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- Chitek Lake Park Reserve Protection Extended
- Media Outlets Refuse Adbusters Ads
- Climate Change to Make Arctic Unrecognizable
- Canada Earns Dubious Distinction
- BC Supreme Court Haida Nation Victory
- National Effort Needed to Save Woodland Caribou
- Environmental Issues Are Not Partisan
- Manitoba - Ontario Energy Transfer Examined - updated
- Message to Next Parliament - Sierra Club Canada
- Mining Association Supports Lowlands National Park
- Manitobans Deserve To See Study Before Bay Street
- Manitoba Mortgaging the Future
Chitek Lake Park Reserve Protection Extended |
18 October 04 |
Chitek Lake Park Reserve will continue to be protected from development for an additional five years. The Park Reserve regulation was amended by the Government of Manitoba on September 30, 2004 to extend interim protection for these land within the traditional territory of Skownan First Nation until September 30, 2009.Chitek Lake Park Reserve resulted from a protected lands nomination by Skownan First Nation; the Park Reserve was established in March of 1999, through the provisions of Manitoba's First Nations Protected Areas MOU. The lands nominated are more than twice the size of the park reserve. Manitoba's mining sector supports the protection of the full land quantum nominated for protection by the community. In spring 2004 Manitoba and Canada entered into an undertaking to have an agreement for establishment of the Lowlands National Park by summer 2005. Significant Skownan First Nation traditional territory, and lands the community nominated for protected status are within the geographic scope for the future national park. To date Manitoba Conservation has not made an announcement. View the September 30, 2004 Government of Manitoba Regulation under the Parks Act View the Manitoba First Nations Protected Areas MOU Source: Government of Manitoba
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Media Outlets Refuse Adbusters Ads |
15 October 04 |
Adbusters, the Vancouver-based media foundation, has launched a court case in the Toronto Superior Court citing violations under section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - freedom of expression. For more than a decade, Adbusters has been trying to buy airtime for its TV messages. These 15 and 30-second "social marketing" spots tackle issues from obesity to environmental destruction to consumer consumption. However, most broadcasters flatly refuse to show them.Adbusters argues that without media democracy - which means genuine public access to the most powerful forms of communication - we can't raise healthy children, create good public policy or hold elections that are legitimate or that matter. We lose power to shape our consciousness, our culture and our future. We even lose the power to imagine what that future should look like. In rejecting their media 'spots', Adbusters claims that the large media corporations named in the suit - the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CanWest Global Communications Corporation, Bell Globe Media Incorporated, and CHUM Limited - are infringing upon their right to freedom of expression. Clayton Ruby, an internationally know civil rights lawyer, represents Adbusters in their claim. View the Adbusters 'Media Carta' web page View the Toronto Superior Court documents on the Adbusters web site Source: Adbusters
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Climate Change to Make Arctic Unrecognizable |
15 October 04 |
Climate change will soon make the Arctic regions of the world nearly unrecognizable, dramatically disrupting traditional Inuit and other northern native peoples' way of life, according to a new report that has yet to be publicly released by the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA).The assessment was commissioned by the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental body involving the eight Arctic nations - Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the United States. The Inuit and other Arctic peoples also participate in the Council and contributed to the ACIA report, along with over 600 hundred scientists from around the world. The report will be made public and presented to governments at a conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, Nov. 9-12, 2004. The report predicts depletion of summer sea ice, which will push marine mammals like polar bears, walrus and some seal species into extinction by the middle of this century. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere else because of global air circulation patterns and natural feedback loops such as less ice reflecting sunlight, leading to increased warming at ground level and more ice melt. Computer projections also show that trend will continue with the Arctic warming by an average of 6 degrees Celsius by the end of the century - even if the Kyoto Protocol commitments to reducing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide go into effect on a global scale. View the Inter Press Service article Visit the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment web site Visit the Inuit Circumpolar Conference web site Visit the Arctic Council web site Source: Inter Press Service
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Canada Earns Dubious Distinction |
13 October 04 |
Canada has the world's third-largest "ecological footprint," and if everyone in the world consumed at the Canadian rate, it would take four more Earths to support them. This is one of the findings of 'Ecological Footprints of Canadian Municipalities and Regions', a report prepared for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).An ecological footprint measures the impact each person or group makes on the environment. The footprint is the biologically productive area needed to produce all the products a person or group consumes and to absorb all their waste. The report indicates that it takes 7.25 hectares of land and sea throughout the world to support each Canadian, but the Earth has only 1.9 hectares of productive land and sea available to meet the needs of each person. This means that Canadians consume almost four times the Earth's capacity per person. Among Canada's 20 largest municipalities and urban regions, York Region (near Toronto), Calgary and Edmonton have the largest footprints, while Quebec City and Greater Sudbury have the smallest. The differences between Canadian municipalities are primarily due to levels of consumption in these areas, and the kind of energy being used. View the FCM Canadian Ecological Footprint report View the FCM Backgrounder View the Globe and Mail article of September 29, 2004 Source: Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Globe and Mail
