David Suzuki Foundation - Latest News

Strombo gets on-board

Wed, 24 Jun 09 07:00:00 UT

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

Endangered whale protected the right way

Thu, 18 Jun 09 07:00:00 UT

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

Environmental groups call on B.C. government to redo renewable energy planning

Wed, 17 Jun 09 07:00:00 UT

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

NGOs write benchmark Copenhagen climate treaty

Fri, 12 Jun 09 07:00:00 UT

BONN, GERMANY — Climate change experts from leading non-governmental organizations have developed a blueprint for a legally binding Copenhagen agreement. This will serve as the benchmark for governments negotiating a new climate deal this year and shows how major differences between rich and poor nations can be overcome.

The 160-page "Copenhagen Climate Treaty", was distributed to negotiators from 192 states, took some of the world's most experienced climate NGOs almost a year to write and contains a full legal text covering all the main elements needed to provide the world with a fair and ambitious agreement that keeps climate change impacts below the unacceptable risk levels identified by most scientists.

The document describes the path the world must be on to avoid catastrophic climate change, recognising that global temperature increase must be kept well below 2 degrees Celsius. It sets a global cap on emissions — a carbon budget — and explains in detail how both industrialised and developing countries can contribute to the safety of the planet and its people, according to their means and responsibilities and shows how the poorest and most vulnerable on the planet can be protected and compensated.

Adaptation is another key component of the Treaty outlining an Adaptation Action Framework which includes grants, insurance and compensation for the most vulnerable countries.

The Treaty calls for a legally binding agreement consisting of three parts; the Kyoto Protocol updated to strengthen industrialized country obligations; a new Copenhagen Protocol that has legally binding commitments for the USA and sets out low carbon pathways for developing countries, supported by the industrialized world; a set of decisions that lays the groundwork for the next three years.

The "Copenhagen Climate Treaty", was drafted by the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace, WWF, IndyACT – the League of Independent Activists, Germanwatch, National Ecological Centre of Ukraine and expert individuals from around the world.

Notes to Editors:

The Copenhagen Climate Treaty includes:

   * The annual global carbon budget in 2020 from all sources of greenhouse gases (not counting those controlled by the Montréal Protocol) would be no higher than 36.1 Gt CO2e, bringing emissions down to roughly 1990 levels and would need to be reduced to 7.2 Gt CO2e in 2050, in other words by 80% below 1990 levels.
   * A design proposal for a new institution — the Copenhagen Climate Facility — to manage the processes for emissions cuts, adaptation and forest protection under the new global treaty.
   * A recipe for long-term action plans for both developed countries (Zero Carbon Action Plans, ZCAPs) and developing countries (Low Carbon Action Plans, LCAPs).
   * Binding targets for Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) like Singapore, South Korea and Saudi Arabia in line with the Convention principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Download:
NGO climate treaty 1.38 MB pdf
NGO Copenhagen treaty: full legal text 623 KB pdf

For interviews:
Dale Marshall, Climate Change Policy Analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation is available for interviews.

Contact:
Kristen Ostling
kostling@davidsuzuki.org

SeaChoice partners with Overwaitea Food Group on sustainable seafood project

Thu, 11 Jun 09 07:00:00 UT

VANCOUVER – A new collaboration between the Overwaitea Food Group and SeaChoice, Canada’s national seafood program, is making it easier for Canadians to buy seafood that promotes healthy oceans.

Renowned environmentalist David Suzuki appeared at the partnership’s unveiling today at a Save-On-Foods store in Vancouver.

“The future health of our oceans depends on our ability to protect wild fish stocks and the marine environments they live in,” Dr. Suzuki said. “To help achieve this, we need retailers to provide customers with sustainable seafood and stop selling unsustainable products.”

The Overwaitea Food Group, which operates 117 stores across 80 communities in Western Canada, is one of North America’s first grocery retailers to commit to a sustainable seafood policy.

As part of that policy, OFG is working with SeaChoice to develop and implement a six-point sustainability plan for the procurement and sale of seafood in its stores. The retailer has committed to:

• offering customers sustainable seafood options and reducing procurement of unsustainable seafood
• providing transparency and traceability information on seafood products they sell
• openly collecting and sharing information regarding OFG’s sustainability practices
• educating its team members, suppliers and customers on sustainable seafood
• encouraging policymakers to improve and develop laws and regulations that support sustainability
• ensuring a sustainable future for seafood stocks

“This agreement between SeaChoice and the Overwaitea Food Group represents a major milestone along the path to achieving healthy oceans,” said Bill Wareham, SeaChoice representative and marine conservation specialist with the David Suzuki Foundation. “OFG is going to be one of the first seafood retailers in Canada to show how companies can play a significant leadership role in realizing positive change for our oceans.”

