Tag Archives: Environmental Defence Fund

Earth

FEDS ADD PLASTIC TO TOXIC SUBSTANCES LIST

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This Plastic Free July The Environmental Defence Canada organization is calling out Canada’s top plastic polluters, also known as Big Plastic—the companies that turn oil and gas into plastics.

This spring, the federal government added plastic to the Toxic Substances List under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The listing means Canada can better manage the production, use and disposal of plastic and it will be required to address the harms caused by plastic in the environment. This is progress! But now Canada is being sued by its three biggest plastic producers—NOVA Chemicals, Dow Chemical and Imperial Oil—in an effort to prevent any regulations that would help reduce plastic pollution.

To add insult to injury, Big Plastic insists plastic is safe and necessary while blaming others, namely society and municipal waste systems, for the havoc their products wreak on our environment.  Big Plastic has been flying under the radar for too long. It’s time to call them out!
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Canada now finds itself on the front lines of a war waged by high-priced lawyers and public relations professionals on behalf of some of the biggest companies in the world. Instead of being part of the solution, Big Plastic is rolling out trashy tactics to protect its bottom line and increase production.  

Help us call out NOVA Chemicals, Dow Chemical and Imperial Oil for suing the federal government. Let’s hold them accountable for their role in creating one of the world’s biggest pollution crises.  

Not on Twitter? No problem! You can still take action. If you haven’t already, tell the federal government that you support regulations to end Canada’s plastic pollution problem. Help us spread the word by sharing this action on Facebook or simply forwarding this email to your family and friends. Together for change,
For the Silo, Karen Wirsig.
Earth

Record Number Of Clean Beach Blue Flags Now Flying

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More Canadian beaches and
marinas awarded Blue Flags

2018 is another record year for Canada’s waterfronts, 27 beaches and nine marinas have been awarded a coveted Blue Flag, including our very first coastal flag at beautiful Aboiteau Beach, NB. The Blue Flag is the internationally recognized symbol of environmental excellence for beaches and marinas. Read on to find the best waterside spots to spend your Victoria Day weekend.
Time for
the Government
to step up on
plastic waste		 Only 11 per cent of Canada’s plastic waste is recycled.  Let that sink in for a minute.  This problem goes way beyond individual changes, we need the Federal Government to step up and take meaningful action before it’s too late. Sign the petition now to ask for a plastic free environment.
Banned chemicals found in products that babies chew, play and nap on A new study reveals that 86 per cent of tested products sold in Canada contain toxic chemicals, some of which are banned. Baby bibs, blankets and more were found to contain water and stain resistant chemicals linked to hormone disruption, and even cancer. Find out how you can take action.
Tell Canada that all high-carbon projects need an impact assessment What the frack?! The Canadian government is proposing to exempt fracking and in situ tar sands from the new federal environmental review process. We have until June 1st to fix this – send a letter now to tell the government that ALL high-carbon projects should get an impact assessment.
Earth

Support Needed To Ensure Clean Water Supplies In Ontario Greenbelt

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Dear Silo, in December last year 2017, the Province launched a consultation process on expanding the Greenbelt to protect critical water resources in Ontario. While several significant water systems are included in the proposal, key vulnerable areas are missing.

We have 24 hours to tell the government to expand their proposal to ensure clean water supplies for future generations.

Over 1.25 million people in our region rely on groundwater for their drinking needs. And, our lakes and wetlands are home to numerous at-risk species of fish and wildlife. We urgently need features like moraines, wetlands and headwaters that filter and store water protected from the impacts of urban sprawl and climate change.

9 in 10 Ontarians support the Greenbelt’s protection of water, farmland and nature. You can be one of them.

Together we can grow the Greenbelt to protect our most precious resource, water.

Thank you,

Susan Lloyd Swail
Livable Communities, Senior Manager

P.S. you can read our blog to learn more.

Earth

It Will Cost Over $45 Billion To Clean Up Alberta Toxic Tailings Ponds

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The numbers are staggering. For over 50 years, the tars sands industry in Alberta has been producing a toxic brew of water, sand, silt and petrochemical waste products and storing them in what the industry refers to as “tailings ponds”.  And, the volumes are only growing – surpassing 1 TRILLION litres, covering an area greater than Toronto and Vancouver combined!

Won’t you help us fight to clean up this mess?

Every day 25 million new litres of tailings are added to the ever growing toxic tailings ponds. These tailings ponds leach toxic chemicals, like lead, mercury, arsenic and benzene – putting local and downstream communities at risk. First Nations living in Fort Chipewyan, 200 km downstream from the oil sands development sites, have experienced higher than normal rates of cancer as a result.

We cannot stand idly by and do nothing.

We are working hard to ensure that regulations are implemented that are stringent, binding and effective. And, that they reduce the volume of tailings, guarantee existing tailings ponds are treated at a faster rate than they are produced and make oil sands companies bear full financial responsibility for the cleanup (now estimated at over $45 billion and growing).

With my sincere gratitude,

Dale Marshall
National Program Manager

P.S. We just released our report on Alberta’s tailings ponds – you can read it and check out the live trackings of tailings ponds volume and clean up liability here.
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Environmental Defence Canada – 116 Spadina Avenue, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2K6

Featured image- blogs.nelson.wisc.edu/es112albertasaskatchewan301/water/