Squamish Environment Society

VANCOUVER – A federal judicial inquiry into declining Pacific salmon is an important step towards rebuilding wild salmon stocks and the economies that depend on them, according to the David Suzuki Foundation.

“Salmon are major indicators of the health of our environment and critical components of the ecosystems we depend on, from streams, to lakes, major rivers, estuaries, the coast and the offshore waters of the Pacific Ocean,” said Jay Ritchlin, director of marine and freshwater conservation at the David Suzuki Foundation. “We are supportive of a science-based inquiry, particularly one that examines not only one year’s problems, but also the long-term, systemic issues that need to be addressed in order to rebuild wild salmon populations throughout the Pacific.”

The Fraser sockeye fishery accounts for close to 50 per cent of the economic value of all salmon caught in B.C. The number of sockeye that returned from the ocean to the Fraser River this year was one of the lowest in the past 50, and followed two years of terribly low returns.

Habitat loss, climate change impacts, and fisheries mismanagement including overfishing and salmon farming have all contributed to declining salmon populations.

DSF has consistently emphasized that any inquiry must have a broad enough mandate to deal with management issues – including the impacts of fish farms to Fraser sockeye.

“With the announcement of this inquiry – not long after a recent court ruling that placed management of salmon farming squarely within the responsibility of the federal government – it’s imperative the government use this opportunity to take action on a well-accepted threat to wild salmon,” Ritchlin said.

He emphasized that a review should be science-based and hear from a full range of stakeholders including scientists, environmental groups, industry and First Nations.

“It is time to focus our efforts on rebuilding Pacific salmon, rather than finding a way to simply manage the current degraded state of salmon biodiversity and abundance,” Ritchlin said.

The David Suzuki Foundation will be available for comment on the terms of the inquiry being released Friday by Trade Minister Stockwell Day.

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For further information:

Jay Ritchlin
Director, Marine and Freshwater Program, David Suzuki Foundation
(604) 961-6840

OTTAWA— Canada can succeed economically while meeting targets to reduce global warming pollution, according to an economic modelling study commissioned by the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation. Climate Leadership, Economic Prosperity is the first Canadian study of its kind to show regional impacts on employment and gross domestic product, and the first to comprehensively examine how Canada can meet a greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020 that goes beyond the federal government’s target.

Leading economic modelling firm M.K. Jaccard and Associates, on behalf of the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation, conducted an in-depth study of federal and provincial policies needed for Canada to meet two targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The firm modelled how Canada can achieve both the federal government’s current target (20 per cent below the 2006 level by 2020) as well as a more ambitious target (25 per cent below the 1990 level by 2020). The second target is derived from analysis of the emission reductions needed to limit average global warming to 2° C — a limit supported by a broad scientific consensus.

“This new analysis shows that with strong policies, Canada can meet a 2° C target in 2020 and have a strong, growing economy, a quality of life higher than Canadians enjoy today, and continued steady job creation across the country,” says Dale Marshall, climate change policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation.

Far stronger policies than the federal government has proposed to date must be implemented, according to the modelling study. “Meeting either target requires governments to put a significant price on global warming emissions broadly across the economy, and to back this up with strong complementary regulations and public investments,” says Matthew Bramley, director of climate change for the Pembina Institute. “The study indicates that Canada can implement much stronger climate policies than the U.S. and still prosper economically.”

Key findings of the Jaccard study include:

• Canada’s gross domestic product would continue to grow at 2.1 per cent per year on average between 2010 and 2020 while meeting the 2° C target, compared to 2.2 per cent for the government’s target and 2.4 per cent under business as usual.
• Canada’s total number of jobs would grow by 11 per cent between 2010 and 2020 while meeting either target — essentially the same rate as under business as usual.
• The urgent need to address very high emissions in Alberta and Saskatchewan would significantly reduce projected growth rates in these provinces. However, Alberta’s per capita GDP would continue to be much higher than that of any other region, and Saskatchewan’s per capita GDP would stay close to the Canadian average.
• To meet the 2° C target, a carbon price would start at $50 per tonne in 2010 and reach $200 per tonne by 2020. To meet the government’s target, the carbon price would need to reach $100 per tonne by 2020, or $145 per tonne if Canada does not purchase any international credits.
• Almost half of carbon price revenue can be returned to Canadians through reductions in income tax. Revenue from carbon pricing can also fund major public investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as building smart grids and transit infrastructure.
• Technological approaches to achieve major reductions in Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions range from increased energy efficiency and renewable energy to carbon capture and storage.

The Pembina Institute and David Suzuki Foundation view the study as an important contribution to current public policy dialogue on greenhouse gas reductions in the lead up to the December UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

For further information:  The report and full study are available at: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Publications/Climate_Leadership.asp

For media and interview opportunities please contact:

Dale Marshall
dmarshall@davidsuzuki.org

OTTAWA- Canada must quickly reverse its obstructionist position to break the deadlock and secure a strong agreement at the UN Climate Summit in December, according to the David Suzuki Foundation and scientist-author Tim Flannery.

"For the sake of all the world's people, economy, and environment, we need an effective global climate treaty now," says Dr. Flannery, scientist, author of Now or Never and The Weather Makers. Dr. Flannery is also chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council, a global collaboration between business and science founded by the leading independent think tank in Scandinavia, Monday Morning, based in Copenhagen.

This December Canada will join representatives from countries spanning the world for a crucial UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen. This summit is the deadline for all the world's countries to come to a strong and fair climate change agreement that will continue and strengthen the Kyoto Protocol—the existing international climate treaty.

