Goal: Clean up abandoned oil wells that lie inactive across the province before they become a catastrophe.
Nearly 170,000 oil wells across Alberta have been abandoned but never properly dealt with. More than half of them have not been safely closed, and the remained have yet to be reclaimed. Many of these wells have been inactive for over a decade, and the energy sector predicts more than 6,000 more will be shut down before the end of the year.
These inactive wells have caused $245 million in outstanding property taxes. To make matters even more dire, around 10% of these wells will leak toxic substances into the surrounding soil. Damage has already been noted by many landowners, and this is just the beginning.
Goal: Protect Crown Land in Westlock County, and keep it from being abused and destroyed by people.
In Westlock county, land owned by the federal or provincial governments, known as Crown land, is being abused by people who have no business being there. It is littered with garbage, debris, and other human waste that has been carelessly dumped. Even old appliances have been carelessly thrown there and left. Another major issue is the reckless campfires that are regularly used on the Crown land. This is especially concerning as the province enters a particularly dry year, and many people still burn fires with no regard for the danger.
Goal: Continue to protect grizzly bears and do not remove their “threatened” status.
The province of Alberta is considering removing the “threatened” status of grizzly bears and the accompanying protections. This would allow grizzly bears to be hunted once again and would also reduce legal repercussions for people who kill them in self-defense. If grizzly bears are no longer protected, their habit would no longer have the same protection, further threatening the species.
Grizzly bears have been protected since 2005 because their populations had decreased drastically due to hunting, poaching, and other human interference. In the last few years, the bears’ population has made a significant comeback. Because of this, Alberta is considering turning them from a magnificent creature that deserves our respect into an animal that is killed, abused and threatened for human entertainment and profit.
Goal: Ban pesticide and herbicide application to rural ditches.
Rural municipalities dump toxic chemicals into rural ditches in a futile attempt to control weeds and brush. This chemical concoction contaminates the ground and water year after year with unseen detrimental results.
Most of the herbicides and pesticides that are used are so hazardous that they require special certification to handle. These substances have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues such as infertility and miscarriages, attention deficit disorder (ADD), neurotoxicity, and endocrine disruption.
Similar health problems are caused in wildlife. Frogs, mammals, fish, and insects are all negatively affected by these chemicals, and it has damaged the singing ability of some birds. Even minuscule doses are sub-lethal to bees, causing issues with mobility, feeding, and navigation.
Goal: Ban the bounty offered on coyote furs.
Coyotes are erroneously viewed as a pest and are mercilessly slaughtered to reduce their population. Bounties are offered by local municipalities on each carcass recovered and this promotes the senseless killing of these misunderstood creatures. It is despicable to offer a cash prize for killing an animal, and bounties on coyotes must be stopped immediately.
The majority of coyotes are killed by farmers and landowners who are allowed to exterminate the animals all year with no restrictions. Most of the problems caused by coyotes in rural communities are the result of poor farm management, because coyotes are easily attracted by carrion and improperly disposed livestock carcasses are a main source of food. Having livestock give birth at unnatural times, such as during winter when the coyotes are more desperate for food, results in coyote interference with the newborn animals.