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BC Supreme Court Haida Nation Victory |
13 October 04 |
The Haida of the Queen Charlotte Islands have won another victory in court to force resource companies to consult them before making decisions about land claimed by First Nations as traditional territory. The Supreme Court of British Columbia released its decision in a case brought by the Haida seeking to enforce forestry company Weyerhaeuser's obligations to consult and accommodate the Haida.The court ruled that despite changes to the Forest Act, Weyerhaeuser cannot enter into a transfer agreement without first consulting the Haida. In effect, this means that the Province's amendments to forestry legislation over the last two years do not have the effect of legislating away the rights of the Haida or Weyerhaeuser's duties to consult and accommodate the Haida. The BC government recently changed its forestry legislation in an attempt to divest itself of the obligation to consult regarding transfers and replacements of Tree Farm Licenses. The court also confirmed that the Haida are entitled to all necessary information held by Weyerhaeuser, including inventory data. This court case is separate but related to the case before the Supreme Court of Canada in which the Haida are arguing that the Crown and Weyerhaeuser have duties to consult and accommodate the Haida with respect to their cultural and economic interests in the forests of Haida Gwaii. View the Supreme Court of BC decision View the Environmental-Aboriginal Guardianship through Law and Education (EAGLE) press release View the EAGLE web site View the Canada.com news article Sources: EAGLE, Canada.com news
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National Effort Needed to Save Woodland Caribou |
8 October 04 |
A October 2004 report concludes that woodland caribou, a key indicator of a healthy boreal forest, require immediate protection if they are to survive. The report by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) reviews the status of woodland caribou across Canada, and describes a new campaign to protect critical wild areas and to change industrial activities where woodland caribou live.According to the report, woodland caribou have lost half their habitat to human activity - by an average of 3,500 square kilometers every year for the past 110 years. Recent university and government research shows that of five major woodland caribou populations in Canada, one is endangered, two are threatened and another is considered "of special concern." The report recommends at least 50 per cent of the remaining boreal forest should be preserved from further industrial development, and it concludes that caribou - a key indicator species of a healthy boreal forest - need immediate protection if current herds are to survive. Canada is one of only three countries in the world, along with Russia and the United States (Alaska), where the woodland caribou are still found. View a copy of the CPAWS report: 'Grey Ghosts: Can We Save Woodland Caribou in Canada's Boreal Forest?' View the CPAWS press release View the CNEWS article Sources: CPAWS, CNEWS
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Environmental Issues Are Not Partisan |
8 October 04 |
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fought regional, national, and international environmental battles for decades. He is a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), as chief prosecuting attorney for Riverkeepers; as president of the Waterkeeper Alliance; and as a clinical professor and supervising attorney for the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University Law School.Kennedy says we all share a fundamental right to a clean and healthy environment, and he's as committed to protecting that privilege as his father and uncle were to advancing the civil rights movement. In his new book, Crimes Against Nature, which is his critique of the Bush administration's environmental policies, Kennedy expands upon the idea that corporate money and influence sully politics. Kennedy's message is unique because he makes it clear that his critique of the Bush administration is nonpartisan; his criticism is based on the fact that the cornerstones of America's environmental laws, which date back over 30 year, have been rewritten under the current administration. In June 2004 Mr. Kennedy visited northern Manitoba Aboriginal communities. View the Mother Earth News Article View the Manitoba Wildlands July 15, 2004 news item Source: Mother Earth News
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Manitoba - Ontario Energy Transfer Examined - updated |
8 October 04 |
A long-awaited preliminary report outlining the potential for energy transfers between Manitoba and Ontario was released in Winnipeg September 31, 2004. The report examines possible power supply arrangements between Manitoba and Ontario, in particular generation and transmission infrastructure to meet a growing need for power in Ontario. Experts and independent analysts at the Suzuki Foundation have been calling for demand side management, and conservation efforts to reduce Ontario's projected energy use. The terms of reference, consulting company names, provincial utility names, and access to technical information from one year's work are not available at this time. Maps in the report are small and difficult to apply to Manitoba. There is no contact information, no clear definition of 'Clean Energy Transfer' available with the report. The report recommends proceeding to the next stage of the 'Clean Energy Transfer Initiative' (CETI), which would involve detailed engineering and cost analysis, especially regarding transmission line options, comprehensive consultations, the initiation of commercial negotiations, and political and policy decisions. In