Blue Dot’s next challenge: Federal Environmental Rights

Posted on 16 November 2016 by SpeakToTheWild

November 16, 2016 | By Amy Juschka for BlueDot.ca

Today in Montreal, David Suzuki will announce the second phase of the Blue Dot movement.

“In two short years, more than 100,000 people have joined the Blue Dot movement for environmental rights, and 145 cities and towns have recognized these rights at the local level,” Suzuki said. “We’ve reached a critical mass and are now turning to the next phase of this campaign — a federal environmental bill of rights.”

Suzuki and a panel of experts will be joined online and in person for a national town hall to plan this next phase of the campaign. It seeks the legal recognition of the right to a healthy environment — including the right to clean air and water, safe food and a stable climate — for everyone in Canada. This is a major step towards the campaign’s ultimate objective of enshrining environmental rights in our Constitution, something already enjoyed by 110 countries worldwide, but not Canada.

“Donald Trump’s recent victory in the United States demonstrates the importance of guaranteeing rights to environmental protection,” Suzuki said. “Issues as important as clean air and water should not be left at the mercy of political cycles.” Continue reading →

The time has come to take S2W to the next level

Posted on 13 February 2014 by SpeakToTheWild

Dear friends of Speak to the Wild

The message that follows this e-mail appeared in my inbox a few days ago. Reading it, I was put in mind of our collective decision last autumn to work for meaningful change in Canada, how important that is.

The time has come to take Speak to the Wild to the next level. Our most immediate task is to finalize our S2W Declaration, currently in draft form. Emily McGiffin will shortly be in touch with you about this. When you hear from her, please take the time to be involved. This is our chance to make our feelings known and have our voices heard. Continue reading →

Santa’s reindeer’s cousins in growing trouble across Canada, new report finds

Posted on 19 December 2013 by SpeakToTheWild

Ottawa – In the first annual assessment of how well provinces and territories are enacting the requirements for conservation plans under the federal government’s National Recovery Strategy for Boreal Woodland Caribou, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) find the majority are lagging behind badly.

“We gave low grades to six of the nine provinces and territories that still shelter boreal woodland caribou on their overall performance in conserving caribou over the past year. The only bright news is that three jurisdictions – Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories — received “medium” grades because they have made some welcome progress in conserving Santa’s reindeer’s Canadian cousins,” says Eric Hebert-Daly, CPAWS National Executive Director.

Boreal Woodland Caribou by Tin Can Forest

Canada’s boreal woodland caribou are of the same family as domesticated “reindeer” found in Nordic countries. However, more than half of Canada’s boreal woodland caribou populations are estimated to be at risk of extinction.

Continue reading →