Media Releases

No place for climate deniers in government

Posted on June 9, 2014

Sierra Club Canada
Media Release, June 9, 2014

OTTAWA -- Sierra Club Canada is calling upon Tim Hudak's Ontario Progressive Conservative Party to clarify its position on climate change after Carleton-Mississippi Mills incumbent MPP Jack MacLaren denied climate change was “human-caused” or “man-made” at two local debates last week.

“Ontario is recognized for taking serious action on climate change by closing its coal-fired power plants," said Chris Ball, President of Sierra Club Canada. “Voters have a right to know if Mr. MacLaren’s climate change denying remarks are party policy.”

Mr. MacLaren made his remarks during two separate all-candidates’ meetings last week in the riding of Carleton-Mississippi Mills. To date, his party has made no attempt to clarify whether his opinion will inform policy should his party form the government after the election.

Groups, First Nations demand a stop to oil and gas activities in the Gulf

Posted on June 7, 2014
MEDIA RELEASE, June 9, 2014

Groups and First Nations in five provinces demand a stop to oil and gas activities in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; Oceans’ Week starts with call for Gulf-wide moratorium and arms-length review panel

Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, June 9, 2014 – Fishermen, environmentalists, First Nations, and others kicked off International Oceans’ Week with a demand to the federal, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick and Quebec governments to immediately place a moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration and development in the entire Gulf of St. Lawrence. They followed up with a call for an independent Gulf-wide review panel with thorough public consultations on whether offshore oil and gas activities should ever be allowed to proceed in the Gulf.

New rules won't stop spills

Posted on May 13, 2014
Media Release, May 13, 2014

Sierra Club Canada Foundation welcomes any improvements in the industry’s handling of oil, but the announcement today won’t prevent more disasters, leaks or spills.

Canadians should note that as the amount of oil transported by truck, train and/or pipeline increases, the number of disasters, leaks and spills will too.

John Bennett, National Program Director
Sierra Club Canada Foundation
1510-1 Nicholas Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7
Tel: 613-291-6888
jb@sierraclub.ca
John on Twitter / Bennett Blog

RELATED:

Allowing oil and gas activity off western NL proves offshore board cannot say no to oil industry

Posted on May 6, 2014
Media Release, May 6, 2014

Pour la version française, cliquez ici. 

The Sierra Club Canada Foundation and Save Our Seas and Shores are condemning the Newfoundland offshore board’s decision to allow the oil and gas industry to gain a toehold in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board released the results of a Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Western Newfoundland May 5th.

Canada not ready for shale gas

Posted on May 1, 2014
MEDIA RELEASE, May 1, 2014

OTTAWA -- The Canadian Council of Academies report: “Environmental Impacts of Shale Gas Extraction in Canada” concludes that much more needs to be known before allowing the rapid expansion of shale gas development across Canada. The government does not know enough to adequately protect Canadians from the potential environmental, health and socioeconomic impacts, the report found.

“We feel vindicated by this report. The Council looked at the issues and identified the same threats and lack of information we did,” said Sierra Club of Canada Foundation's John Bennett.

The report confirms that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) threatens ground water, surface water, increases local air pollution, leads to natural gas leaking in to the atmosphere, treads on Aboriginal rights and disrupts local communities.

Sierra Club Looking Forward to New Fracking Report

Posted on April 29, 2014
MEDIA RELEASE, April 29, 2014

Sierra Club Canada Foundation is looking forward to the release of a report on fracking, due out this week. The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) was commissioned by Environment Canada to determine what role – if any – the federal government has in regulating the industry.

“We know that fracking involves injecting a secret cocktail of chemicals into the ground and that industry's own data shows their wells leak," said Gretchen Fitzgerald, Director of the Atlantic Canada Chapter of Sierra Club. "We hope the CCA closely examined all available evidence while preparing this important report."

THE TIME HAS COME

Posted on April 24, 2014
Sierra Club Canada Foundation congratulates CBC for new conflict of interest rules

MEDIA RELEASE 
April 24, 2014

Sierra Club Canada Foundation congratulates the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for putting an end to the practice of allowing its staff and freelance hosts to accept public speaking requests from companies, political parties or other lobbying groups “trying to influence public policy”.

Briefing on New IPCC Climate Change Report including Q&A Webinar

Posted on April 7, 2014
MEDIA ADVISORY / April 7, 2014

Climate Action Network Canada is pleased to invite you to a webinar-based advance briefing on the new IPCC report on "Mitigation of Climate Change", due to be released on Sunday, April 13.

This report is the last in a series of three working group reports that make up the main content of the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report and will focus on the political, economic, technical and social aspects of addressing climate change.

There will be opportunities for Questions as part of the briefing as well as individual interviews following the briefing. The briefing will be delivered by Dr. Christian Holz, Executive Director of Climate Action Network Canada.

WHEN: Friday, April 11, 2014, 2:00 p.m. EDT

The following topics will be covered: