Businesses often suffer from external pressures and oppositions due to marginal analyses on whether a project may bring great benefits or even greater harm and costs; BC Hydro’s newest project currently faces this barrier. BC Hydro’s “$8-billion Site C hydroelectric megaproject” on the Peace River has met strong opposition from the First Nations. Arguments regarding the damage to wildlife and farmlands have been raised and currently BC Hydro is in a standstill with their proceedings; in a broader sense, there is a political debate regarding the social “utilities” and the harm to the First Nations people. Sadly, this debate shows little promise in satisfying both the First Nations people and the project’s intentions. The Canadian Court demands that BC Hydro demonstrate “both a compelling and substantial government objective” in order to proceed with the project and they justify their goals with the need for developments due to the “region’s growing population.” Inevitably, however, in fulfilling these hefty goals, the First Nations will suffer damage to their lifestyles.
The proposed dam site.
In business, while ethics are very important and should be taken into consideration, it is almost impossible to satisfy every opinion. Decisions ultimately involve sacrifices and businesses will often have to make sacrifices to pass entry barriers. Solutions have been offered in this debate, such as the ultimatum between building the dam or pursuing liquefied natural gas development; choosing one will mean forgoing the other, however, as seen in this ongoing debate, it is inevitable that both BC Hydro and the First Nations will suffer losses, one more than the other.
Websites:
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/First+Nation+chiefs+stage+Site+showdown/10215965/story.html