Sunday, January 22, 2012 - 21:54
First, I want to apologize in advance for the length of this blog. So much has happened over the past week I can’t be pithy!
I want to start by thanking everyone who sent kind and encouraging words this week via email, phone, Facebook and Twitter. I also want to congratulate the 1300+ of you who proudly declared themselves “radicals” in their letters to Joe Oliver. The response has really overwhelmed me.
The Insightful Comment of the Week Award came from Day #1 of the Northern Gateway Pipeline hearings and goes to Ellis Ross, Haisla Nation Chief, who said of Enbridge’s proposed pipeline: “No matter how idiot proof you make it, they just keep making better idiots”. I found this to be the ultimate precautionary statement, and a great way to...
Monday, January 9, 2012 - 18:59
The Federal Government is engaged in an unprecedented campaign to damage the credibility of the environmental movement. In the latest move, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver (apparently replacing Environment Minister Peter Kent as the chief anti-environmentalist government spokesperson) submitted an “open letter” to the media. In it, he links “radicals and environmental groups” and charges they are against everything.
As a father of three grown daughters and grandfather of one beautiful baby boy, I struggle with being called a radical. It’s true I work for a conservation organization. Sierra Club was founded in 1892 and has a long track record of drawing public attention to environmental issues and, perhaps more importantly, helping governments...
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 16:03
This is my last blog of the year so I want to begin by sincerely thanking you for being part of the most exciting year of my campaigning career. In 2011 we probably had one of highest participation rates for email campaigns in all of Canada. Again, thank you.
Today I want to tell you about a disturbing pattern emerging in the public dialogue on environmental issues that has the potential to do significant damage to the environmental movement and our ability to positively influence public opinion. Influencing public opinion, after all, is how we have achieved the great change in how the natural environment is viewed and treated, so it’s important to understand what is happening.
It first came to my attention when CBC reported a meeting between Alberta government officials and the oil...
Friday, December 9, 2011 - 16:03
This morning when I woke up, I saw that I received an email from Graham Saunders. Graham’s email really summarizes the situation in Durban succinctly and I wanted to share it with you.
If you haven’t already, please take a moment and send a message to the Prime Minister and Federal Environment Minister telling them to uphold Canada's reputation and do what's right in Durban! After reading the post below, I know you will!
– John Bennett, Executive Director, Sierra Club Canada
Setting the stage for climate chaos
By Graham Saunders
The Kyoto Agreement to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases became toast at the recent world meetings in Durban, South Africa. Yes, there’s some damage control with statements like “we have to take it to...
Monday, November 21, 2011 - 13:14
Finally we met the real Peter Kent. He made two very revealing public statements last week.
The first was in reaction to a couple of NDP MPs (including environment critic @MeganLeslieMP) who headed to Washington to promote action on climate change and suggest an alternative vision of Tar Sands development and energy security.
Kent called them "treacherous" for opposing “Canada’s economic interest". What's next? Are they also "un-Canadian"? How about "communist"?
Then on Thursday he told reporters the Canadian government is considering narrowing the focus of its main environmental assessment agency so it can accelerate reviews of major industrial projects, including Tar Sands and pipelines.
Up to now he and the government have...
Friday, October 14, 2011 - 09:51
We got the word last night. The federal government won't be funding the Canadian Environmental Network (CEN) any more. The network consists of 600 groups from coast to coast to coast.
The news came about the same time Heritage Minister James Moore tweeted the announcement of his new War of 1812 iPhone App - part of a $29 million program to celebrate a 200 year old war.
CEN is a coordinating body that doesn't take stands. It just helps environmental organizations network and facilitates communication with the federal government. It’s the very definition of non-partisan.
Don't be fooled. This isn't about austerity. It's vindictive petty politics - part of a systematic campaign by right-wing extremists to marginalize voices of the environment.
We recently...
Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 10:26
Read a national post on the flight this morning. Seems the latest non-issue in the Ontario election is a carbon tax. Conservatives are saying the Liberals will impose one.
Back in the in 2008 Prime Minister Harper said the Dion Green Shift, which proposed a carbon tax, would somehow "screw everybody".
If carbon taxes screw everybody why haven't the tax-cutting Conservative cut the $1.5 billion carbon tax Canadians are paying to the oil companies? Yes, that's right. Canadians are paying federal taxes so the government can hand the money over to those poor struggling oil companies.
Talisman, you may remember, used some of our carbon tax money to fund Canada's climate deniers - the "Friends of Science" (talk about Orwellian).
Interestingly the...
Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 15:52
Last week I was invited to Bruce County Council to talk about climate change and wind turbines. It's part of our green energy campaign.
Bruce County, you may know, is home to the Bruce Nuclear Power Station - Canada's only privately run nuclear reactors.
The speaker before me was a Bruce PR guy giving a "regular update". He described Bruce Power's response to the ongoing nuclear accident at Fukushima: Spending $11 million on a new public relations campaign, new website and social networking strategy.
They can afford it! The Harris government signed a secret contract with the company guaranteeing it a cool $250 million annual profit.
I wonder how much Japan is spending on its Fukushima response???
But back to my talk - it went really well. My presentation...
Friday, September 9, 2011 - 14:09
Dave Martin passed away, Friday, September 9, 2011. He was my friend and my colleague. He was a lot of people’s friend and colleague.
I first met Dave in 1979. He and his partner, Irene Kock, were among a handful of people who responded to a call for people to participate in the occupation of the Darlington Nuclear Reactor site.
I lead the training session of his “affinity group”. He’s been part of my affinity group ever since. We weren’t close then – but our lives just kept intersecting as we followed our separate paths.
His path, of course, was advocating a soft energy path for Canada. If they awarded doctorates in an advocacy, Dave would have received one. He and Irene renovated their home not to put in an Italian tile bathroom,...
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 - 13:12
Stop and take a quarter out of your pocket. Hold it in your hand while you read this blog.
At Sierra Club Canada, we’ve been working to protect the woodland caribou for over a decade – and last week was a bad one for the endangered caribou.
There is belief out there that laws protecting endangered species are arbitrary and draconian, and that they’re somehow stifling our economic growth.
Let me tell you a story. Endangered species jurisdiction is split between the feds and provinces. Why you might ask? You’ll be told because of the constitution. Now I might be a little jaded, but I believe the real reason is the drafters - politicians all - were aware that protecting the environment may require decisive action that might impact on the wishes of industrial...
