News Releases

Thousands of Canadians demand for Canada to go beyond coal
Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 11:38   |   Climate Change, Energy Onslaught, Atmosphere & Energy

OTTAWA - Over 5,000 letters demanding stricter greenhouse gas regulations for coal power in Canada were submitted during the public consultation period on federal coal regulations. Climate Action Network Canada believes that if incorporated into the proposed regulations, measures proposed in member submissions could insure that these regulations have a meaningful impact on Canada’s path towards a safer, more sustainable future.

Leading Canadian organizations are concerned that the proposed regulations, if not strengthened, will deliver only a 3 per cent improvement towards meeting Canada’s 2020 emissions target, and according to Environment Canada will have a “negligible impact” on non-polluting electricity generation.

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Another Conservative attack on the environment
Thursday, October 20, 2011 - 09:51   |   Ecosystems, Renewable Energy, Government, Nuclear-Free Canada, Atmosphere & Energy, Health & Environment, Protecting Biodiversity, Transition to Sustainable Economy

Media Release
October 20, 2011

Ottawa (20 Oct. 2011) - The Canadian Environmental Network (RCEN) received notice last week that it would not receive $547,000 in core funding that the government had previously said it intended to provide.

The RCEN has existed for more than three decades and includes more than 600 member organizations from across Canada. It provides valuable networking opportunities for grassroots organizations to share knowledge and strategies across this vast country.

Olivier Kolmel, the chairman of the organization's board of directors, said Ottawa did not give any warning that it would cut off its funding next year.

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Environmental Groups Urge Rejection of Revised Fish Lake Mine Proposal
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 - 13:53   |   Ecosystems, Water, Toxics, Health & Environment, Protecting Biodiversity, Transition to Sustainable Economy

VICTORIA and VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Taseko’s revised proposal for a Fish Lake gold and copper mine would be even more of “an environmental disaster” than the company’s original proposal and must be turned down for federal public review, 11 environmental groups said today.

The Canadian Environment Assessment Agency (CEAA) is scheduled to decide by November 7 whether to accept for review Taseko’s revised “New Prosperity Mine” project in B.C.’s interior--a project the company itself has said would wreak more damage than its first proposal. Taseko’s first $1 billion proposal was rejected by the federal government last November, following initial approval by the B.C. government. 

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Strong regulations needed to reduce greenhouse gases: report
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - 13:34   |   Alberta Tar Sands and Mackenzie River Delta, Climate Change, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught, Toxics, Government, Atmosphere & Energy

OTTAWA – The report released by the Environment Commissioner today clearly demonstrates two things: Strong regulations are needed to reduce greenhouse gases; and Canada is not keeping track of its own multi-billion dollar programs and therefore doesn’t know whether or not they are actually reducing greenhouse gases.

The report doesn’t come as a surprise to Sierra Club Canada. “The government obviously isn’t serious about reducing greenhouse gases. If it was, it wouldn’t have cancelled regulations on Canada’s biggest polluters,” said John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada.

The Commissioner’s report reveals Canada doesn’t even have a grasp of the extent of the emissions coming out of the Tar...

Canada Science and Technology Museum takes $50K from big oil to promote the Tar Sands to children!
Friday, September 30, 2011 - 14:23   |   Alberta Tar Sands and Mackenzie River Delta, Climate Change, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught, Atmosphere & Energy

OTTAWA – Sierra Club Canada questions the propriety of the Canada Science and Technology Museum to provide a venue for children to view Tar Sands propaganda from the oil industry. The exhibit, “Energy: Power to Choose”, was funded at least in-part by a $50,000 contribution from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
“The oil industry will stop at nothing in its relentless public relations campaign to blind Canadians from the truth about the Tar Sands and climate change,” said John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada. “Accepting payments from oil companies calls into question the Museum’s ethical judgment and intellectual honesty. It will undermine its reputation with the Canadian by appearing to...

Nobel Peace Laureates Call on Harper to Stop Tar Sands Expansion
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - 10:27   |   Alberta Tar Sands and Mackenzie River Delta, Climate Change, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught, Atmosphere & Energy, Health & Environment

OTTAWA - Eight Nobel Peace Laureates today sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling on him to ensure that Canada moves towards a clean energy future—and halts the expansion of the tar sands.

In their letter, the Laureates—which include Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa), Jody Williams (USA), President Ramos Horta (Timor) and Shirin Ebadi (Iran)—argue that it will take strong leadership to make the tough choices required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change.  They note that this is a “profoundly moral decision—one that deserves to be placed...

Replace spin with conservation in Crown of Continent say conservation groups
Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 15:29   |   Ecosystems, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught, Wilderness and Species Conservation, Alberta Grizzlies, Transition to Sustainable Economy

ALBERTA - Sierra Club Canada and the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition are maintaining that while it is important to have the Alberta Sustainable Resource Development’s Parliamentary Assistant, Evan Berger, representing the government today at the international Crown of the Continent Round Table in Polson, Montana, the province needs to replace its spin with actual conservation action, instead of the actions thwarting conservation in Alberta’s portion of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. 

“We’re calling on Alberta’s new premier come October 1st to expand the agreement signed by Premier Stelmach with Governor Schweitzer of Montana to include...

Moratorium on motorized access necessary for grizzly survival
Monday, September 19, 2011 - 10:20   |   Ecosystems, Alberta Grizzlies, Endangered Species

CALGARY -  Industrial and public motorized access routes in grizzly bear habitat greatly exceed thresholds recommended in the Alberta government’s official Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. This issue is so critical that several Alberta Conservation organizations are calling for an immediate moratorium on new roads.

“Now that grizzly hunting is on hold, the primary cause of bear deaths is too much contact between bears and people due to motorized access into their habitat,” says Wendy Francis, Program Director for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y). “Reducing this access will benefit not only grizzlies, but also...

Closing Down Water Monitoring in the North: Bad Idea, Bad Policy
Friday, August 26, 2011 - 12:24   |   Right to Water, Water, Water Quality, Water Conservation, Government, Industrial Water Consumption, Great Lakes, National Water Strategy, Health & Environment

OTTAWA – The federal government should reverse its decision to save money by closing down 21 of 23 water monitoring stations in the north.

"The arctic water monitoring system is our early warning system. The data tell us what is happening with water quality and pollution. Knowing what's in the water can prevent Walkerton like tragedies. The Prime Minister is right that development leads to pollution, but with the information from water monitoring stations in the north we can develop plans to minimize those impacts on public health, wildlife and the environment," said John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada.

Monitoring stations regularly measure physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, alkalinity, major ions, nutrients...

Pro-nuke Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission applies its rubber stamp once again
Thursday, August 25, 2011 - 13:49   |   Nuclear Phaseout, Nuclear Subsidies, Renewable Energy, Radioactive Waste, Nuclear-Free Canada

OTTAWA - The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) applied its automatic rubber stamp to yet another nuclear boondoggle today. It concluded a new nuclear reactor scheme proposed for the Darlington site “is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects” and is therefore OK to approve.

This shocking conclusion was arrived at despite the CNSC not knowing anything about the ultimate design of the proposed reactor. The Ontario government hasn’t chosen one yet!

"In our submission, I questioned the perceived bias of the CNSC panel tasked with making the decision. It included a nuclear engineer who worked for both...

            

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