ST. JOHN’S – On Saturday, May 12, Common Ground/St. John’s Safer Soil and LeadNL will host a free public workshop on ‘Designing Lead Safe Yards and Vegetable Gardens.’ The workshop will be led by Luisa Oliveira, Boston-based landscape architect, city planner and initiator of the ‘Safer Soil’ Program that began in New England and has been emulated here in St. John’s. Luisa will help workshop participants to prepare landscaping plans for yards or community gardens in areas affected by soil lead, in order to make them safe for children and for growing food.

The event is co-sponsored by FEASt (Food Education Action St. John’s), The Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network, The Newfoundland and Labrador Food Security Network and Landscape NL.

Recent studies conducted Dr. Trevor Bell of Memorial University’s Department of Geography have found elevated lead levels in the soil of St. John’s.  Dr. Bell is co- founder of LeadNL, which conducted a 2011 study of blood lead levels of children in the capital city. “While the findings of this most recent study were encouraging in that they did not indicate any incidences of blood lead poisoning, the importance of lead safe gardening practices must be reinforced to ensure that children are protected from the harmful effects of soil lead,” says Dr. Bell, who will introduce the session on May12^th.

Participants in the Saturday workshop are asked (though not required) to bring a scaled drawing of their back yard or community garden, with solar direction noted. Sample plans will also be available. Seating is limited and pre-registration is encouraged. Refreshments will be provided.

Luisa Oliveira, Dr. Trevor Bell and Lori Heath will be available for media interviews during the days leading up to the event. To arrange an interview, for more information, or to register for the workshop, please contact Lori Heath at 738-7542, 753-3594 or safersoil@gmail.com .

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St. John’s Safer Soil conducts education and capacity building activities to promote

lead safe gardening and recreation in urban areas. It is a project of Common Ground, a non-profit organization

which promotes environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture and community development.

Contact Lori Heath at 738-7542, 753-3594 or safersoil@gmail.com or visit our website at www.safersoil.ning.com for more information.

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Federal Department of the Environment, the Home Depot – Evergreen Rebuilding Nature Grant, The Home Depot – Evergreen Green Grant and the Wellness Coalition – Avalon East. The views expressed herein are solely those of Common Ground.

To celebrate Earth Day, the public is invited to join over 20 environmental organizations from the Northeast Avalon region to mobilize for the planet!

This Earth Day Fair is being held at the Suncor Energy Fluvarium, 5 Nagle’s Pl, on Sunday
April 22, 12pm – 4:30pm with free admission.

On April 22, 2012, Earth Day, environmentally minded groups are gathering to display what resources are right here for individuals and families alike to enjoy the planet responsibly while having tons of fun. The day will include discovering the limitations of the planet and solutions that start with each individual’s choices in order make a stand for our planet.

Media are invited to visit during any part of the fair. Throughout the day there will be idea
booths, Story of Stuff videos with discussion as well as family story times.

Schedule of Events
11am Earth Day March around Long Pond (3.1km)
12pm Fair Begins
1pm River Walk & Talk
2pm Feeding Time & Fish Talk
3pm River Walk & Talk
3:30pm Keynote Speaker: Meghan McCarthy
4:15pm Door Prize Draw

This Earth Day come discover what everyone can do to make a difference and be inspired to make changes where you live and work! Since the revered birth of the modern environmental movement on April 22, 1970, Earth Day has grown in support worldwide. This year marks the forty-second celebration and rallying point for our planet as we work towards the outcomes set out by the 1992 Earth Summit. There is an increasing urgency to this crisis that needs our grassroots support each and every day in order to mobilize for change.

This event is co-sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network.

Media Contact
Trina Porter : 709-754-3474 (Suncor Energy Fluvarium)

Photo: flickr.com/drgonwoman

The St. Lawrence Coalition meets with environmental groups from around the gulf and tours Newfoundland to raise awareness

Magdalen Islands, April 5th 2012 – With pending oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of St. Lawrence generating much concern, representatives of over twenty environmental groups from all five Gulf provinces will gather on April 16th in Norris Point, NL, for a strategic meeting.

Initiated by the St. Lawrence Coalition, the meeting’s foremost objective is to exchange concerns and develop strategies for the protection of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including a call for a moratorium on oil and gas development.

“It will be the first time that so many environmental groups from all five provinces gather to develop strategies in order to secure a moratorium for the entire Gulf of St. Lawrence and plan specific actions both in the short and long terms. This will also be a great opportunity to establish an effective network of key players across the Gulf of St. Lawrence.” said Danielle Giroux, spokesperson for the St. Lawrence Coalition.

The St. Lawrence Coalition will also be hosting three public conferences/discussions on oil and gas development in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the upcoming public consultations for the Western Newfoundland Offshore Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) update. These conferences will take place in Corner Brook and Stephenville on April 17th and in St. John’s on April 19th.

The Canada-Newfoundland-and-Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (The Board) is currently conducting an update of the SEA on oil and gas development in Newfoundland’s sector of the Gulf and it will hold public consultations, which are likely to occur during the summer of 2012. It is essential for the public and communities to participate in large numbers if they want to have their voice heard on the future and fate of the Gulf. Unfortunately few citizens are adequately informed of these major and complex issues.

