Jean Charest speaks environmental sense and aboriginal respect
July 3, 2009 · By Charles Anthony
While visiting Paris, Jean Charest publicly responded to snobby French criticism of the Hydro-Quebec’s future plans to develop la riviere Romaine. The basis of the criticism is two-fold:
- building a dam will flood the terrain and damage the environment
- the aboriginal population is being bought off and by implication exploited
This French critic also has to demonstrate his economic ignorance and naive socialist bias by making a jab at the Americans:
La compagnie Hydro-Québec est une multinationale caractéristique du grand capitalisme, avec des intérêts à la fois au Québec et aux Etats-Unis. Son projet consiste, à partir de 2009, dans la construction de quatre barrages en vue de la production d’électricité qui sera vendue directement aux Etats-Unis, grand consommateur d’énergie (fossile ou naturelle).
Toc! Toc! M. Clezio?!? La nationalite des consommateurs d’electricite ne fait aucune difference ni a l’environnement ni aux autochtones, voyons-donc.
I think that high-falutin French Nobel Prize winner is just jealous of Quebeckers. I am jealous of Quebeckers. The poorest Quebecker or aboriginal has the opportunity to freely enjoy a huge amount of prestine and uninhabited land that no European will ever see without crossing the ocean. This proposed hydro-electric project is going to make a tiny difference to the environment in the long run. Most importantly, the value of the environmental damage should only be judged by the humans who occupy the land in question. Esoteric hypotheses of how future generations of mankind will be effected are boring irrelevent nonsense that belong in poetry circles.
Jean Charest’s response is very clever and to the point. He basically admits what no environmentalist will admit: humans can not live without making a foot-print on the environment. With respect to the native populations being bought out, Charest says they deserve the respect to make such decisions on their own. If the natives accept money in return for land, that is their right.
I think Jean Charest has just made a great stride for the environmental movement by responding in such basic terms. The first thing that matters in discussing environmental issues is property rights.
If you ask me, the only thing that is wrong with this project is that the Quebec government is buying off the natives with money they do not rightfully own: taxes.
I have voted for Jean Charest every time he has run. The man is indeed brilliant but is too much of a recluse.
It should also be noted that hydro Quebec is a nationalized energy company and managed well enough to give us the lowest electricity rates (BY FAR!) in North America.