Tim Flannery is concerned that progress toward a treaty in Copenhagen has been too slow. "It's disappointing to see Canada largely unengaged in what former World Bank chief economist Lord Stern has called the most important global meeting of this century," he says. Canada is falling behind in achieving the targets scientists tell us we need to avoid runaway climate change. Canada is now one of the top 10 global warming polluters in the world.

"Canada is at a crossroads: We can seize this opportunity to work with leaders to move the global economy toward innovation, clean energy and wiser use of our energy resources or we can argue about who's to blame and remain tied to old, inefficient, and polluting industries," says Dale Marshall, climate policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation. 

"The business community wants an effective outcome, and Canada can still play an important role," Dr. Flannery says. "It is not too late for Canada to step up. The most important contribution now would be for Canada to go to Copenhagen and negotiate in good faith to secure a fair, ambitious, and binding agreement.”

For further information:

Rob Firing, Director, Publicity and Communications at Harper Collins Canada Ltd, Rob.firing@harpercollins.com, 416-843-2959 (mobile)

Kristen Ostling, Climate Change and Clean Energy, Communications Specialist, kostling@davidsuzuki.org, 778-987-9907 (mobile)

TORONTO-  Who: Tim Flannery, Australian climate change scientist and author of The Weather Makers and Now or Never

Dale Marshall, climate change policy analyst, David Suzuki Foundation

When: 10:00 AM – Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Where: Charles Lynch Press Conference Room, Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa

              UN Climate Summit: What’s at stake for Canada?

Time is ticking for world leaders to take action. People all over the world are counting down to a crucial UN climate summit in Copenhagen this December.
 
The UN climate summit is an opportunity for world leaders to answer the wake-up call from citizens around the world urging our leaders to sign an ambitious, fair, and binding agreement on climate change in Copenhagen.

Tim Flannery will discuss the implications of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for Canada and the recent work being done by climate scientists around the world. Tim Flannery’s new book Now or Never: Why we need to act now to achieve a sustainable future demonstrates the urgency of global action on climate change.

Having just returned from preparatory negotiations in Bangkok in the lead-up to the UN climate summit, Dale Marshall of the David Suzuki Foundation will discuss the current state of the negotiations and how Canada can play a constructive role in securing an ambitious, fair, and binding agreement to safeguard our climate.

For further information:

Rob Firing,
Director, Publicity and Communications at Harper Collins Canada Ltd
Rob.firing@harpercollins.com

Kristen Ostling
Climate Change and Clean Energy, Communications Specialist
kostling@davidsuzuki.org

 

SWEDEN - David Suzuki was today awarded the prestigious Right Livelihood Award (Honorary), often referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Dr. Suzuki was recognzied, "for his lifetime advocacy of the socially responsible use of science, and for his massive  contribution to raising awareness about the perils of climate change and building public support for policies to address it".

Previous Canadian winners of the Right Livelihood Award include: Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke, Rosalie Bertell, Pat Mooney and Percy & Louise Schmeiser.

Click here for Right Livelihood Award Foundation's news release.

For more information, contact:
Jason Curran
Communications Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation
Cell: 604-961-9591
E-mail: jcurran@davidsuzuki.org

VANCOUVER-The UN climate talks ended today in Bangkok with disappointing progress due to a lack of strong leadership by industrialized countries on global warming action.

With the continued willingness of developing countries to step up their action in reducing emissions, the main obstacles in the negotiations are the weak targets on the table for rich countries and their failure to make firm commitments to support climate actions in developing countries. “Countries primarily responsible for global warming in the first place, Canada included, have not followed through on their commitment to lead the way on climate change, and in fact are in danger of backtracking yet again,” said Mark Lutes, from WWF International.

The issue that dominated the talks was the future of the Kyoto Protocol. Developing countries say that any future agreement must include the Protocol, to ensure that action occurs. Canada was amongst a small group of countries, including Russia, who are trying to dismantle Kyoto. “Kyoto was only supposed to be the first step, said Dale Marshall, David Suzuki Foundation. “Now, when rich countries are finally expected to take a bigger, bolder step in the fight against global warming, some are seen as trying to kill the one agreement that would assure that they do.”

Canada also blocked agreement on details of the Protocol, such as the use of 1990 as a common base year for all countries.

Another disappointment of the meeting was the attempts of developed countries to evade responsibility for logging emissions. The accounting rules for forestry are critical to a strong outcome because lax rules could allow countries to continue unsustainable practices such as harvesting wilderness forests and replacing them with young trees, rather than reducing actual emissions. “We hope that Canada will step up and take a leadership role in the negotiations in this area to ensure that measures to conserve forests are supported in the next climate agreement,” said Chris Henschel, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

It is not too late for leadership to create the space for a fair, ambitious and legally-binding agreement in December. Stronger 2020 pollution reduction commitments have been announced here in Bangkok by Norway (40% reductions, strengthened from 30%) and, just recently, Japan (25% reductions, strengthened from 8%), showing what is possible if political will is exercised. “We need to see that kind of leadership here in Ottawa starting with a real climate change plan,” said Graham Saul, Climate Action Network-Reseau Action Climat. “Canada’s 3% reduction target is the weakest of any industrialized country and we have put no money on the table for the developing world.”

Several meetings are scheduled between now and the UN climate summit in December in Copenhagen. They include the G20 finance ministers meeting in St. Andrews, UK and UN negotiations in Barcelona.

