Exxon’s CEO on Kearl tar sands lawsuit
Exxon Mobil (and by extension Imperial Oil, its Canadian subsidiary) is still denying climate change as demonstrated at the recent annual meeting of stakeholders.
However, we are having impact on getting the attention of the CEO, Rex Tillerson, who during an interview went out of his way to downplay problems with the Kearl Project and the Mackenzie Gas Project!
Read the Financial Post’s article.
Cool Cities Campaign Rolling Out – Activists Needed
Sierra Club Canada is rolling out its Cool Cities campaign and momentum is building with new city leads signing up and city updates being posted. The Cool Cities campaign is designed to address climate change in a very practical way by helping citizens play an active role in getting their own city or town to take action to combat climate change.
Check out www.coolcities.ca to see the new updates for Halifax and Ottawa and the new city lead for Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Experience is showing it is not hard to get started once you sign onto the site and that real results can be seen, really soon.
The Cool Cities campaign helps you create an instant campaign, with online tools that help you find other interested activists, easy stepwise campaign milestones, campaign-in-a-box resources, and an activists toolkit. Get a few people together or find other activists through www.coolcities.ca, use the resources and you will be making your city more cool in no time.
All you need to do to get started is to go to www.coolcities.ca, and register.
Endangered Species
Eight BC faith leaders joined Sierra Club BC on Biodiversity Day to urge the provincial government to enact strong legislation to protect endangered species.
In a letter to BC Premier Gordon Campbell, the leaders point out that BC has the highest number of endangered species of any Canadian province or territory. Yet it is one of only two provinces that do not have strong legal protection for at-risk species, which include the marbled murrelet, spotted owl, mountain caribou and dragonfly dancer. Only five per cent of BC’s 1,373 endangered species are legally protected.
“We believe that stand-alone legislation to protect BC’s threatened species will awaken a new reverence for life in this province, so that we may continue to celebrate our diversity and all life on Earth,” said Rev. Hilde J. Seal, President-elect of the BC Conference of the United Church of Canada. Other signatories to the letter included leaders from the Islamic, Jewish, Anglican and Buddhist faiths. Learn more.
You are invited to the SIERRA CLUB CANADA GRASSROOTS SUMMIT
Sierra Club Canada is planning a very special event for September 12-15 which will provide the opportunity for many of us—volunteers and staff—to gather as a family and talk. Sierra Club needs one-club dialogue, training and planning so that we can strengthen our grassroots as much as possible. The event’s objectives are to:
- Share successes and develop effective campaigns
- Benefit from mentoring opportunities
- Evaluate best practices, and plan strategically together
- Capitalize on regional and national opportunities such as our “Cool Cities” program
- Get some much-needed training
- Have some fun
Friday September 12 to Monday September 15, 2008
Location: The Haven Institute, Gabriola Island, BC
If you are an active volunteer with Sierra Club Canada – or would like to be – this event is for you! Join us, and learn what makes Sierra Club the effective organization that it is, and how you can help. This offer is open only to members in good standing, and there are limited spaces available.
Learn more here.
Register here .
Return to the Tar Sands! What are you doing for environmental justice this summer?
 Sierra Youth Coalition is organizing another amazing political activism bike trip.
Fill a water bottle full of polluted water in the Athabasca River and hand-deliver it to the oil executive of your choice in Calgary.
Join us for the 2008 bike trip to raise awareness on this most pressing issue! The tar sands are Canada's fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions, and at the current speed of development, could quickly become Canada's greatest contributor to climate change. It is also degrading Alberta's natural heritage with toxins and clearcutting, and posing serious health threats to communities in the region.
We will meet up in Edmonton on August 11th 2008 for pre-departure training and workshops (mandatory). The team will start the trip at Fort McMurray five days later and head to Calgary, approximately 1000 kilometres away. Arrival in Calgary is planned for September 3rd.
Are you planning a wedding?
 Give heartfelt meaning to your special day by making a donation on behalf of your guests in lieu of traditional wedding favours. It’s easy, and it’s green!
You can tell your guests of the gift you have made in their honour with individual place cards or simply by having the emcee inform everyone during the speeches. We would be happy to provide some sample wording or some templates to assist you in designing your favour.
While we do not require a minimum donation, we do suggest that couples donate the amount that they would have been spent on traditional favours.
For more information, please contact Tania Beriau by email, or by calling toll free at 1-888-8810-4204.
Wanted: Volunteer Translators
If you would like to volunteer your skills in translation (English to French), Sierra Club Canada’s campaigns would benefit from your time. Please contact cendrineh@sierraclub.ca
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Groups pan PM’s tour on climate change - May 27, 2008 - Halifax Chronicle Herald
Activists slam government as plan to save mountain caribou stumbles - May 1, 2008 - Globe and Mail
Development Friction - Oil Sands' - April 22, 2008 - Business News Network
Cool Books, Movies and Book marks
Here is where you can share interesting books, movies and websites. We would love to hear from you. Send your neat finds of inspiration, education, encouragement, and sheer pleasure to cendrineh@sierraclub.ca.
The World According to Monsanto (France, 2007, 1h 48mn)
Documentary by journalist Marie-Monique Robin (2007) details Monsanto’s approach to promoting genetically-modified organisms, and bovine-growth hormone world-wide.
It is worrisome that this company, holder of the patents for not only Agent Orange, but the pesticide Round-Up, and now nearly 90% of corn, soya, colza and transgenic cotton, wants to become the primary seed provider for the planet’s food. Worrisome, or rather alarming.
Meetings and Special Days
Saturday June 21
Hiking: Bromont Trails, Bromont, QC
Website www.skibromont.com
Description : This loop goes around the Mount Brome, offering views of the lake.
Distance : 14 km
Ascent : 130 m
Classification : Intermediate
Equipment: Food, water, etc
Driving Time :90 minutes
Car pool: 15 $ (non-member +$5.00)
Departure : Saturday 8 a.m Métro Lionel Groulx
Coordinator: Dave 514-279 0177
Description: This is a 5.5-6.5 hour hike to an alpine, rocky, 4,084 ft. peak southeast of Burlington, Vt. offering panoramic views. Swimming in Winooski River after the hike. Group limited to 12.
Total Distance: 7.4 milles/12 km.
Ascent: 2,645 ft. / 900 m.
Classification: Strenuous
Driving Time: 2.5 hours
Car pool : $25 (+$5 non-member)
Departure: 8 am Métro Lionel Groulx
Coordinator: George 514-989 8714
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