© Conservation Council of New Brunswick 2024
In this edition of EcoNews, we’re celebrating some of our considerable successes this year with you, our greatest supporters. These victories are things we’ve been working toward for years, including a government commitment to put more restrictions on pesticide and herbicide use, plans to eliminate the provincial loophole overcharging residents at the fuel pumps and a promise to fully electrify New Brunswick’s school bus fleet.
These are major steps forward and are only possible thanks to the donors who support our efforts each year. Hundreds of individual donors allow us to remain independent and continue fighting for clean water, healthy forests and affordable climate solutions that benefit everyone in New Brunswick.
Scroll down to read more about some of our big wins and other work this year. These are only a fraction of the achievements we’ve covered in this newsletter in 2024, so, if you missed some of that news, click below to explore even more of the progress we’ve made together:
This Giving Tuesday, let’s show what the power of a passionate community of engaged individuals can achieve. Join us today to make an even bigger impact tomorrow!
Tell the Facts — Taking a stand against misinformation
In late 2023, Alberta’s government began running misleading and fear-based ads in New Brunswick about the federal clean electricity regulations. So, we decided to hit back with the facts.
With only a fraction of the Alberta government’s budget (it spent $8 million in taxpayer money) thousands of people visited our counter website to send letters to Ottawa demanding stronger clean electricity regulations to support a carbon-neutral future.
Following this push, we recognized a major need to counter this kind of environmental misinformation, so this fall, we revamped the website as a misinformation portal that tackles all kinds of environmental lies and false narratives.
Click below to check out the website if you haven’t already done so. And, if you come across any environmental misinformation, use our reporting tool to submit it to us so we can Tell the Facts!
More restrictions to come on glyphosate spraying
Despite our limited staff resources, our team has kept fighting against glyphosate-based herbicide spraying this year. And, after years of effort, the government has finally announced it will consider banning aerial spraying and plans to put more restrictions on herbicide use, something we demanded when we appeared before the government’s standing committee on climate change and environmental stewardship in 2021.
This progress didn’t happen overnight. Thousands of New Brunswickers connected with our campaign against glyphosate-like herbicides this year, joining us in writing to the provincial government and nearly doubling the number of letters sent to the government compared to last year.
Click below to read the news release we issued during our campaign this summer, sharing our concerns with this outdated forest management process:
Citizens' Assembly on Electricity Affordability and Energy Poverty
Nearly one in three New Brunswickers experience energy poverty despite the province having some of the lowest electricity rates. This is largely because of energy-inefficient homes, meaning we need to use more energy to stay warm in the winter or cool in the summer. Addressing energy poverty means we can use fewer resources to generate the power to keep us comfortable.
After the success of our New Brunswick citizens’ assembly on energy affordability in 2023, we wanted to expand the assembly Atlantic-wide. So, this spring, we organized an Atlantic assembly on energy affordability to find solutions to this problem.
More than a dozen passionate individuals from across the Atlantic region came together to find practical fixes for lowering energy costs, boosting household efficiency and addressing energy poverty. The resulting declaration, developed by participants, offers clear recommendations to guide our governments and utilities toward a fair and sustainable energy future.
Click below to read the declaration and our report from the assembly!
Fuel pricing fix
New Brunswickers have been paying more than they should be at the fuel pumps for some time. For too long, a loophole created by the New Brunswick government allowed fossil fuel companies to shift the costs of Canada’s clean fuel regulations—meant to make fuels cleaner—onto you, the consumer.
We uncovered this issue back in 2023 and made sure New Brunswickers knew what was happening. This year, we fought hard at Energy and Utilities Board hearings to stop these unfair charges, pushing for a solution that puts the responsibility back where it belongs: on fossil fuel companies.
In a recent huge win, the government has now promised to remove this unnecessary charge from fuel prices, ensuring New Brunswickers aren’t footing the bill for the fossil fuel industry’s clean-up. This victory is a direct result of our advocacy and your support.
