Max talks about the conflict between the coal miners
and ecologists in the US. Here in Canada, there has
been a major conflict between loggers and ecologists,
particularly in BC where the forest industry is the
key to the provincial economy.
This has led to major problems for the NDP both
electorally and in policy making. The NDP relies
on the unions for both financial and electoral support
but also on ecologist for support and election
workers. The forest industry keeps yelling, if
you protect old growth forests and oppose clear
cutting you (the loggers) will lose your jobs. So
vote Liberal (the right-wing party currently> so
you can keep your jobs. (or federally, vote for
the unltra right Reform (sic) Party). As a result,
the NDP government which has done more for the
ecology (increased parks, introduced more forest
restrictions, etc.) than any other jurisdiction in
Canada, is teetering on the electoral edge, while
still being roundly condemned by the environmentalist
who would prefera right-wing ecological collapse to
gradual improvement in forest practice.
It is all very discouraging for us Red-Greens.
Paul Phillips
Economics,
University of Manitoba