As part of its early efforts to implement a sustainable seafood policy, the Overwaitea Food Group has dropped several red-listed products from its store shelves, including Chilean seabass, yellowfin tuna and orange roughy. The company is working to source more seafood options for its customers that meet SeaChoice’s green list criteria, which can be found online at www.seachoice.org.

“We congratulate OFG for its commitment to sustainable seafood. This partnership is a great example of how forward-thinking retailers can partner with organizations like SeaChoice to make a difference and improve the health of our oceans,” said Sabine Jessen, national manager of Oceans and Great Freshwater Lakes with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

Formed in 2006, SeaChoice is a national program that provides science-based sustainability assessments of seafood and helps Canadian businesses and consumers make sustainable seafood choices. More than 250,000 printed copies of the program’s guide to sustainable seafood, Canada’s Seafood Guide, are in circulation across the country.

SeaChoice is a joint initiative of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans Society and Sierra Club BC, and works in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.

For more information, contact:

Taina Uitto
National Manager, SeaChoice
(604) 685-7445 x 26 (office)
(604) 838-0942 (mobile)

Sutton Eaves
Communications Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation
(778) 829-3265

Or visit:

www.seachoice.org

Home, home but no range: Government failing the ABCs of habitat protection

Tue, 09 Jun 09 07:00:00 UT

TORONTO – Save Ontario’s Species (SOS), a coalition of leading environmental groups, is marking the first year of the coming into force of Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) with the release of its first ESA report card. The report card indicates that the province is setting itself up for failure.

Habitat loss is the number one threat to most endangered species in Ontario, so the identification and protection of all areas used by these species is crucial to their survival and recovery. To protect the habitat of ten “fast-track” species under the ESA, the Ministry of Natural Resources was to have completed ten habitat regulations by June 30, 2009. Now, with only nine of those ten regulations posted in draft form, it is clear that many of the regulations will fail in their primary goal – to protect the habitat needed to ensure the continued survival and recovery of the species, among them the American badger and the barn owl. At present, it is estimated that there are only 200 badgers and 5-10 pairs of barn owls remaining in Ontario.

“Our report card grades are based on the fact that habitat regulations are the most critical element of the new ESA, and it’s crucial we get these first ten right,” said Dr. Anne Bell, senior director of conservation and education for Ontario Nature. “These regulations are the first real test of whether the ESA is going to be effective.”

Animals and plants rely on a variety of areas throughout their life cycle—including spaces for breeding, rearing young, hibernating, migrating and feeding.

“Habitat means a lot more than just dens, nests and roosts,” says Rachel Plotkin, biodiversity policy analyst, David Suzuki Foundation. “Like people, species need areas to find food and to move around, not just a den to sleep in.”

The report card identifies significant failings in the key areas of translating sound science into strong policy. Five of the nine posted regulations were awarded poor or failing grades.

“Ontario has the best endangered species act in the world, and it’s being gutted one regulation at a time,” says Janet Sumner, executive director, CPAWS-Wildlands League. “When climate change and habitat fragmentation are driving our ecosystems to their knees we need more, not less, protection for species.”

The government failed to post a draft habitat regulation for woodland caribou in time to meet the June 30 deadline. As a result, logging and road-building continue and forest management planning proceeds without any clear direction from government about habitat protection.

“Each day that goes by without a habitat regulation for the woodland caribou brings the species that much closer to extinction,” says Catharine Grant, boreal campaigner, ForestEthics.

The absence of a draft habitat regulation for the woodland caribou is a violation of a commitment made by the government of Ontario to regulate habitat for ten species by June 30, 2009.

“Woodland caribou face great peril from ongoing activities, such as logging, in its critical habitat,” said Justin Duncan, coordinating lawyer, Ecojustice. “Delaying this regulation will have serious ecological, and possibly legal, implications that cannot be dismissed by our government.”

