This edition of EcoNews includes the Conservation Council’s hopeful praise for New Brunswick’s climate action plan, polling that shows Canadians support stronger policies on greenhouse gas reductions, the growing momentum to ban glyphosates in the forest, an update on how the great tree hunt is going, and Matt Abbott on Irving Pulp and Paper being charged with illegal dumping into St. John River.
“This plan rests with the best in the country:” Louise Comeau on NB Climate Action Plan
Louise Comeau, the Conservation Council’s Climate and Energy Solutions Director, is applauding the NB Climate Action Plan announced on Dec. 7th that includes a phase-out of coal and a carbon-pricing mechanism. “This plan rests with the best in the country,” Comeau told CBC. “It is very good — if it’s fully implemented and that of course is what our work needs to do.” Comeau heralded the seriousness of the plan as indicative of the formation of a Cabinet Committee chaired by the Premier and a legislative committee that will assess annual progress. Comeau told Global News, “It’s a good day for workers because if you want to work in energy efficiency or renewable energy, this is a plan that will be the funding that will deliver those jobs.” On CTV, Comeau said, “We have targets for energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reductions and for getting electric vehicles on the road. These are critical to driving climate action.”
Majority of Canadians support climate action, says new poll
A strong majority of Canadians support new regulations on energy efficiency, cleaner fuels and renewable energy, says a comprehensive new poll conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal. The survey of over 1,200 Canadians found that a strong majority of them believe a shift toward clean energy would bring a broad range of benefits, including cleaner air and improved public health, reduced carbon pollution, new green jobs and increased technological innovation. Read more here.
New Brunswick’s largest ever petition calls for ban of glyphosates in the forest
The work of New Brunswickers to ban glyphosates in forestry in the province marked a milestone on Dec. 6th when it collected the largest number of signatures to any petition ever tabled in the Legislative Assembly. To date, almost 28,000 New Brunswickers have signed a hard copy petition against spraying glyphosates in the forest in just over a year. This petition is also one of many similar petitions against herbicides in the woods that have been tabled in the Legislature in just over a decade. Read more here.
Jeff Carr, MLA for New Maryland-Sunbury, David Coon, MLA for Fredericton South, and Jake Stewart, MLA for Miramichi Southwest at a gathering marking the tabling of another 13,000-some petition signatures against glyphosate spraying in New Brunswick on Dec. 6, 2016. Photo by Nick Hawkins.
“Silver maple: the mangroves of the Maritimes:” David Palmer on the great tree hunt
The hunt to find the next great trees of New Brunswick for a book to be published in 2017 was the topic covered on CBC Maritime Noon on Dec. 2nd. David Palmer, a retired forester who is collaborating with the Conservation Council on the project, talked about the stunning oak, elm and balsam fir trees that people have nominated for inclusion in the book and how he hopes more of New Brunswick’s native trees can be included in the second edition of The Great Trees of New Brunswick. Palmer called the silver maples along the St. John River bank, the “mangrove of the Maritimes.” One listener expressed concern for his favourite tree, the sugar maple, which he said is being threatened with the conversion of natural forest to spruce plantations. To nominate your great tree, email Tracy at forest@conservationcouncil.caor call 506 458-8747. Follow the conversation on our great trees on Facebook.
Matt Abbott on Irving Pulp and Paper being charged with illegal dumping into St. John River
Irving Pulp and Paper is facing 15 counts of illegal dumping into the St. John River. The company is alleged to have violated the Fisheries Act between June 2014 and August 2016 at its Reversing Falls mill in Saint John. Matt Abbott, the Conservation Council’s Fundy Baykeeper, told CBC on Dec. 1st that, “It raises a lot of questions. Did someone know something was going on and then did it keep occurring, or was it stopped the minute it was found out about?”
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