Civil society groups will be organizing numerous public events between now and December, including the International Day of Action on October 24th. “Canadian citizens need to become engaged and demand that their government take action and show leadership,” said Adam MacIsaac, Adopt a Negotiator. 

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For more information and interviews please contact:

In Ottawa:
Graham Saul, Climate Action Network Canada: 613-558-3368, gsaul@climateactionnetwork.ca

In Bangkok:
Mark Lutes, WWF International: 416-473-5919, mark.lutes@wwf.panda.org
Dale Marshall, David Suzuki Foundation, 613-302-9913
Chris Henschel, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, +66 878 147 232

 

VANCOUVER – Eco-certification for British Columbia's halibut fishery is an important step in moving the fishery from one with severe conservation concerns to one that has been labelled as sustainable, according to the David Suzuki Foundation.

An announcement earlier today by the London-based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) now gives the B.C. halibut fishery permission to carry the MSC eco-label on its products, indicating the seafood is operated using sustainable practices.

"To its credit, the halibut industry has met the standard for MSC certification and is setting a new standard for longline fishing practices," said Scott Wallace, sustainable fisheries analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation.

The B.C. halibut fishery, which is the first to receive MSC certification in the province, entered the certification process in late 2003. The halibut fishery has since evolved from a fishery with severe conservation concerns – namely the threat it posed to other species caught as bycatch – to one representing global best practices for a multi-species longline fishery.

"When we first submitted input into MSC's stakeholder process in 2004, we strongly opposed certification," Dr. Wallace said. "Of particular concern was the management of highly vulnerable rockfish species unintentionally caught as bycatch."

The fishery has since installed video technology to monitor 100 per cent of its catch, allowing all rockfish bycatch to be accounted for. Additionally, catch limits have been reduced for several species, improved scientific surveys have been implemented, and a network of Rockfish Conservation Areas has been established.

Although the David Suzuki Foundation supports the certification of B.C.'s halibut fishery, the sheer complexity of the marine ecosystem and inherent vulnerability of the species involved mean ongoing vigilance and reevaluation is necessary.

"Often what we think is good enough turns out to be only a step in the right direction," Dr. Wallace said. "We will be watching to make sure the fishery lives up to the conditions required under its certification, which include continued monitoring and reporting of bycatch species."

Providing the certification standard is upheld, eco-certification of B.C. halibut allows consumers to support sustainable fishing practices by choosing an eco-labelled product.

Several other Canadian fisheries – many with unresolved conservation problems – are currently seeking MSC certification, including several B.C. sockeye fisheries.  The long-term success of MSC's certification program depends on the maintenance of high standards and demonstrated improvements in fishing practices and management.  

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For further information:

Scott Wallace, Sustainable Fisheries Analyst
Marine and Freshwater Program, David Suzuki Foundation
swallace@davidsuzuki.org
(778) 558-3984

Sutton Eaves, Communications Specialist
Marine and Freshwater Program, David Suzuki Foundation
seaves@davidsuzuki.org
(778) 829-3265

VANCOUVER - Negotiators are in Bangkok to draft climate change agreements in advance of the crucial UN summit in Copenhagen later this year.

Three weeks of discussions are all that remain between now and the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December. For the next two weeks, Bangkok is hosting 192 world governments for negotiations on how to tackle global climate change.

Dale Marshall, climate change policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation, is in Bangkok to observe and participate in the talks. He is there to witness whether Canada and other countries take a big step toward a strong, fair and legally-binding agreement in Copenhagen or miss this critical window of opportunity.

For further information and to arrange an interview, contact:

In Bangkok:
Dale Marshall, Climate Change Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation
e-mail: dmarshall@davidsuzuki.org


In Vancouver:
Kristen Ostling, Communications Specialist, Climate Change and Clean Energy, David Suzuki Foundation
e-mail: kostling@davidsuzuki.org

"Presidents and prime ministers met here in New York. These are people who make decisions on behalf of the world's citizens. It was an opportunity for Canada's Prime Minister and other leaders to embrace opportunities in the clean energy economy and at the same time take responsibility for our impact on the environment.

However, Canada's Prime Minister was missing in action in New York. Instead, Canada sent our Minister of Environment in his place. In contrast, President Obama, Prime Minister Brown of the UK, France's President Sarkozy, and President Hu Jintao of China all showed their leadership by joining with other world leaders to confront climate change. The new Japanese president committed to science-based targets for emission reductions and substantial, new, and additional funding for the developing world.

Climate change is a serious threat to our prosperity and our future. But, the greatest threat is inaction. Our country is falling behind in achieving the targets scientists tell us we need to reach to avoid runaway climate change. Canada's performance in New York was a missed opportunity. At the UN Climate Summit this December Canada needs to take part in delivering commitments to action that will promote clean energy and prosperity at home and around the world."

Dale Marshall, Climate Change Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation

VANCOUVER – A new workplace sustainability program launched by the David Suzuki Foundation aims to transform Canadians into environmental ambassadors and convert organizations into green, profitable places of business. The program kicks off with an innovative “train-the-trainer” approach with office leaders in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal with an overall goal to create a national network of 15,000 environmental leaders in the workforce within the next year.

“Reducing waste and cutting energy consumption means saving money,” says Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation and former CEO of Mountain Equipment Co-Op. “Even in a time of substantial economic challenges, organizations are keen to introduce environmental projects that raise their community profile and lower their bottom-line.”

