For Exercise #4:Documnetary Reflection 

January 11, 2026 By: Chelsea Brown

For Exercise #4:Documnetary Reflection 

The B.C. government approved the Ksi Lisims LNG project on Pearse Island despite opposition from several First Nations and environmental groups (Labbe). Supporters argue that it will create jobs and boost the economy, with an estimated $16.8 billion in GDP over 30 years, including $15.5 billion in B.C (Labbe). Some First Nations participated, while others have not (Labbe). Ministers Davidson and Dix claimed Indigenous rights impacts were “appropriately avoided, minimized, or otherwise accommodated” (Labbe). 

I oppose the KSI Lisims LNG project on Pearse Island and any project that involves fossil fuels, given the significant environmental risks they may entail. Jeremy Valeriote highlighted the risks to salmon, human health, and climate stability, and taxpayers could face costly subsidies (Labbe). Supporters of the Ksi Lisims project claim it will help Canada achieve energy independence from the U.S. Still, the U.S.-owned facility contradicts this claim, and critics warn that it could emit up to 30 megatons of carbon (Labbe). Renewable energy is cleaner, safer, and better respects Indigenous rights (Labbe). Rothwell, in How to Change the World: The Revolution Will Not Be Organized, explains that investing in fossil fuels commits Canada to environmentally harmful energy choices for “40 to 50 years, affecting both the environment and future generations” (Rothwell 7:00). 

I believe civil disobedience can be effective when it protects the environment for the future and is nonviolent toward humans and animals. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the E.L.F. helped me understand how civil disobedience has shaped environmentalism. While actions like building walls to keep out logging trucks, burning buildings, or climbing trees may seem extreme, the film shows that the situation was already extreme. One person who was not for logging or against forest logging said, “It’s more radical to try and save the last 5%, which is logging 95%” (Curry 00:27:00). The E.L.F. followed a “no harm to any life” rule, with the goal of protecting nature, not people (Curry 00:32:00). Destroying buildings involved in pollution and animal abuse stopped harmful activities in ways that “thousands of letters could not do” (Curry 00:32:00).

A more recent example is the Walbran Valley “tree sit” in British Columbia. Protesters put up a large wooden cougar to block logging trucks and called for permanent protection of ancient forests, “a place of high ecological and cultural significance” (CBC News). Their approach respected the goals of the Pacheedaht Nation and the B.C. government to prioritize ecological integrity with “limited, carefully managed forest harvesting” (CBC News). These examples show that nonviolent civil disobedience can be effective in protecting ecosystems and creating positive environmental change.

Works Cited

British Columbia. “B.C. Approves Environmental Certificate for Major LNG Terminal.” BIV.com, 10 Jan. 2025, https://www.biv.com/news/resources-agriculture/bc-approves-environmental-certificate-for-major-lng-terminal-11216368. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.

Curry, Marshall. Director, writer, producer, and Sam Cullman, Co-Director, Producer. “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.” 2011. Marshall Curry Productions, 1:25:40.

Rothwell, Jerry, director and writer. How to Change the World: The Revolution Will Not Be Organized. British Film Institute, 2015. YouTube, uploaded by George Hunsicker, 28 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-7saEKyThc.

“Walbran Cougar Camp: Logging Resumes.” CBC News, 9 Jan. 2026, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/walbran-cougar-camp-logging-resumes-9.6995575.