The draft habitat regulations are posted for comment until June 15, 2009 online at: http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTA2NDI0&statusId=MTU5NjA4&language=en

The SOS report card can be found at: www.saveontariospecies.ca

For more information contact:
Anne Bell, Ontario Nature – (416) 444-8419 ext. 239; 416-659-2339 (cell)
Rachel Plotkin, David Suzuki Foundation – (613) 796-7999
Janet Sumner, CPAWS-Wildlands League – (416) 971-9453 ext. 39
Catharine Grant, ForestEthics – (416) 597-1904 ext. 3
Justin Duncan, Ecojustice – (416) 368-7533 ext. 25

About Save Ontario's Species: S.O.S. is a collaboration among CPAWS Wildlands League, the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, ForestEthics and Ontario Nature.

Canadians invited to take the SeaChoice Sustainable Seafood Challenge this Oceans Day

Mon, 08 Jun 09 07:00:00 UT

VANCOUVER – As people around the world celebrate World Oceans Day, SeaChoice, Canada’s national sustainable seafood program, is challenging businesses, governments and consumers to take tangible steps over the next year toward ensuring a sustainable supply of seafood.

Officially designated by the United Nations this year, World Oceans Day is being celebrated on June 8, 2009 – more than 15 years after Canada proposed it at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. On this occasion, Canadians are being invited to take the SeaChoice Sustainable Seafood Challenge and do their part to support healthy oceans.

“If we want fish in the oceans for generations to come, we need to think and act in a sustainable way,” said Bill Wareham, SeaChoice representative and marine conservation specialist with the David Suzuki Foundation. “SeaChoice is calling on all Canadians to make a personal commitment to purchasing seafood that was harvested or produced in a way that does not harm marine species and environments.”

The SeaChoice Sustainable Seafood Challenge suggests several ways that consumers, retailers, industry and governments can work to ensure sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices that lead to healthy oceans:

Consumers can support healthy oceans by refusing to purchase endangered or redlisted fish species, and instead committing to use SeaChoice’s wallet-sized guide and new iPhone application to buy locally caught, sustainably harvested species.
Seafood retailers and suppliers can promote healthy oceans by working to source sustainable seafood products, and educate their customers and clients about the benefits of buying sustainable seafood.
Industries including commercial fisheries and seafood producers can support healthy oceans by seeking third-party eco-certification for their products, and by reforming their fisheries toward sustainability best practices.
Federal and provincial governments can promote healthy oceans by investing in sustainable fishing technologies and practices, including better monitoring of fish stocks, recording bycatch (species unintentionally caught during fishing), putting observers on boats to monitor fishing practices, and changing the required fishing gear for fisheries to more sustainable equipment.

“There’s a lot people can do to reduce the demand for seafood from illegal, unsustainable and poorly managed fisheries,” said Rob Johnson of the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax. “Consumers have significant power to change unsustainable practices in the fishing and aquaculture industries by choosing green-listed seafood from the SeaChoice sustainable seafood ranking list.”

Established in 2006, SeaChoice is a national program that provides science-based sustainability assessments of seafood to Canadian consumers, fishermen, chefs and retailers. More than 250,000 printed copies of the program’s guide to sustainable seafood, Canada’s Seafood Guide, are in circulation across the country. SeaChoice is led by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans Society and Sierra Club BC, and works in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.

For more information, please contact:
Taina Uitto
National Manager, SeaChoice
(604) 685-7445 x 26 (office)
(604) 838-0942 (mobile)
Or visit:
www.seachoice.org

Watchdog’s report shows federal government neglecting environmental protection

Tue, 12 May 09 07:00:00 UT

VANCOUVER - A report released today by the federal environment commissioner shows the government is letting Canadians down and ignoring the law, according to the David Suzuki Foundation. The report finds the federal government is lagging on climate change action and fish-habitat protection.

The report from Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner Scott Vaughan concludes that the federal government’s climate change approach is flouting the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act by failing to provide transparent and accountable data on our country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“This lack of transparency and accountability masks the fact that the federal government does not have a Canada-wide plan to achieve real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” says David Suzuki Foundation climate change specialist Ian Bruce. “For example, the federal government has yet to put in place regulations to reduce emissions for Canada’s major polluters. The government promised these regulations more than two years ago.”

The commissioner also found that fish habitat is not being adequately protected, in keeping with requirements outlined in the Fisheries Act. His report points out that many aspects of the Habitat Policy have yet to be adopted since it was implemented 23 years ago.