Recent surveys suggest that organizations that support sustainability initiatives such as recycling and energy conservation also have a positive influence on employees’ engagement levels. Several businesses and organizations have already employed many of the principles and practices outlined in the David Suzuki at Work tool kit, a resource funded with the generous support of its founding donor, Great-West Life. Here are a few stories:

• About 30 per cent of the staff at Vancouver-based Next Level Games joined the office environmental committee more than two years ago. Since then, Next Level has introduced larger recycling bins, swapped the power supply units of its computers for more efficient models and introduced employee engagement activities that have conserved energy.
• Teknion’s Toronto office provided employees with resources to make positive environmental changes happen. As a result, water, waste and energy conservation has saved the office furniture manufacturer more than $3 million.
• Staff at the David Suzuki Foundation kicked off their own “green team” this year and employee engagement has increased by more than 50 per cent. In addition to active composting, recycling and re-use programs, staff grow fruits and vegetables on the balcony garden and use non-toxic cleaners throughout the office.

“Work life isn’t just about punching a clock with a bunch of strangers. Smart employers know that their people are happiest and most productive when workplace culture matches their personal values,” says David Suzuki, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.

In addition to the online workplace toolkit, the David Suzuki Foundation has launched a national Ambassador Program composed of passionate volunteers with business backgrounds tasked to build awareness and momentum around office place sustainability. Each David Suzuki Ambassador has been trained by Foundation staff to deliver relevant, fun, and interactive 2-hour workshops to workplaces interested in greening their practices. The workshops are available upon request in the Vancouver-area, and are coming to Toronto in October and in Montreal early 2010. The goal is to train 50 David Suzuki Ambassadors in Year 1, who in turn are expected to deliver workshops to as many of 15,000 Canadians over the next year

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The full guide David Suzuki At Work can be downloaded at no cost at: www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/at_Work/sign_up.aspx.

Profiles of the Ambassadors can be found at: www.davidsuzuki.org/Ambassadors/Work/profiles.asp


For more information about David Suzuki At Work or for interviews with Ambassadors, please contact:
Jason Curran
Communications Specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
Cell: (604) 961-9591
jcurran@davidsuzuki.org


Special thanks to Great-West Life – the founding national donor of the David Suzuki At Work program – for the financial contribution it has made through The Key to Giving™, the national corporate citizenship program of Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life.

Vancouver, BC – A precedent-setting legal victory for endangered species may put an end to years of unlawful action by the Government of Canada. In a September 9 ruling, the Federal Court admonished the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) for failing to identify the habitat of the Nooksack dace, an endangered fish restricted to only four streams in BC’s Lower Mainland. The ruling will ensure greater protection of species-at-risk and their habitats across Canada: from the smallest minnow to BC’s massive humpback whales.   

In his judgment, Justice Campbell said the lawsuit, brought by Ecojustice lawyers on behalf of the David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Defence, Georgia Strait Alliance and the Wilderness Committee, was “absolutely necessary.” He described the case as “a story about the creation and application of policy by the Minister in clear contravention of the law, and a reluctance to be held accountable for failure to follow the law.”   

That law, the Species at Risk Act, requires the federal government to identify the critical habitat of endangered and threatened species. The environmental groups’ lawsuit was filed in 2007 after the DFO unlawfully deleted habitat maps from the Nooksack dace recovery strategy.   

“We are ecstatic about the ruling,” said Christianne Wilhelmson of the Georgia Strait Alliance. “We hope that DFO will now start giving real protection to endangered plants and animals without having to be dragged into court for every species it is supposed to protect. Canadians owe a lot to this little minnow and to the scientists who stood up for it.”   

“This case is not only a tremendous victory for the dace, but for Canadian species everywhere that have been left unprotected by the Act,” said Rachel Plotkin of the David Suzuki Foundation.  

The court’s decision has implications far beyond the Nooksack dace. Justice Campbell ruled that critical habitat for the Nooksack dace was deleted on the basis of an unlawful DFO policy direction. That policy directed that critical habitat information should be removed or suppressed from all recovery strategies for all aquatic species at risk in British Columbia.  

“We are putting DFO on formal notice that it has 90 days to rewrite BC species' recovery strategies that have unlawfully failed to identify critical habitat,” said Ecojustice lawyer Lara Tessaro. “DFO’s unlawful policy appears to have affected at least 20 aquatic species in BC, from resident killer whales to blue whales to Salish suckers. We believe the Court’s decision means that DFO must fix at least 17 recovery strategies.”  

The ruling is the second major legal victory for endangered species in eight weeks. In another Ecojustice lawsuit, the Federal Court also ruled in favour of species-at-risk, holding that the Minister of Environment had acted unlawfully in declining to identify critical habitat of the Prairies’ greater sage grouse.  

“This string of successful lawsuits means that the Government of Canada can no longer turn a blind eye to disappearing species by claiming it can’t identify critical habitat,” said Gwen Barlee of the Wilderness Committee. “This is a whale of a judgement: a ruling about a homely minnow will actually protect BC’s endangered humpback and killer whales.”  

 The environmental groups will be participating in a five-year parliamentary review of the Species at Risk Act, which is set to resume later this month.
 
"With the impending five-year review of the Species at Risk Act by Parliament, we hope that the inadequacies of the Act's implementation that this case lays bare prompts thorough public hearings by MP's,” said Rick Smith of Environmental Defence. “Canadians deserve some answers as to why the federal government is failing to protect our country's natural heritage despite having a legal duty to do so."

