178,000 Albertans Sign Petition Asking Government To Leave At Least One Thing For Their Grandchildren
A citizen petition to ban new coal mining in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes has collected enough signatures to move forward, creating the province’s most serious obstacle to resource development since basic geology.
Musician Corb Lund announced the campaign had surpassed the required 178,000 signatures after thousands of volunteers spent months convincing Albertans that drinking water may have value beyond serving as a temporary storage medium for mining runoff.
“People care deeply about protecting our headwaters, our Rocky Mountains, and our way of life,” said Lund, describing several assets economists estimate could be converted into quarterly profits.
Industry groups criticized the petition for relying on emotional arguments such as “having rivers” and “not poisoning them.”
If verified, the initiative could force the legislature to either ban new coal projects or hold a province-wide vote asking Albertans whether they would prefer clean water now or a heartfelt government apology in fifteen years.
At press time, officials confirmed they were exploring whether Alberta’s rivers could simply learn to tolerate selenium.
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