Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Richard Atwell, Jennifer Moore, Janine Bandcroft Mar. 10, 2014

This Week on GR

by C. L. Cook - Gorilla-Radio.com

When it comes to public infrastructure initiatives, Victoria is fast earning a reputation for suffering from severe policy constipation. With 13 municipalities, the Capital Region District, and both provincial and federal government interests to be satisfied, it's little wonder big-ticket projects have a hard time of either doing their business or getting off the throne.

Perhaps the most intransigent of these is the issue of what to do with our...issue. Every day, hundreds of thousands of litres of human waste, and the concomitant detritus of modern human habitation, flows into the sea around us. How that waste is treated, or not treated, is at the centre of a heated debate that has dragged on for decades, costing not only millions of dollars, but also stinking up the city's reputation.

Listen. Hear.

Richard Atwell is the director of STAG, or the Sewage Treatment Action Group, a collection of citizens promoting the R-I-T-E solution for our daily pollution; one that is: Respectful of communities; uses Innovative technologies; is Taxpayer friendly; and, Environmentally sound.

Richard Atwell looking for the right solution in the first half.

And; the international reputation of Canada-based extractive industries too stinks. In a necessarily environmentally disruptive business, companies flying our national flag seem to have made the worst of bad situations wherever they land. With charges of bribing local officials, ignoring what meagre local ecological protection statutes exist, and showing a pattern of disregard for worker safety and lethal disdain for human rights, the Maple Leaf means something very different for those viewing it from their embattled communities abroad. Worse though than all this is the Canadian government's support of the industry through instruments like the recently announced Canadian International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development, or CIIEID. 

Jennifer Moore is MiningWatch Canada's Latin America Program Coordinator, focusing on the Guatemala/Goldcorp campaign, and on supporting communities, organizations, and networks struggling with mining issues throughout Latin America.

Jen is too a freelance print and broadcast journalist, with many years experience writing social justice journalism, much of that done while living and working in Ecuador. During an extended stay in South America, from 2006 to 2010, she researched and wrote popular and academic articles about the struggles of indigenous and non-indigenous communities affected by Canadian-financed mining companies.

Jen Moore and Canada's extractive industries hitting the government hand-out mother lode in the second half.

And; Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will join us at the bottom of the hour to bring us newz of what's good and going on on our city's streets and beyond. But first, Richard Atwell and Victoria's failure to responsibly flush.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

G-Radio is dedicated to social justice, the environment, community, and providing a forum for people and issues not covered in the corporate media.