Toban Black

An audio interview with Zak Nicholls, a human rights activist who lives in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.

Shale gas from fracking in the United States (and perhaps Ontario) will be used in Sarnia-Lambton’s Chemical Valley.

Nova Chemicals in October, 2011. Photo by Dallas Sinopole.

In this interview, Zak speaks about:
- Nova Chemicals, and how this company plans to use shale gas — for decades
- A related BioAmber facility which will be processing a substance that is similar to the GHB rape drug
- Labour concessions which are connected with these projects
- The Lambton Generating Station, and the possibility that it will be burning ‘natural’ gas (shale gas?) in the future

This recording is posted here.

Zak brings up issues like these through S.H.A.M.E.: Sarnia Hometown Activist Movement Emerging

This recording is the first part of two interviews about major news around Chemical Valley. The second part of these interviews is posted here.

These October 2011 interviews follow up a previous recording, in which Zak gives more background about the impacts around Chemical Valley, and community efforts to improve their situation.

Zak at an anti-fracking rally in London, Ontario.

Audio interviews with…

• Stacy and Leah, the organizers of A Walk to Remember the Victims of Asbestos
• Zak, a Sarnia resident who has been actively raising local environmental issues through S.H.A.M.E.

They speak about Canadian asbestos exports, victims of asbestos exposure, a history of asbestos around Sarnia-Lambton’s Chemical Valley, and other related topics.

(Note: I would have spoken with other speakers from the rally if it wasn’t so windy afterwards.)

Audio recordings from a Green Scams workshop, which was linked to local People’s Assembly for Climate Justice organizing -

Emissions intensity and GDP
Cortney spoke about climate change policies that officials in the most affluent nation-states have been supporting and promoting.

Organic agriculture
Sean discussed organic agriculture and consumer choices.

Cap and trade
Mike spoke about cap and trade policies.

‘Sustainable development’ and the Boreal Forest Agreement
Kota presented on compromised and anti-indigenous ‘sustainable development’ concepts. The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement is discussed as an example.

After each of the presentations, we collectively discussed these topics.

The climate bill image with Al Gore is from a Trillionaires for Bad Math protest.  We used it on our poster for the event.

I arranged, recorded, and edited the presentations.