“It is essential to mobilize rapidly the Newfoundland coastal communities to inform them on these issues and motivate them to participate in the public consultations planned by the Board. Four communities in Western Newfoundland and five in other provinces have been selected to participate in preliminary consultations. Later in the process, the general public will get a chance to participate in the consultations by sending comments online. It is therefore important that people have access to the information needed to make an informed decision and voice their concerns about the future of the Gulf.” said Jean-Patrick Toussaint, Science project manager at the David Suzuki Foundation (DSF).

The conferences and discussions will be given by Ms Danielle Giroux (Attention FragÎles), Sylvain Archambault (CPAWS-QC), and Jean-Patrick Toussaint (DSF-QC). The conference in St. John’s will be jointly organized with Nature Newfoundland and Labrador and with the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Network (NLEN):

The Gulf of St. Lawrence: Exploring the risks of oil and gas development in a unique and fragile ecosystem:

 Corner Brook : Tuesday, April 17th at 12:30 pm, Grenfell Campus Room 3019, Forest Centre, Corner Brook

 Stephenville : Tuesday, April 17th at 7:00 pm, Western College, 128 Carolina Avenue, Stephenville

 St. John’s: Thursday, April 19th at 7:00 pm, Memorial University, Room SN 2109, Science Building, Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s

To view the poster announcing the conferences, please click here.

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The St. Lawrence Coalition is composed of 80 organizations and associations, including First Nations, and over 3500 individuals from various economic sectors and the 5 coastal provinces. Members of the Coalition are calling for a moratorium on exploration and exploitation of oil and gas across the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Sources :

Danielle Giroux
Spokesperson for the St. Lawrence Coalition (french interviews)
President, Attention FragÎles
418-986-6644 / coalitionstlaurent@me.com
http://www.coalitionsaintlaurent.ca/en/coalition

Manon Dubois, Communications specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
514-583-8455 / mdubois@davidsuzuki.org

Sylvain Archambault, Protected areas and land use coordinator
CPAWS Québec chapter
418-686-1854 / sarchambault@snapqc.org

The Future We Want – Sustainable Development in NL & Around the World

ST. JOHN’S – On Sunday April 1, a public forum on “The Future We Want” will be held at The Lantern, 35 Barnes Rd., St. John’s.  Author and journalist Gwynne Dyer will give the keynote address at 7:30pm where he will discuss the importance of building of global green economy.

Mr Dyer’s address will follow an afternoon discussion panel, from 2 pm to 4pm, which will explore sustainable development in Newfoundland and Labrador.   Featured speakers include Dr. Ian Fleming, Ocean Sciences Centre, who will speak on sustainable fisheries; David Bazeley, (retired) Director of Electricity Policy for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, will speak on our energy future; Dr. Luise Hermanutz, MUN, will speak on sustainable land use; and Kristie Jameson, NL Food Security Network, will speak on increasing food security in the province.

“Twenty years ago the first Earth Summit was convened in Rio.  It was here the world adopted key international agreements including the Climate Change Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, “ said Bill Hynd of Oxfam Canada. “Today the world faces many major challenges including seriously depleted fish stocks, more extreme weather events as a result of climate change, and a growing global food crisis.  Surely this is not the present never mind the future we want.  These issues need to be taken seriously as they impact us all.”

“Sustainable development is a goal that we can all get behind in Newfoundland and Labrador,” stated Chris Hogan of NLEN. “Yet, our severely depleted groundfish stocks, a growing list of threatened and endangered species, and rising greenhouse gas emissions, point to the fact that making development sustainable remains a serious challenge for our province.”

Admission is $5 and tickets are available at The Lantern, the Oxfam Centre / Food For Thought and the NL Environment Network.  To reserve a ticket you can phone The Lantern at 753-8760.

The sponsoring agencies for this event include The Lantern, Oxfam Canada, the Newfoundland & Labrador Environment Network, Nature NL, The Conservation Corps NL and the MUN Students Union.

Additional resources:
Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
AN ACT RESPECTING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE PROVINCE

Complete event details:
“The Future We Want”, April 1, 2012

For more information please call:

Chris Hogan
Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network
753-7898
nlen.ed@gmail.com

Photo: Flickr.com/.JohnW

ST. JOHN’S – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network (NLEN) and Northeast Avalon Atlantic Coastal Action Program (NAACAP) applaud recent news that St. John’s City Council, upon motion by Councillor Sheilagh O’Leary, voted to re-activate its Environmental Advisory Committee.

The City’s Development Regulations (section 4.1.1) state that Council shall appoint an Environmental Advisory Committee, including citizen representatives, who shall advise Council on development within waterways and wetlands, report to Council on the state of the environment in the City, and advise Council on other matters. The City has not had an Environmental Advisory Committee in place, however, for more than a decade.

“We applaud the City for this important step to re-instate its Environmental Advisory Committee,” stated Chris Hogan of the NLEN. “Having a committee comprised of volunteer stakeholders, brings environmental perspectives to the City’s governance and will improve the long-term sustainability and health of our community.”