For more information, please visit www.ecojustice.ca or contact:
Lara Tessaro, Lawyer, Ecojustice, (604) 313-3132 or Susan Pinkus, Staff Scientist, Ecojustice (604)-537-6407

Rachel Plotkin, Biodiversity Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation (613) 594-9026

Rick Smith, Executive Director, Environmental Defence Canada (416) 670-9521

Gwen Barlee, Policy Director, Wilderness Committee, (604) 683-8220 or cell (604) 202-0322

Christianne Wilhelmson, Managing Director, Georgia Strait Alliance, (604) 862-7579   

For scientific information on Nooksack dace, please contact: Mike Pearson Ph.D., leading Nooksack dace expert, Pearson Ecological, (604) 785-7246

VANCOUVER – Three-thousand people have voted and the results are in – Heather Kemp and her family from Balgonie, Sask. are this year’s top pesticide-free gardeners and the overall winners of the third annual David Suzuki Digs My Garden contest.

“Our family planted our first garden this year with absolutely no prior experience. We thought growing a garden would be intimidating, but we just followed a few directions and the plants just did their thing,” Mrs. Kemp wrote in her contest entry. “It makes me feel wholesome to be growing our own organic vegetables.”

This year’s David Suzuki Digs My Garden contest saw more than 500 entries come in from every part of the country, ranging from Melanie Kramer’s luscious balcony greenery in downtown Toronto, and Whitehorse’s Robin Round and her ‘North of 60’ garden, to Fort Calgary’s community garden that feeds some of Calgary’s most in-need.

“Everyone who participated in the contest – including the entrants and those who voted online – has shown that toxic pesticides simply aren’t necessary for a gorgeous green yard,” says David Suzuki. “Let’s hope that our governments get the message and ban the use and sale of lawn and garden pesticides.”

In addition to showing that Canadians are adept at growing beautiful lawns and gardens ‘drug-free’, the contest also highlights some of the amazing stories of individuals and community groups and their respective gardens. Here are just a few of their stories:
• The Fort Calgary community garden just east of downtown Calgary combines the best of pesticide-free gardening and human spirit. For nine years, the community garden has been growing and donating fresh produce to communities in need. Last year the gardeners donated more than 1,000 kg of food and the garden itself offers the many volunteer green thumbs – many of whom face barriers to employment – an opportunity to reintegrate into the workforce.
• High up on the rooftop of Quebec City’s La maison de Lauberivière – a non-profit organization helping people in need – the Urbainculteurs (or Urban Farmers) tend to the province’s largest rooftop garden. This summer the green oasis produced close to two metric tonnes of organic fruit, herbs and vegetables, with much of the yield supplying the kitchen of Lauberivière and its residents. The garden incorporates new container technology called Biotop that is specifically designed for high-productivity gardening in dense urban areas.
• Vancouver’s Jason Traversy and his neighbours used nearly 14,000 kg of discarded coffee and filters to turn the underside of a Vancouver bridge into a pesticide-free, community garden. Retired teachers, nurses and the homeless have banded together to maintain the patch of greenery that was once no more than a mound of pulverized cement and garbage.

The online response to the photo submissions was overwhelming. Winners of the third annual David Suzuki Digs My Garden photo contest have been posted online (www.naturechallenge.org/dmg09/photo_contest) and include:
• Big Gardens: Bob & Leonore Foster, Kingston, ON
• Small Gardens: Melanie Kramer, Toronto, Ont.
• Cool Climates: Robin Round, Whitehorse, Yukon
• Ornamental Gardens: Max Wallace, Toronto, Ont.
• Starting Off: Heather Kemp (the Kemp family), Balgonie, Sask. (***overall winner)
• Starting Over: Jay Ashworth (Associated Labels), Coquitlam, B.C.
• Vegetable Gardens: Steve Unger, Vancouver, B.C.
• Gardening Fanatics: Maria Martini & Raffaella Shea, Langley, B.C.

The success of the contest reflects a growing movement away from lawn and garden pesticides. Both Quebec and Ontario have strong bans in place and many retailers have voluntarily removed dangerous chemicals from their store shelves.

To view photos and stories of the winning entries, visit: www.naturechallenge.org/dmg09/photo_contest

For more information, photos or to contact the contest winners in your area:
Jason Curran
Communications Specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
Cell: 604-961-9591

En Français (PDF)
TORONTO — Canada’s mining industry is already feeling the impacts of climate events with the distinctive fingerprint of climate change, but solutions exist to help it adapt, according to a study released today by the David Suzuki Foundation.

“Because of its dependency on the natural environment, the Canadian mining sector is particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change,” says report co-author and mining researcher Jason Prno.

The study is the first of its kind in Canada. It looks at current mining-industry trends in relation to climate change impacts on mining operations, efforts to curb the industry’s own greenhouse gas emissions and opportunities to adapt. It was conducted by a team of leading mining researchers and academics in the field. In addition to two major surveys, the study involved six in-depth case studies of mining operations in the Northwest Territories, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Labrador and the Yukon.

“We spoke with mining stakeholders from across Canada and found a significant number believe that climate change is already having a negative impact on their operations,” says Mr. Prno.

Over the past 20 years, mines across Canada have experienced impacts from climate events including: droughts decreasing water availability and forcing gravel quarries to curtail production; warm temperatures leading to ice road closures, and heavy rains shutting down access roads.

“The mining sector is increasingly taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but most companies are not yet pro-actively planning for climate change,” Mr. Prno says.

“The risks of climate change are becoming a central fact of business life,” says Dale Marshall, climate policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation. “Every sector needs to be part of the solution by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the root cause of climate change. But preparing for the ongoing reality of climate change is in the best interests both of mining companies and communities whose well-being is tied to the success of the industry.”