Click below to see what we said about the carbon adjustor loophole when we discovered it last year:
Let's Switch on Hope
This year, our Switch on Hope campaign tackled energy poverty head-on. At the campaign’s launch event in Saint John in February, people from all walks of life came together to discuss how to lower energy costs and create a clean energy future. We also debuted two music videos featuring songs about energy poverty created by local youth with guidance from musician Matthew Elliott, also known as Stephen Hero.
The event shed light on the unique stories behind each video, offering an inspiring glimpse into the creative journey that unfolded during Elliott’s From Harm to Harmony residency and mentorship program last summer. It was a powerful community moment, sparking important conversations about energy poverty in New Brunswick and pathways to solutions.
Click below to check out our Switch on Hope webpage, which is filled with tips and resources to help families save on their energy bills while reducing emissions. Also, check out the videos for the songs Yeet Scream and Already Here!
Questioning the candidates
The environment directly impacts the cost of living, your health and the strength of your community. Clean air, safe water, affordable energy and a healthy environment are all connected to our quality of life.
That’s why we wanted people to vote for the environment during the recent provincial election. So, we worked to put together some key environmental questions New Brunswickers could ask their MLA candidates.
The election may be over, but that doesn’t mean we should stop holding our politicians accountable for protecting the environment.
You can click below to check out the questions we shared and what we wanted to see our MLAs commit to during the election season:
Driving towards a healthier future
For nearly a century, the iconic yellow-orange school bus has been a familiar symbol of education across Canada. But the exhaust from these diesel, gas and propane-powered buses is putting our kids’ health at risk.
Our team has continued to push the government to adopt electric school buses as part of a low-polluting, healthy transportation system for children in New Brunswick. This year, we got our biggest win since we started this work, with the provincial government promising to fully electrify our school bus fleet by 2035.
So much hard work went into advocating for this promise, including partnering with Ecology Action Centre and N.B. Lung to release the electric school bus report Driving Towards a Healthier Future.
You can click below to read that report. Rest assured that despite this year’s victory, we are committed to holding the government accountable for this promise.
Challenging Global Seafood Alliance's greenwashing of industrial salmon farming
Our marine conservation director, Matt Abbott, works incredibly hard to protect the marine life and coastal beauty we all love. Whether it’s supporting work to protect endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale or participating in national conservation plans, Matt’s marine policy and advocacy work has continued to make a tremendous impact at the local and national levels to keep protecting New Brunswick’s oceans.
That includes calling out the greenwashing of industrial salmon farming that is a major source of ocean pollution. This year, Matt joined more than 70 environmental and community organizations to call out Global Seafood Alliance for its continued greenwashing of industrial salmon farming with its latest version of the Best Aquaculture Practices certification.
In the statement below, Matt points out that this certification is a form of greenwashing that prioritizes protecting the salmon farming industry over wild fish and marine life. The standard really just confirms an operation’s legal compliance and status quo farming practices, with numerous BAP-certified facilities found to be environmentally negligent.
Water strategy review failed to make a splash
The provincial government took a great step forward to protect water quality in New Brunswick by releasing its water strategy in 2017. However, when we examined this year’s government review and progress report on the water plan, it painted a disappointing picture and lacked a clear direction forward.
Many of the water plan’s actions remained undone at the time of the mid-point review, and some other commitments have been watered down, including plans to conserve coastal areas and do more research on blue-green algae.
We shared our full thoughts on the review and report in this commentary:
Saint John mill makeover concerns
This year, we submitted our comments on the environmental impact assessment for Irving Pulp and Paper’s proposed upgrades to the Reversing Falls Mill. Our concerns included potential ecological impacts, increased production and emissions and issues with how emissions data is being normalized. Click below to read our full submission:
Understanding wind chill factors while Learning Outside
For our Learning Outside director, Dr. Nadine Ives, wind chill is inconvenient but also a teachable moment.
This winter, Dr. Ives added a new layer to her weather activities by focusing on wind chill. Why? Because it’s not always as cold as your phone suggests — or sometimes it may be colder. Many schools keep students indoors when the temperature, factoring in wind chill, dips below -20C. However, the outdoor spaces where students learn are often sheltered and far less windy than open areas. Students, parents and teachers can better embrace outdoor learning opportunities even in chilly weather by understanding wind chill and the actual conditions in their environment.