“The City has made progress on a number of environmental problems in recent years, including construction of a sewage treatment plant, the introduction of curb-side recycling, and the creation of a network of cycling lanes, to reference a few.” stated Kathleen Parewick, Chair of NAACAP. “Yet, with an expanding population and increased demands on City services, we still face a number of challenges, including the continual loss of wetland and forest habitat to development, and rising green-house gas emissions.”

Additional information: 

St. John’s Development Regulations (Section 4.1): Environmental Advisory Committee

For further information contact:

Photo: flickr.com/Jim Nix/Nomadic Pursuits)

CORNER BROOK  is invited to attend a talk by Dr. Elin Kelsey, an internationally acclaimed award winning author, consultant, academic, and a leading spokesperson for hope, resilience, and the environment.

This event is hosted by Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Educators (NLEE) in partnership with Grenfell`s Environmental Policy Institute. It is free and open to the public and will be heldon Wednesday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. in Grenfell Campus’ library lecture theatre, room LC301. Free parking is available in the lots adjacent to the library.

We need to create space for kids and adults to talk about how all this gloom and doom makes us feel, while realizing that creating hope represents more than just our feelings. Most of all we must spread stories that inspire us says Dr. Kelsey.

With all this doom and gloom surrounding environmental issues, it is hard to feel optimistic and hopeful for the future of our environments. In response, Dr. Kelsey is sharing strategies for creating a positive and hopeful educational experience while introducing environmental issues to encourage action.

“Elin is the kind of teacher that challenges you to rethink the way you teach, and inspires you to become a better teacher, a better student, and a better person. How good is that? We need more teachers like her in our lives,” says Fred Sheppard, Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Educators.

Dr. Kelsey conducts research into the emotional responses of children, environmental educators and conservation biologists to the culture of doom and gloom and hopelessness that permeates environmental issues. Working as a research fellow with conservation biologists at James Cook University and the Smithsonians Beyond the Obituary program, she uses international examples of conservation successes to demonstrate positive links between personal, community, and ecological resiliency.

Dr.Kelsey teaches in the School of Environment and Sustainability at Royal Roads University in British Columbia and is the award-winning author of books for children and adults. Her most recent kids book, Not Your Typical Book About the Environment won the international 2011 Green Earth Book Award.

For more information contact:
Stacey Camus
info@nlee.ca   / (709).637.4033

VANCOUVER — The Government of Canada’s endorsement of the Lower Churchill Generation Project is unlawful and will be challenged in the Federal Court, environmental groups said today.

Grand Riverkeeper Labrador Inc. and Sierra Club Canada — represented by Ecojustice lawyers —filed a judicial review application with the Federal Court in December, on grounds that the joint review panel’s environmental assessment was unlawful, incomplete and must go back to the panel before the mega-dam project is allowed to proceed.

The groups seek a court order that would block the federal government from issuing any permits or financial guarantees to Nalcor Energy, the project’s proponent, until the assessment is completed in full. They will also ask the Court to overturn the federal government’s endorsement.

“By deferring the assessment of need and alternatives to others, the panel dodged making any final recommendation to approve or reject the project,” said Lara Tessaro, Ecojustice staff lawyer.

“We want the panel to finish the job it was tasked to do, and until that happens, we believe thefederal government does not have the legal right to support the project with permits or funding,” she added. “In our view, the federal government broke the law when it responded to the panel’s incomplete assessment.”

The Lower Churchill Project would see the construction of two large hydroelectric dams on the Grand River (also known as the Churchill River) in Labrador, including a dam at Muskrat Falls. It would lead to significant and long-lasting damage to Grand River and its watershed, and to the wildlife it supports such as the threatened Red Wine caribou herd.

The panel’s assessment acknowledged that the project would have adverse environmental impacts, but failed to reach a final conclusion on key issues like project alternatives and cumulative effects.

“What the panel did, it generally did well, but it didn’t reach conclusions or findings on all the factors that it was obligated to take into account,” said Bruno Marcocchio, Sierra Club Canada spokesperson. “Alternatives, like wind power or conservation demand management, were not examined and the panel failed to obtain the information needed to assess such alternatives.”

“The panel also failed to assess the cumulative environmental effects — like impacts on the George River caribou herd — that the Lower Churchill Generation Project would have in combination with other projects,” said Roberta Benefiel, Grand Riverkeeper Labrador spokesperson, citing the transmission lines Nalcor seeks to build in conjunction with the Lower Churchill project as an example.

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For more information, please contact:

LaraTessaro, staff lawyer | Ecojustice
604.685.5618 x228

Bruno Marcocchio | Sierra Club Canada
902.567.1132 or 902.979.0000

Roberta Frampton Benefiel | Grand Riverkeeper, Labrador Inc.
709.897.4241

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/IceSpecialist

A Coalition of fishermen, First Nations, environmentalists and coastal landowners are rallying against Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver’s recent ‘waffling’ on the need for a separate, independent safety regulator for NL’s offshore petroleum industry. The coalition is responding to recent comments made in NL by Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver who stated he is questioning whether an independent safety regulator is needed.