This is a landmark year to address climate change as world leaders meet in December at the UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen to negotiate a global solution.


“The Canadian mining sector can do its part by implementing measures to adapt to climate change and reducing its carbon footprint. It should also join with Canadians across the country to call on the Canadian government to sign onto a strong deal in Copenhagen for the sake of our environment and economy,” Mr. Marshall says.


For further information: Climate Change and Canadian Mining: Opportunities for Adaptation is being released today at 10:00 a.m. EDT at the Toronto Stock Exchange. The full study, a summary for decision-makers and a summary of key findings are available at: www.davidsuzuki.org/Publications/Climate_Change_and_Canadian_Mining.asp

Contact: Kristen Ostling, Communications Specialist, Climate Change and Clean Energy
kostling@davidsuzuki.org, 778-987-9907

Canadian premiers are meeting on August 6 and 7 for the Council of the Federation in Regina, and the David Suzuki Foundation is calling on the premiers to take leadership to address climate change. This is a key opportunity in advance of the UN summit on climate change in December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, where world leaders will negotiate a global response to climate change. 

Media availability:

David Suzuki Foundation policy analyst Ian Bruce will be available for interviews in the lead-up to and in Regina during the Council of the Federation meetings. Mr.  Bruce has been monitoring Council of the Federation meetings since 2005.  He is the author of many reports on solutions to climate change and is a frequent media commentator on provincial climate change plans and policy issues.

Why interview someone from the David Suzuki Foundation?

The David Suzuki Foundation has a longstanding track record as a credible source of analysis on science-based policy measures to address climate change.  The Foundation has examined the efforts of all the provinces in addressing climate change since 2005. 

Want to set up an interview?

Please contact:

Ian Bruce   (in Regina)
Climate Change Specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
Cell: 604-306-5095

Kristen Ostling  (in Vancouver)
Communications Specialist
Climate Change and Energy
David Suzuki Foundation
Cell:  778-987-9907

 

VANCOUVER – Does your garden have what it takes to be crowned Canada’s top pesticide-free garden? One week remains for Canadians to prove it in the 2009 David Suzuki Digs My Garden contest.

“This contest showcases Canada’s most bountiful and beautiful gardens and demonstrates just how easy it is to grow vegetables, fruit, flowers and shrubs without harmful chemicals,” says David Suzuki

With The Digs My Garden competition now entering its final week, individuals and groups have only a few days to send-in photos and stories of their luscious lawns and gorgeous gardens (www.naturechallenge.org/dmg09/). The goal of the campaign is to encourage gardeners to tell us how and why they maintain their gardens 100% pesticide-free. Novice and non-gardeners can also sign-up to receive tips on how to grow luscious lawns and gardens ‘drug-free’.

“Gardening with chemicals is largely unnecessary. Pesticide-free gardens are not only easy to maintain, but also safe for the environment, our health and our children’s health,” says Dr. Suzuki.

After submissions close on Aug. 4, Canadians can log-on and vote for their favourite garden. Last year more than 5,000 Canadians helped choose the winners. Top finishers that year included Toronto’s High Park Children’s Garden, Bobbie Palaniuk’s ornamental garden in Bentley, Alta, and Vancouver’s YWCA Rooftop Food Garden – where volunteers grew high-quality, organic produce to supplement the diets of some of the residents in Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

This year’s winners will walk away with the title of Canada’s Best Pesticide-Free Lawn & Garden, and prizes include a Robert Batemen signed print, a David Suzuki garden gnome, books and more.

Exposure to pesticides can lead to serious illness such as cancers, neurological diseases and reproductive problems. One popular lawn herbicide called "2,4-D", can easily be found in products in many Canadian retail stores. Pesticides can also accumulate in the natural food chain, destroy bacteria and nutrients that improve soil and nourish plants, and kill off important insects such as ladybugs and honeybees.


Gardening is one of the most popular pastimes in Canada:
• Nearly 75 per cent of Canadian households have a lawn or garden (2006).
• On an average day, more than 10 per cent of Canadians aged 30 and over spend time working on their lawn or garden, with the average participant spending more than two hours doing yard work.
• In spite of increased efforts to build awareness of the potential health threats of pesticides nearly 30 per cent of households in Canada still use pesticides on their lawns and gardens.


For more information, as well as contest instructions, visit: http://www.naturechallenge.org/dmg09/

Jason Curran
Communications specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
Office: 604-732-4228, ext. 229
Cell: 604-961-9591

Leading environmental groups are strongly opposing the potential eco-certification of Canada’s Atlantic longline swordfish fishery, saying fishing operations that seriously threaten endangered species like sea turtles and sharks cannot be considered sustainable.

"Due to severe species and ecosystem impacts with this fishery, and a failure on the part of the government of Canada to manage them, the Canadian longline swordfish fishery does not meet essential sustainability criteria and should not be certified," said Scott Wallace, sustainable fisheries analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation.

The David Suzuki Foundation and Ecology Action Centre are among at least eight Canadian and U.S. groups that oppose the possible certification of this fishery, which is one of several in Canada currently being evaluated under a global eco-label program run by the U.K.-based Marine Stewardship Council.

In contrast to some seafood that has minimal ecosystem impacts, longline-caught swordfish are on sustainability "red lists" worldwide. These red lists are reserved for fisheries that cause severe damage to marine species and ecosystems.