a September 30, 2004 press release, the Manitoba Government indicated that Manitoba and Ontario would proceed with a detailed technical study to follow-up on the feasibility study. Manitoba Wildlands Director, Gaile Whelan Enns, expressed several concerns about the 39-page report, "With a reported price tag of $2 million, each page appears to have cost over $51,000.00. Aside from a vague reference to a 'joint study team', no one is taking responsibility for this report." noted Ms. Whelan Enns, "The absence of BiPole III as a transmission option is also troubling - Manitoba Hydro has been discussing this transmission option for years and now it is absent in this significant study." View the report 'The Clean Energy Transfer - Preliminary Assessment of the Potential for a Clean Energy Transfer Between Manitoba and Ontario' (September 2004) View the September 30, 2004 Manitoba Government press release View the June 2003 MOU between the governments of Manitoba and Ontario Sources: Manitoba Government, CETI report, Winnipeg Free Press
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Message to Next Parliament - Sierra Club Canada |
6 October 04 |
The twelfth annual RIO Report Card for 2004 released by the Sierra Club of Canada (SCC) assesses the performance of Canadian governments in meeting international environmental commitments, and issues grades to both the federal and provincial governments. The RIO Report Card has its roots in the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.Federal grades for the eight commitments assessed by SCC were lower in 2004 in almost all areas. Provincial governments are assessed grades for actions in the areas of biodiversity and climate change. This year, the grade for the Manitoba government is slightly higher in the area of biodiversity, in recognition of recent commmitments to protected areas establishment and the MOU regarding establishment of a new national park Manitoba's interlake, by spring 2005 The Manitoba grade on climate change actions fell, in part because of the focus on emissions trading and 'green hydro' projects, as opposed to greenhouse gas emissions reduction initiatives to reduce Manitoba's contribution to climate change. "The trend lines are worrying for wilderness," said Elizabeth May, Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada. "The federal government's marks have been sliding in relation to protecting nature - parks, endangered species and the life of our oceans." View the Sierra Club of Canada RIO Report Card for 2004 View the Sierra Club of Canada press release View the Sierra Club of Canada Rio Report web page Source: Sierra Club of Canada
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Mining Association Supports Lowlands National Park |
1 October 04 |
The Mining Association of Manitoba Inc. (MAMI) states its support for establishment of a new national park in Manitoba's Interlake region in a recent letter to the Winnipeg Free Press.David Markham, executive vice-president of MAMI indicates in his letter that the mining industry supports close to 500,000 ha of land for inclusion in the proposed park. This decision was made through the Manitoba Mining Sector Protected Areas Consultation. MAMI also reiterated its commitment to continue participating in the technical review of lands for protection in Manitoba. View the September 14, 2004 letter from MAMI to the Winnipeg Free Press View the Rank 1 ASI's Proposed Lowlands National Park 2004 Map Source: Mining Association of Manitoba Inc.
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Manitobans Deserve To See Study Before Bay Street |
1 October 04 |
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The Boreal Forest Network and Manitoba Wildlands call on Manitoba Premier Gary Doer to release the Ontario-Manitoba Hydro Feasibility Study before heading to Toronto to present the study's findings to the Empire Club Thursday, September 30th. The feasibility study is one of the outcomes of the MOU that was signed between Manitoba and Ontario in June 2003, in which the two governments agreed to support studies evaluating the technical, financial, social, and economic aspects of a long-term power supply from Manitoba to Ontario. "News reports that include direct quotes from this Ontario-Manitoba feasibility study, and public comments about various transmission lines, a national east west grid, and various dams are part of the stampede to the Empire Club. Manitobans need a public commitment that this feasibility study, and its terms of reference, will be made public immediately," stated Gaile Whelan Enns, Manitoba Wildlands director. View the Boreal Forest Network website Sources: Manitoba Wildlands, Boreal Forest Network
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Manitoba Mortgaging the Future |
1 October 04 |
The Ontario and Manitoba governments are backing the wrong horse when it comes to massive dams and 2000 km power corridors. Ontario can meet its electricity needs less expensively and create more jobs in the province by focusing on efficiency, gas cogeneration and renewable sources. "The age of big dams is over. They inflict too much damage on the aboriginal communities and the environment. There are better ways of meeting the electricity needs of the province," said Dan McDermott, Director, Ontario Chapter, Sierra Club of Canada. Mr. McDermott pointed out that Ontario's demand for electricity in 2020 could be reduced by as much as 40% if the province approached conservation and efficiency with the same vigor it purses new traditional supply. He also asked why Ontario would be contracting for 1200 megawatts of hydro power from Manitoba, that includes building a 2000 km transmission line, when it just turned down 4100 megawatts of renewable energy that entrepreneurs are eager to build. "Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and Ontario's Dalton McGuinty and their governments are the Luddites in this debate not the environmentalists. We are calling for the deployment of new technology, new concepts and new opportunities. They have their heads turned backwards attempting to mortgage the future to maintain the past," said Mr. McDermott. View the Sierra Club of Canada website Source: Sierra Club of Canada
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