This year our Learning Outside program connected nearly 1,000 children with nature and expanded to four new schools. Through hands-on experiences, students learn to appreciate the environment year-round — whether it’s reading the frost on a thermometer in January or spotting the first signs of spring in April.
Looking ahead, we have big plans to grow our educational programming and reach even more young minds. Stay tuned for updates on what’s next!
We work hard to ensure a strong environmental voice is heard in New Brunswick’s print, radio and television media. Last year, our staff appeared in the media more than 50 times to shed light on ongoing environmental issues and success in New Brunswick. Here are some of the biggest stories Conservation Council staff have been called upon for expertise, analysis and commentary this year:
Conservation Council in the News
Oct. 7 | During the provincial election, we urged political parties to recognize climate action as essential to addressing dominate issues like affordability and health care. Danielle Smith, our director of climate engagement and campaigns, told the CBC that the impacts of climate change — such as rising insurance claims, heat-related illnesses and energy costs — are directly linked to personal health and economic challenges. Read the story.
Aug. 20 | What will it take for New Brunswick to learn a costly lesson and finally say no to more nuclear power? Point Lepreau, Atlantic Canada’s only nuclear power station, shut down again this year, costing nearly $1 million per day. Our director of climate solutions, Dr. Moe Qureshi, told Canada’s National Observer that relying on this expensive technology makes no sense when cheaper, reliable options like wind and solar exist. Read more.
July 1 | The federal government has moved to ban open net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029. Following the announcement, our marine director, Matt Abbott, spoke to the CBC, highlighting the significant impacts of this industry in New Brunswick. Despite support from the provincial government, Matt continues to advocate for a transition to closed-containment, land-based salmon farming. The problems of sea lice, disease and interbreeding between farm and wild salmon remain critical issues that have not been adequately addressed. Read the story.
June 17 | “Even if the province disagrees with the carbon tax, I do think it’s their responsibility to present the information as accurately and as transparently as possible.” That’s what Dr. Qureshi told the CBC after the provincial government launched a misleading web page about the federal carbon charge in the summer.
The website exaggerated the costs that consumers are likely to experience this year and failed to mention the rebates that Canadians receive through the pricing system. The New Brunswick government has a responsibility to tell the public the truth about the carbon price, Dr. Qureshi said, not to play misleading politics. Read the story.
May 28 | New Brunswick’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters are blowing past their emissions caps. However, as Dr. Qureshi told the CBC, the industrial carbon tax means these big industries now have to pay for pollution, incentivizing them to make changes. Read more.
April 3 | Dr. Qureshi explains to CBC’s Information Morning that climate change is fuelling the affordability crisis — not the carbon charge. Low-income households, Dr. Qureshi explains, benefit financially from this pollution pricing system. Listen to the interview.
March 5| In this spectacular story by Hakai Magazine, Matt Abbott, our director of marine conservation, briefly explains some of the work behind a decade of Indigenous-led restoration on the Skutik — a huge win for freshwater protection in New Brunswick. Read the story.
Feb. 20| In February, our executive director, Beverly Gingras, wrote a letter to the provincial government urging faster and more transparent action to complete New Brunswick’s water strategy following a provincial review of the plan. That review failed to outline promised plans to keep old medications that often get flushed down the toilet into New Brunswick’s waters. However, not long after, the Health Products Stewardship Association announced a program to return old pills and medical sharps to pharmacies. Find out more.
Feb. 13| We all know about the threat posed by climate change. While this is covered extensively, we often don’t get to see the wins made in the fight to keep our planet healthy. Dr. Qureshi spoke with the CBC to share some of these encouraging stories about how we tackle climate change in local communities. Listen to the interview.
Jan. 21| Dr. Qureshi explains why New Brunswick needs to continue to invest in energy efficiency programs to help homes lower their power bills as N.B. Power looks to increase power rates this year. Read the story.