“Over the past few decades the Office of the Auditor General has clearly shown through audits that protection of fish habitat in Canada has taken a back seat to economic development,” says David Suzuki Foundation salmon conservation biologist John Werring. “This latest audit shows that little has changed since the last audit in 2001, and that is truly disappointing.”

According to Werring, the primary need right now is to for both DFO and Environment Canada to improve their monitoring, compliance and enforcement capabilities. To do this, they need political support.

- 30 -

For further information:
Sutton Eaves, Communications Specialist, Marine and Freshwater
seaves@davidsuzuki.org

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

Moving beyond the carbon tax in B.C.’s election

Wed, 06 May 09 07:00:00 UT

By Peter Robinson

B.C. VOTERS can take heart that the environment is a key issue in this election. That all three major parties have made the environment central to their platforms gives citizens the opportunity to push whichever party forms government to follow through with its promises.

Inevitably, though, campaigns tend to boil issues down to either-or, black or white, left or right. When it comes to protecting the planet that sustains us, things aren’t always that simple. In this election, much of the debate has been about the carbon tax, or about carbon tax versus cap-and-trade. But it isn’t an either-or proposition, and climate policy shouldn’t be the only focus. (Click on headings for more information.)

Putting a price on carbon is important
The reasons for this focus are easy to understand: Global warming is one of the most critical issues facing humanity today. Most climate scientists, environmentalists and economists believe that putting a price on carbon, through a carbon tax or cap-and-trade – or better yet, both – is a highly effective tool in the fight against climate change. A think tank at the University of Ottawa, Sustainable Prosperity, recently said that B.C., with its carbon tax and developing cap-and-trade system under the Western Climate Initiative, has the best climate policy in Canada.

But carbon tax needs improvement
That doesn’t mean our province’s climate plan is perfect – a point made clear by Sustainable Prosperity. To fully realize the benefits from transforming our economy to one that is greener and more productive, the price on carbon will need to go higher. Furthermore, much of the good that comes from carbon-pricing could be undone by things such as unnecessary highway expansion and increased oil and gas production.

It’s not all about the carbon tax
There’s also important work to be done on issues such as endangered-wildlife and habitat protection, pesticide use, salmon-farming, run-of-river power, and oil and gas exploration. The three main parties agree on some of these issues, but are far apart on others.

Endangered species protection
All three agree on the need to protect endangered wildlife and habitat, although their approaches vary. B.C. has a rich biological legacy, yet experts tell us that hundreds of plants and animals are at risk of disappearing, including rare desert flowers, grizzly bears, orcas, great blue herons and many songbirds.

The province needs a Species and Ecosystem Protection Act to ensure our biological richness flourishes in the face of climate change and other threats. This includes protection for the places where plants and animals live, in order to maintain biodiversity and help keep ecosystems resilient to the impacts of climate change. Whoever wins this election will need to move quickly to increase protection for species at risk, as many of B.C.’s plants and animals are in imminent danger.

Run-of-river power
One area that has been the subject intense debate in this election is of run-of-river power. Run-of-river power could be an important part of the clean-energy mix needed to help British Columbia address the issue of climate change, and a key aspect of the provincial government’s environmental agenda.

But before going further, B.C. needs an overarching strategy to make sure enough water continues to flow in our rivers to support basic ecosystem functions, including wildlife and habitat needs such as salmon spawning, and to prevent wild spaces from being fragmented by access roads and power lines. So far, the parties have been unable to agree on the right approach, which is unfortunate, as each party’s platform contains important elements for a comprehensive energy plan.

Oil and gas
Oil and gas is another divisive issue. We believe the current moratorium on drilling for oil and gas on the B.C coast must be maintained and oil tankers must be prevented from threatening the B.C. coastline. The risks are just too high compared to the alleged benefits. It’s time to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and invest instead in energy conservation and renewable energy.

Fish farms
Fish farms pose additional threats to our coast. Scientific studies show that sea lice from salmon farms are putting wild salmon at risk of extinction. B.C. must not allow any new farms, and must enforce protection for wild fish and invest in a closed-tank industry that can provide jobs and protect the environment.