Each year, the Canadian longline swordfish fishery catches about 170 endangered leatherback sea turtles, 1,200 loggerhead turtles (listed as threatened in the U.S.), and tens of thousands of blue, shortfin mako and porbeagle sharks – all considered to be species at risk based on scientific assessments. Although many of these animals are released alive, many later die from injuries incurred while on the hook.

The traditional harpoon swordfish fishery, which has no bycatch, is also being assessed for certification by the MSC and is considered by all groups to be a more sustainable method of catching swordfish. Wallace warned that certifying both fisheries not only undermines the lower-impact harpoon fishery, but also threatens the credibility of the MSC label.

"Significant measures must be taken by the longline swordfish fishery to stop harming so many threatened and endangered species before certification of this fishery could even be considered," Wallace said.

Last week, details of these recommended measures were sent to the independent body conducting the certification assessment who will be meeting with ENGOs later this week. The first results of the assessments should be released this fall for public review and comment. 

"Our submission to the assessment team demonstrated that the current operational and management conditions of the longline swordfish fishery do not pass even the minimum scoring guidepost on several performance indicators," said Alexandra Curtis, sustainable fisheries scientist with the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax.

"Both the longline industry and the Canadian government must demonstrate a serious commitment to reducing and monitoring the amount and mortality of bycatch before this fishery could meet any sustainability standards."

-- END --

For more information, contact:

Scott Wallace, Sustainable Fisheries Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation
(778) 558-3984
swallace@davidsuzuki.org

Alexandra Curtis, Sustainable Fisheries Scientist, Ecology Action Centre
(902) 446-4840
acurtis@ecologyaction.ca

Vancouver—Canadians heading off for summer vacation will have some help in making their holidays more environmentally friendly, thanks to a new guide ranking carbon offsets and vendors released today by the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute. The groups are encouraging consumers to choose the highest quality carbon offsets.

Purchasing Carbon Offsets is the first guide of its kind in Canada. It ranks 14 carbon offset vendors based in Canada, as well as six international vendors, targeting Canadians who want to offset air travel and other activities that generate climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions.

“We can’t solve the problem of climate change without strong government action and leadership, but organizations and individuals can also make an important contribution by first reducing their greenhouse gas emissions whenever possible, and then purchasing high quality offsets to compensate for the rest,” says Paul Lingl, climate change campaigner with the David Suzuki Foundation.

“The best approach is to look for carbon offsets that meet a relatively strong, independent offset standard and to buy offsets from renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects, as these are the most likely to result in high quality offsets,” says Matt McCulloch, corporate consulting services director with the Pembina Institute.

While many Canadians are finding ways at home and at work to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, they are also turning to carbon offsets to deal with their remaining carbon footprint. Carbon offsets are credits for greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved by a project in another location, such as energy conservation and solar-power projects. These offsets can be purchased to compensate for emissions such as flying to a summer destination, driving a car, or heating and lighting a home or business.

The popularity and supply of carbon offsets have grown dramatically over recent years, but not all carbon offsets are worth buying. “Canadians and businesses regularly ask us which offsets they should buy. The decision can be a confusing one, and only high quality offsets can help address the problem of climate change,” Mr. Lingl adds. “Our user-friendly online version of the guide takes some of the guesswork out of the selection process. It can help consumers take responsibility for their climate impact and show leadership on climate change.”

Because the vendor ranking is a snapshot of practices at the time the survey was carried out, the David Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute encourage buyers to do some research of their own before making a purchase. To assist with this, the publication provides tips to help Canadians choose the highest quality offsets.

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For further information:

Purchasing Carbon Offsets:  A guide for consumers, businesses and organizations is available at: www.davidsuzuki.org/Publications/offset_vendors.asp A user-friendly online version is available in French and English.  

To arrange for an interview contact:
Kristen Ostling, Communications Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation, kostling@davidsuzuki.org, Mobile: 778-987-9907
Ian Hanington, Communications Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation, ihanington@davidsuzuki.org, Tel: 604-732-4228
Matt McCulloch, Director, Corporate Consulting Services, The Pembina Institute, Calgary Office
Tel: 403-269-3344 x114 Mobile: 403-333-1347

Canadian talk show host George Stroumboulopoulos has joined the David Suzuki Foundation board of directors, along with entrepreneur John Lefebvre and Westport Innovation Inc. CFO Elaine Wong.
 
Mr. Stroumboulopoulos hosts CBC late-night show The Hour, where he has interviewed many of the most influential and recognized people in the world. He has travelled to the Arctic for a special on literacy, youth culture, and the loss of Inuit identity. He has been to Sudan with War Child Canada and to Zambia for a World AIDS Day special documentary. He’s also a three-time Gemini Award-winner for his work on The Hour. 
 
DSF board chair Jim Hoggan is “delighted” to have the popular star on-board. “George Stroumboulopoulos is an inspired and inspiring guy,” Mr. Hoggan said. “Few others have done so much to engage Canadians on environmental issues and I can't think of anyone – with the exception of David Suzuki himself – who is so credible with people in every demographic group.”


View the complete biographies of the David Suzuki Foundation's Board.

Photo credit: DustinRabin.com

OTTAWA – One of Canada’s most endangered whale populations may find itself in safer waters after the federal government issued its final recovery strategy that explicitly describes the right whale’s critical habitat.

The North Atlantic right whale, an 80-tonnne marine mammal found off the Atlantic coast of Canada, has been on the verge of disappearing for decades. Collisions by passing vessels and entanglements in fixed fishing gear have made the need for strong protection measures crucial to its recovery.

