Emery’s arrest was politically motivated. “It’s politically motivated,” added Bennett, “the Canadian government never laid any charges, if they really wanted him in jail they could have arrested him.” Even though American authorities deny that Emery’s investigation and arrest were politically motivated, his arrest does raise questions over Canadian sovereignty. “The U.S. had no business coming over here,” Laurin stated. Nevertheless, Canadian Justice Minister Nicholson ruled in favour of Emery’s deportation to the United States. Emery’s plight attracts so much attention and support partly because it is so odd that a Canadian selling marijuana seeds through the mail is so sought after by the US government. While there are other criminal activities, like organized crime and opiate trafficking, occurring in the US and around the world, it is Marc Emery that brings the US war on drugs to Canada. A war that doesn’t seem to be faring too well. “Americans smoke twice as much weed as they do out in Holland where it’s legal. All the violence has nothing to do with pot,” says Bennett. The protest on the 18" included speeches on legalization, prizes and games, as well as a musical performance from local band The Bricks. “It’s just an awareness rally,” Bennett stated, “I want people to be aware of the situation and make their own decisions.” When discussing the protest Laurin added, “we have a point of view and we just want to put it out there.” The possibility exists that Emery may be able to serve part or all of his sentence in Canada, and US authorities have not entirely rejected the option. Save the P! Phosphorus: an important soil nutrient THOMAS CHENEY CONTRIBUTOR As | amin my first year of the graduate programme | should have gotten past the potty humour stage. Unfortunately that is not the case, but humour based on the periodic table is growing on me. However, Saving P is important and for two interconnected reasons. The first kind of P is named after the element Phosphorous. Phosphorous is used in plant rooting and also plays an important role in metabolism. Phosphorous also occurs in the bones and teeth of higher animals, such as ourselves. However, not all is well in the field of phosphorous. We are literally peeing it down the drain. Phosphorous is also lost through agricultural soil erosion due to intensive agriculture. The majority of the world’s phosphorous is found in several countries including China, the United States, Jordan, and Morocco, which makes the geographical distribution even more concentrated than that of oil. Phosphorous is a relatively rare resource. Rising population and greater demand for meat as the rest of the world becomes more affluent, is causing a dramatic increase in the demand for grain and subsequent demand for fertilizer. Phosphorous is a relatively rare element in soil, and thus it is often a limiting factor for plant growth in many soils. It is expected by 2040-50 that the geologic reserves of phosphorous will be unable to meet the demand. Unlike the case of oil and other fossil fuels, there are no substitutes for phosphorous. Thus, we need to “think” like an ecosystem and continuously recycle it. Luckily, the reuse of phosphorous is becoming fairly widespread in Europe. Already half of Europe’s waste stream of Phosphorous is recovered. Most of the phosphorous comes from dietary sources, read number one and number two, therefore developing sewage systems to recover the nutrients appears to be the primary solution. Managing soils in a manner which promotes the building of soil through composting and organic bio-intensive techniques may be one way to create a sustainable nutrient cycle. In any case, the tale of the phosphorous cycle proves that our society depends on living within ecological limits. Markets cannot by themselves create the natural materials that our society depends upon. There is no alternative to phosphorous, and thus the argument that human ingenuity can solve all environmental problems without questioning the dogma of economic growth and make- use-waste industrial system, is an idea as illogical as creation science. ONLINE SOURCE Who knew that this is what phosphorus looked like? Enbridge Pipepline Protest Follow-Up The Citizens of Prince George let Enbridge Know they are not welcome here HANNA PETERSEN NEWS EDITOR On September 8" at noon hundreds of people congregated at the steps of the courthouse in protest against Embridge Oil’s Northern Gateway Pipeline, a proposal by Embridge to construct twin petroleum product pipelines 1,170 kilometres between Brudenheim, Alberta and Kitimat, British Columbia. The congregation of people included individuals from every walk of life including families, students, and First Nations groups. The event began with mingling and passing out of free signs for participants to purport. The Nadleh First Nations and Carrier Sekani also had banners proudly on display. Signs that protestors carried included the phrases “Embridge is all about environmental damage” and “Beautiful BC, let’s keep it that way”. The protest coincided with the joint review panel being held within the Civic Centre, the destination of the march. The panel’s purpose is to assess the environmental effects of a purposed project and review it according to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the National Energy Board Act. On the 8" the panel was being held specifically to hear submissions on a draft list of issues, additional information Embridge should be required to file, and locations for future hearings. As more people gathered around the courthouse, the protest began its march toward the Civic centre. It was a march that included chanting, drumming, dancing, and singing, all in defiance of the environmental damage Embridge could reap. Volunteers in safety vests also ensured that protestors followed the flow of traffic, which was a smart plan as the number of demonstrators in attendance easily overtook the streets. The leaders of the march shouted into megaphones: “SHUT DOWN’ with the crowd responding “EMBRIDGE!” and “TAR SANDS!”. Protestor and UNBC student Gloria St John stated that “Water is the lifeline of humans, animals, and plants. If we put that at risk by allowing a company such as Embridge to come in, we sacrifice everything.” Another protestor, Silvia Morrison, added “This is wrong on so many levels.” Before commencing the speeches upon arriving at the Civic Centre, a new version of Pink Floyd’s “Hey Teacher’ was introduced which concluded with “Hey Embridge! Leave our land’s alone!” The speakers at the Civic Centre included many chiefs and leaders from First Nations communities across British Columbia and Alberta. There were even representatives from First Nations communities affected by such issues in the States. Each speaker began by paying respect to the Lheidli TEnneh nation whose traditional land encompasses the Civic Centre. Carrier Sekani Tribal Chief David Luggi began stating that the “joint panel review cannot evaluate our rights or our titles handed down from our ancestors.” Luggi then addressed the federal government expressing that “we pursue our objectives peacefully.” Luggi also acknowledged that the current environmental process is only beneficial for corporations and he urged for a reworking of environmental policy in BC and across the country. Tribal Chief Jackie Thomas made a striking point when she spoke out against the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. “Those crazy Americans said the oil in the gulf just disappeared. Things just don’t disappear,” she continued, “that was a pretty simple picture of the devastation these pipelines can cause.” Chief JackieThomas also made it clear that the salmon were not worth the money the government was desperate to make. The sentiment from the protest was a feeling of outrage for the overlook of indigenous rights to Prior and Informed Consent. Prior and Informed Consent is largely recognized internationally by human rights bodies as recognizing indigenous people’s right to give or withhold consent to development related issues pertaining traditional lands. “This is our law, our process, and our land. They have to come and talk to us,” Official spokesperson for the Schushwap Tribal Council, Wayne Christen, announced. “It is time that we stood together as one, it is time we come together with one voice.”