Cosmetic pesticides
Two of the top election issues, health and the environment, intersect when it comes to the use of pesticides that can be toxic to humans. Several provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, have banned or proposed banning the use of unnecessary pesticides used to keep lawns and gardens looking good. And close to 20 towns and cities in B.C. have passed bylaws restricting the use of these pesticides, but the province has not yet followed suit.

Let the politicians know you care
These aren’t the only environmental issues in this campaign, but they are among the most urgent. Voters should look at the records and the platforms of the parties on these issues and encourage their candidates to address all the significant environmental issues facing British Columbia.

Let’s deliver a mandate to those elected to represent our interests on May 12: Continue to make B.C. not just the “best place on Earth” but the greenest as well.

Peter Robinson is CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation.

Species at Risk Act only working for the Banff Springs snail

Thu, 30 Apr 09 07:00:00 UT

OTTAWA, ON – When it comes to saving Canada’s most vulnerable plants and animals from extinction, a new report card by conservation groups shows the federal government has failed miserably – ducking its own laws and ignoring scientific evidence to avoid protecting habitat essential for species’ survival. Unless significant changes are made to the implementation of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA), it will have a legacy of protecting little more than the diminutive Banff Springs Snail.

The report card, produced by Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund), David Suzuki Foundation, Nature Canada and Environmental Defence coincides with the mandatory five-year review of the Act. It exposes a federal government that is dodging its legal responsibilities. A grade of ‘F’ is doled out twice in the report: first for failing to take measures to protect the habitat of at-risk species, and again for refusing to ever employ the federal “safety net,” which is meant to protect SARA-listed species under provincial jurisdiction when provincial governments fail to protect them.

“There are 449 species listed under SARA and next to none are receiving adequate protection. Instead of working to protect Canada’s endangered species, the federal government is working to evade the law intended to protect them,” said Susan Pinkus, Ecojustice conservation biologist. Indeed, resident killer whales are the only species to have been given habitat protection outside of existing parks, and only following litigation by environmental organizations.

So far, the Banff Springs Snail, which exists only in Banff National Park, is the sole species to be given an action plan in the Act’s six-year history. Countless other species like the Boreal woodland caribou, Northern spotted owl and polar bear continue to disappear with no effective help from the federal government.

“The Act itself actually has strong components, such as the required identification and protection of habitat that species need to survive and recover, based on the best available science,” said Rachel Plotkin, biodiversity policy analyst, David Suzuki Foundation.

The report card singles out the Department of Fisheries and Oceans as the worst offender for routinely failing to even acknowledge that marine fish need SARA’s protection. The federal government receives listing recommendations from COSEWIC, a body of independent scientists. While 77 per cent of COSEWIC species have been listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, a mere 35 per cent of the marine fish species assessed by COSEWIC have been listed, and none of these were in categories that lead to any protection from harm.

“We’re seeing a consistent pattern of failure,” said Aaron Freeman, policy director for Environmental Defence. “For seven years, scientists have been presenting clear data on how to save endangered plants and animals, but bureaucrats are ignoring this evidence, pretending they don’t know which species are endangered, where these species live, or how to help them.”

“Our hope is that the five-year review will put a stop to government noncompliance so the Act can reach its full potential and finally give species and their habitats real protection,” said Sarah Wren, Nature Canada conservation biologist.

The announcement comes as environmental groups represented by Ecojustice are preparing for a week in court (May 4 to 7) in an effort to prove what the report card uncovers: that the federal government is unlawfully avoiding the identification of critical habitat for endangered species. The case, centering on an endangered BC minnow, the Nooksack dace, could set an important precedent requiring the government to obey the law when it comes to identifying critical habitat.

For a copy of the report card, click here.

For more information, please contact:
Susan Pinkus, Conservation Biologist, Ecojustice, 604-685-5618 ext 289, cell 604-537-6407
Keith Ferguson, Staff Lawyer, Ecojustice (604) 685 5618 Ext: 287
Rachel Plotkin, Biodiversity Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation, cel 613-796-7999
Sarah Wren, Conservation Biologist, Nature Canada, 613-562-3447 ext.300
Jennifer Foulds, Communications Director, Environmental Defence, 416-323-9521 ext 232, cel 416-647-280-9521
Aaron Freeman, Policy Director, Environmental Defence, (613) 564-0007, cell (613) 697-7281

For high resolution photos and b-roll of endangered species, please contact:
Aaron Freeman, Policy Director, Environmental Defence, (613) 564-0007, cell (613) 697-7281