The original recovery strategy proposed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in January did not identify the Roseway Basin, an area approximately 48 km south of Nova Scotia, as critical habitat for the right whale despite it being internationally recognized as one of the whale’s five main high-use habitat areas (two are found in Canada, and three in the U.S.).

The David Suzuki Foundation, with advice from lawyers and scientists at Ecojustice, argued that a precautionary approach, based on the best available science, required the government to include the Roseway Basin and Grand Manan Basin as critical habitat of the right whale. The revised, final recovery strategy, released this week by DFO, adopted the environmentalists' advice by expanding areas of critical habitat for the right whale.

"The Roseway Basin, as well as the Grand Manan Basin, has been known for decades to be the most important habitats in Canadian waters for Atlantic right whales,” says Dr. Scott Wallace, a sustainable fisheries expert with the Foundation. “We are pleased that these areas will finally receive the protection they deserve".

Now that the Atlantic right whale's critical habitat appears in the final recovery strategy, the federal government is required to protect it. Under the Species at Risk Act, the government has 180 days to ensure this critical habitat receives legal protection. Legal protection must extend to those habitat features that are necessary for the right whale's recovery, like prey availability and safety from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing equipment.

“This is a very positive example of the government obeying the law, applying precaution, and giving Canada’s endangered species the habitat protection they so desperately need,” says Susan Pinkus, staff scientist with Ecojustice.

“This recovery strategy does right by the whale,” says Rachel Plotkin, a David Suzuki Foundation policy analyst. “It identifies foraging habitat, based on prey availability, and leaves the door open for this habitat to be expanded, if recovery occurs and if migratory corridors are also deemed to be critical to the whale’s survival.”

Both the Suzuki Foundation and Ecojustice will be urging the federal government to ensure strong regulation of vessel traffic and fishing activity in the areas occupied by the endangered whale, as well as resources provided to meet research and monitoring needs.

The news of the enhanced habitat designation for the right whale follows recent reports of a newly discovered pod of North Atlantic right whales returning to waters off southern Greenland after 200 years, as well as a record crop of 39 right whale calves born this year.

“Overall, it’s been a great year for the right whale and we hope its future is even brighter,” says Ms. Plotkin.

More information about the Species at Risk Act, recovery strategies and critical habitat:
The federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), which came into force in 2003, is Canada’s national law to protect endangered species. One of the main tools used in SARA to help an endangered species survive and recover is the recovery strategy – a scientific document that identifies the conservation threats facing a species, goals for its recovery, and the habitat that is necessary for its survival and recovery. SARA explicitly recognizes that conserving a species’ habitat is key to its conservation and requires that habitat necessary for an endangered species’ survival or recovery (called “critical habitat”) be identified in the recovery strategy for that species to the extent possible, based on the best available information.

For more information:
Jason Curran
Communications specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
Office: 604-732-4228, ext. 229
Cell: 604-961-9591

Vancouver — The B.C. government missed the opportunity of the Western Renewable Energy Zones (WREZ) initiative, a joint U.S.-Canada energy planning process. That's the assessment of a number of B.C.'s leading environmental organizations. Due to poor analysis within B.C., environmental groups have no confidence that the "Qualified Resource Areas" identified by WREZ are the best places in which to develop the province's green energy. WREZ released its Phase I report at a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Park City, Utah on Monday.

"Going into this energy planning process, we already knew that B.C. has excellent potential for renewables," says Nicholas Heap, Climate and Energy Policy Analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation. "What the WREZ process promised — and what B.C. failed to do — was identify areas in B.C. that combine both high energy potential and relatively low environmental sensitivity. When we avoid environmentally sensitive lands right off the bat, we can develop more renewable energy, faster, with greater public support and reduced risk to public finances and our sensitive ecosystems," notes Mr. Heap.

Unfortunately, the work done in B.C. failed to follow the WREZ process. It excluded much of the province?s energy resources from consideration at the outset and favoured existing Independent Power Producer (IPP) proposals. This weakness was compounded by neglecting to screen out lands already identified by the province as environmentally sensitive.

"Among other gaps, we understand B.C. government staff intended that wilderness protection areas in the province's Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMP) would be excluded from the WREZ Qualified Resource Areas, but they weren't given enough resources to get the job done. Leaving out years of community input and environmental rigor is not the smart approach to energy planning we need in B.C.," states Marlene Cummings, B.C. Forest Campaigner for ForestEthics. "How can we make the best decisions for transitioning B.C. to a green energy future if we start by ignoring a huge part of our renewable energy resources, and then promote development in areas that we already know are a bad idea?" asks Ric Careless, Executive Director of B.C. Spaces for Nature.

"The WREZ outputs are meant to be important inputs to the BC Utilities Commission's current inquiry into B.C.'s 30-year transmission needs. This quasi-judicial process will set the framework to develop B.C.'s energy resources and electricity grid," said Tom Hackney, Vice-President for Policy of the BC Sustainable Energy Association. "If the BCUC cannot obtain better information than the current WREZ results, the quality of the Commission?s outcomes will be compromised."

"It's critical that we get this analysis right in B.C. The BCUC process requires that we get it done this summer in order to find out where B.C.'s high-energy, low-impact resources are actually located. Our province's future as a truly green energy producer depends on it," concludes Nicholas Heap.


For further information:

· Nicholas Heap, David Suzuki Foundation, nheap@davidsuzuki.org

· Marlene Cummings, ForestEthics, marlene@forestethics.org

· Ric Careless, B.C. Spaces for Nature, bcspaces@spacesfornature.org

· Tom Hackney, BC Sustainable Energy Association, thackney@shaw.ca