News Releases

#FAIL, says new report from Canada’s environment watchdog
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 14:16   |   Ecosystems, Energy Onslaught, Safe Food and Sustainable Agriculture, Wilderness and Species Conservation, Toxics, Government, Atmosphere & Energy, Health & Environment, Transition to Sustainable Economy

OTTAWA - The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development provides further evidence the federal government is failing to protect the environment, ^NOT meeting its climate change commitments and ^NOT cleaning up contaminated sites.

The reality is Canada will ^NOT meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emission target of 17% below 2005 emissions (it won’t come close with the current rate of expansion of the Tar Sands). Nor is there a plan (or the funding allocated) to clean-up thousands of toxic waste sites. Only a handful of contaminated sites out of...

"Black Out Speak Out" campaign launched by environmental groups
Sunday, May 6, 2012 - 16:44   |   Alberta Tar Sands and Mackenzie River Delta, Climate Change, Climate Summits, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught, Safe Food and Sustainable Agriculture, Wilderness and Species Conservation, Oceans, Protecting Marine Areas from the Threat of Oil and Gas Development, Trade and Environment, Government, Atmosphere & Energy, Health & Environment, Protecting Biodiversity, Transition to Sustainable Economy

#BlackOutSpeakOut

OTTAWA – According to a national campaign being launched Monday, May 7th by the country’s leading environmental organizations, the federal government’s war on nature and democracy means “Silence is no longer an option!” The campaign aims to force the Harper government to retreat and restore the environmental protection and democratic participation it recently gutted.

The Sierra Club Canada website will be blacked out on June 4, 2012 to protest the latest changes to environmental laws included in the federal budget. The black out is part of a national campaign called “Black Out Speak Out” (or using the Twitter Hashtag...

Healthy Beauty for Life Campaign Launched
Friday, April 20, 2012 - 14:40   |   none

OTTAWA - Sierra Club Canada Foundation is working with several manufacturers of non-toxic, natural cosmetics to encourage young women to live a healthier lifestyle by using eco-friendly beauty products. The Healthy Beauty for Life campaign will be distributing 200 non-toxic beauty kits across Canada, each containing a range of cosmetic products.

Every year women absorb hundreds of different chemicals using conventional, synthetic-based cosmetics which ultimately end up in the environment when they are...

What about the trailers? And why is Ontario footing the climate change bill?
Friday, April 13, 2012 - 11:40   |   Climate Change, CAFE Canada, Energy Onslaught, Atmosphere & Energy, Transition to Sustainable Economy

Sierra Club Canada welcomes long-overdue regulation of heavy trucks but another piecemeal move does not make up for the lack of a national climate plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To address the climate crisis the federal government must cap all industrial emissions and put policies and programs in place to help Canadian families and businesses reduce emissions.

“Emissions will continue to rise until Canada has a national plan. In the meantime piecemeal measures like the truck regulations will be rendered meaningless in the fight against climate change,” said John Bennett, Executive Director.

“The...

Radioactive Tritium: CNSC Gives Industry a Licence to Pollute
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 - 19:26   |   none

Ottawa – Fearing the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) will again put the interests of the industry ahead of the health and safety of Canadians, four environmental organizations – the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, Sierra Club Canada, Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County, and Safe and Green Energy (Peterborough) – held a press conference today to draw attention to an upcoming hearing on a re-licensing application by a tritium light manufacturer, Shield Source Inc. (SSI) of Peterborough, Ontario, and the CNSC’s refusal to bring tritium release standards up to date.

“Canadian allowable limits for...

Budget: Canadians have no say in environmental laws
Thursday, March 29, 2012 - 16:06   |   Ecosystems, Safe Food and Sustainable Agriculture, Wilderness and Species Conservation, Toxics, Government, Atmosphere & Energy, Health & Environment, Protecting Biodiversity, Transition to Sustainable Economy

OTTAWA- Canadians are less able to protect our water, air and land because of changes to environmental law outlined in today’s federal budget.

The key change, essentially speeding up environmental reviews of mega-projects, will greatly hurt the public's ability to participate in future processes.

“Environmental assessments need to be thorough, consultative and science-based.” said John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada. “Creating hard-time limits and rushing the process compromises all these things.”

The changes will result in weaker environmental assessments and projects being approved without a full understanding of the social, economic and environmental impacts they will have.

...

The International Upper Great Lakes Study Board released their Final Report today
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 - 09:33   |   Water, Great Lakes

The Study has found a previously unrecognized 5.8% increase in the outflow from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River - equivalent to three times the amount of the Chicago diversion. Surely the IJC will recognize this as a breach of the Boundary Waters Treaty, the reason the IJC was formed in 1909. Analyzing the revised St. Clair River flow data provided by the Study Board, Sierra Club Ontario determined that 200cm/s flow was missing. That missing amount resulted in incorrect calculations and conclusions. In fact, the 5.8% increased flow in the St. Clair River is probably 10%. Lakes Michigan/Huron/Georgian Bay water levels have hovered near record lows for an unprecedented 13 years while Lakes St. Clair and Erie have been rising.

...

Federal Budget - Sierra Club Canada will be available for comment
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 - 09:16   |   none

MEDIA ADVISORY - John Bennett, Executive Director, Sierra Club Canada will be available for comment on any changes made to the Fisheries Act, Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Species at Risk Act or other actions in the federal budget impacting environmental regulation or programs.

When: After federal budget presentation: Thursday, March 29th 2012 at 4:00 pm or when the minister’s speech begins.

Where: Railroad Room

For More Information Contact:
John Bennett, Executive Director
Sierra Club Canada
613-291-6888
Twitter: @JohnBennett

Environmental groups launch court challenge over Lower Churchill Generation Project
Friday, March 16, 2012 - 20:16   |   Ecosystems, Renewable Energy, Atmosphere & Energy, Transition to Sustainable Economy

Media Release, March 16, 2012

VANCOUVER— The Government of Canada’s endorsement of the Lower Churchill Generation Project is unlawful and will be challenged in the Federal Court, environmental groups said today.

Grand Riverkeeper Labrador Inc. and Sierra Club Canada — represented by Ecojustice lawyers — filed a judicial review application with the Federal Court in December, on grounds that the joint review panel’s environmental assessment was unlawful,...

Environmental Assessment Report needs an environmental assessment
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 - 16:34   |   none

OTTAWA -The federal government handed industry everything it wanted with its report on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act which, if implemented, will deprive Canadians of their democratic right to participate in decisions affecting them and their children. The report was issued by the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development after holding a series of hurried hearings last year.

“I was given only a few days’ notice to testify,” said John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra...

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