Campaigns
One of Canada's most prominent environmental statutes is the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). In the 1970s Canada developed the Environmental Contaminants Act which served to regulate toxic substances throughout the 1970s and 80s.
Following a consultation period of numerous years, the Environmental Contaminants Act was to be updated. The CEPA was passed in 1988. As passed, CEPA 1988 contained a requirement for a five-year parliamentary review which began in 1994.
Following consultations and public hearings, the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development released the 1995 report, It’s About our Health.
In December of that year the government responded and committed to many of the recommendations of the...
The economy of the 21st century will necessarily need to be a green one. Those countries that take that notion to heart will be in the best economic position going forward. The idea that we can continue to consume more and more, year after year is neither sustainable nor desirable.
Talk of “green jobs” and “green products” is spreading, but a true transition to a sustainable economy will require government cooperation at all levels as well as innovation. In essence, all levels of governments have a role to play in fostering such a transition, while at the same time ensuring that it is fair and equitable to all members of society.
Sierra Club Canada is working to promote reducing our ecological footprint, while...
The manner in which we deal with our ''waste" is a key part of the foundation of a sustainable world. Isn't sustainability another word for balance? We must learn how to use the world's resources such as wood, rocks, metals and oil in a more balanced manner.
Waste diversion is critical to mitigating climate change. In Canada we use more energy in producing products and packaging (45%) than we use for driving (10%), heating, cooling and lighting our homes (20%), combined! Significantly, more than 60% of the solid waste stream is organic material: wood, paper, foodscraps and leaf and yard material. Degrading in a landfill with little/no oxygen, this organic material produces methane and other GHGs -- now thought to be 70 times more potent than CO2 over it...
The Issue - Climate Change
Global warming and the climate change which it will bring, with devastating effect, is amongst mankind's most imposing threats. The cause of global warming is increased greenhouse gases (GHG's) in the atmosphere, which have the effect of insulating the earth, causing raising temperatures. Greenhouse gas production is mainly as a result of the burning of fossils fuels, coal and oil for example, to produce energy. Energy we use to; extract, transport, manufacture, distribute and dispose of the items we consume.
Press Release detailing the connection between waste diversion and climate change.
Our Goal - Divert Waste, Save Energy to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Production
To reduce our greenhouse gas production we must, logically, reduce our use of fossil fuels. To do...
Fresh water in its many forms is an integral core of what most of us deem to be Canadian. From thundering rivers, mighty glaciers and the land of endless lakes - all as undeniably Canadian as maple syrup, hockey and universal health care in our imaginations. This comfortable image may no longer be assured. Looking at a map of our vast nation, Canada appears well endowed with water. Critically, though, less than half of Canada's fresh water is available for use by most Canadians. Sixty percent of our fresh water flows north toward the Arctic, while 85 percent of us live in a narrow band along Canada's southern border.
Canadians are now facing a new water reality. We can no longer take our water legacy for granted. Pollution, urban sprawl, overuse, and poor management are conspiring to...
ActionH2O seeks to harness a grassroots collective effort to develop new conservation and efficiency-based approaches to water management that are adopted by local governments. This bottom-up effort has HUGE potential to change how water is managed across the whole country! The goal of ActionH2O is to work with 20 cities and towns across Canada over the next 1½ years to identify locally relevant solutions and opportunities for action on water conservation.
The Action H2O website can be found here.
The average Canadian uses 329 Litres of water per day --3 times more water than the average European, and 8 times more water than the average U.K. citizen. In the world, we are second only to the U.S. in the amount of water we waste!
Historically, Canadians have felt that water is in abundant supply. In reality, 60% of Canada's freshwater drains to the north, while 85% of the population lives in a skinny area along our southern border. This “myth of abundance” is responsible for our wasteful water use practices, which are contributing to regular water shortages, problems with drinking water, and environmental decline. These consequences are now being compounded by climate change.
Typically, water managers have preferred to build dams, pipes, and pumps to transport water...
Sierra Club Canada is also actively engaged with the Water Guardians Network
(a coalition of environmental groups) in promoting strong regulations
to add teeth to the new Clean Water Act in Ontario. This Act was passed
in 2006 in response to the Walkerton Inquiry, where seven people died
from E. Coli in the local drinking water system. The Club is also
pushing for a strengthened Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and Canada-Ontario Agreement,
which are instruments designed to direct the clean up of the Great
Lakes and protect the basin’s ecosystem from pollution and contaminants.
Water Wizards
In 2007 Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter successfully developed and piloted this new water resource education program, "Water Wizards". It was accepted for curriculum by the PEI Department of Education, delivered to about 500 students in 6 elementary schools on PEI in early 2008, and received with lots of enthusiasm from students, teachers and administration. We established a good working relationship with watershed protection groups in central PEI, and presently have endorsement for this program from the Wheatley River, West River and Hunter River Watershed groups, the Environmental Coalition of PEI, the Cooper Institute, and the Council of Canadians.
The specific goals are to educate students from Grades 1-6 on the care and use of our water resources. The...
Sierra Club Canada – Atlantic Canada Chapter presents a page dedicated to everything you need to know about fracking. To accomplish this, we at the Sierra Club have created the Guide to Hydraulic Fracturing in Atlantic Canada. This guide outlines the fracking process, the risks fracking poses (to air, water, and our economy), as well as a look at fracking in the four Atlantic Provinces. Want to TAKE ACTION?Frack NO! Make your voice heard about plans to frack for oil on the West Coast of Newfoudland, near Gros Morne National ParkGather signatures for our petiton to ban the of import fracking waste into Nova Scotia - Deadline March 31st!Check out our fact sheet on the (non)-rules for fracking in New BrunswickPlease read on to learn more about fracking...What is Fracking...
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