Celebrate Gretchen's Important Work With a Gift In Her Honour - December 2018

Posted on December 20, 2018

Gretchen Fitzgerald, our senior staff director, is celebrating a birthday.

Beyond her responsibilities leading Sierra Club – from media interviews at all hours, to racing to coalition meetings, to being our well-informed voice to the public – Gretchen is quietly out there on Facebook trying to raise funds for Sierra Club Canada Foundation on the occasion of her birthday this month.

But we want to surprise her with something special.

Is Nothing Sacred? Offshore Alliance Demands Sable Island Oil Leases Be Cancelled

Posted on December 13, 2018
Sable Island Media Release


 

HALIFAX, December 13, 2018 -- As the 193 countries currently participating in the UN climate change conference in Poland struggle to draft a survival plan for life on Earth, the Offshore Alliance is calling for the newly advertized offshore oil and gas leases surrounding Sable Island National Park Reserve to be cancelled. 

9 Tips To Reduce Plastic Use This Holiday - Don't Let Plastic Steal Your Holiday

Becky Bassick — December 10, 2018

Reining in consumerism and reusing last year's wrapping paper doesn't make you a grinch.

About 90% of plastic waste is not recycled in Canada. Household waste volumes double in the week after Christmas in Canada 1 - and we already produce way too much to begin with!

To try and tackle the #ProblemWithPlastics while keeping the season warm and bright, here are some tips to reduce plastic waste during the holidays:

McKenna Committs To Tougher Climate Targets - Let's Keep Them To Their Word - COP24

Your message is getting through!

After this fall's devastating IPPC report, which showed that unprecedented climate action is needed for a liveable planet, you called on the federal government to up its game on climate change.

Today, on her way to UN climate talks in Katowice, Poland, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna committed to tougher climate targets for Canada as part of Canada's Paris Agreement pledge, which comes into effect in 2020.

Oil Spill off Newfoundland Needs Arms-length Investigation

Four days after the largest oil spill in Newfoundland's offshore oil industry, there is still no way for regulators or industry to contain the spill. It took three days for it to be safe to launch an undersea device to estimate its impacts. We need to do better. 

The spill occurred one day after record-breaking waves shook the coast of Newfoundland. Despite the high seas, Husky Energy attempted to start-up drilling, even though waves measured seven metres high or 22 feet.

Oil Spill Shows We Are Not Prepared For Disasters At Sea

Posted on November 17, 2018
Sierra Club of Canada Media Release
Halifax, NS - An oil spill of an estimated 250,000 litres of crude oil in 7 metre seas shows we are lax in regulating our offshore. “Husky Oil is reporting they are unable to confirm extent of spill, never mind try and clean it up - a virtually impossible task in 7 metre seas. Our leaders are claiming this is world-class regulation. I think this spill shows we are far from that standard, says Gretchen Fitzgerald, National Program Director for Sierra Club Canada Foundation.

Stop Gambling on Big Oil, Invest in Nova Scotia

Posted on November 15, 2018

K’JIPUKTUK (Halifax) – News of BP Canada’s dry well offshore Nova Scotia is an opportunity for change, according to the Offshore Alliance, a coalition representing fishermen, environmental groups, and coastal communities. But that’s not the end of offshore drilling in Nova Scotia - BP has permission to drill six more wells, and Equinor (formerly StatOil) is planning seismic blasting in waters adjacent to George’s Bank.