Lawsuit challenges Baird over proposed Irving oil refinery

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on Lawsuit challenges Baird over proposed Irving oil refinery

Fredericton, NB — Canada’s Environment Minister John Baird is facing a lawsuit for his lax treatment of Irving Oil’s proposal to construct a massive oil refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick. Environmental groups commenced the lawsuit to ensure that the multi-billion dollar refinery — which is expected to generate 3 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year — faces the full scrutiny of an environmental assessment by the federal government.

Read More

Canada under fire for flouting federal global warming law

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on Canada under fire for flouting federal global warming law

(Ottawa, November 29, 2007)  Just days before Canadian Environment Minister John Baird leaves for the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Canada is facing a second legal challenge for missing a key deadline under global warming legislation passed into law earlier this year. The government was served late yesterday with a second Application for Judicial Review for violating the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act (KPIA), the Canadian federal law that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions according to the Kyoto Protocol commitment.

Read More

Canada facing legal challenge for breaking global warming law

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on Canada facing legal challenge for breaking global warming law

OTTAWA — The Government of Canada is once again facing a legal challenge for failing to take action on global warming — this time for refusing to respect a federal law that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Late yesterday an Application for Judicial Review was filed with the Federal Court seeking to force the Government to comply with the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act.

Read More

First global warming lawsuit launched against Canada

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on First global warming lawsuit launched against Canada

(Ottawa, Canada, May 29, 2007) — Friends of the Earth Canada has launched a landmark lawsuit today against the Government of Canada for abandoning its international commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. Filed in Federal Court in Ottawa by Canada’s foremost environmental law organization, Sierra Legal, the lawsuit alleges that the federal government is violating Canadian law by failing to meet its binding international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Read More

Dirty deal: Environment Minister exempts refinery from environmental impact assessment

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on Dirty deal: Environment Minister exempts refinery from environmental impact assessment

(Ottawa, May 24, 2007) Following closely on the heels of Environment Minister John Baird’s decision to exempt industry from hard caps on greenhouse gas emissions, the Minister has today exempted from assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act the first Canadian oil refinery to be built since global warming became a concern. Irving Oil plans to build a colossal $7 billion dollar, 300,000 barrel/day refinery adjacent to its existing refinery in Saint John.

Read More

Independant inquiry exposes Canada’s lax enforcement on water pollution

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on Independant inquiry exposes Canada’s lax enforcement on water pollution

(Toronto, February 5, 2007) Environmental groups commend the Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) for the integrity of its work in the independent inquiry into Canada’s lax enforcement of the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations (PPER). The Factual Record released today, documents byzantine processes and questionable decisions in what should be straightforward measures to enforce a pollution law in place since 1992.

Read More

CPP investment in repressive dictatorship cause for concern

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on CPP investment in repressive dictatorship cause for concern

(December 18, 2006, London, Ontario) Friends of the Earth-Canada and Canadian Friends of Burma will challenge the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board’s (CPPIB) use of pension fund monies to finance the government of Burma (also known as Myanmar), reputed to be the most vicious and repressive dictatorship in the world. The public meeting will take place tonight from 5 pm to 6:30 pm at the Four Points Hotel, 1150 Wellington Road South in London, Ontario. CPPIB is a major stockholder in Ivanhoe Mines, registered as a Canadian company holding 50% of the Myanmar Ivanhoe Copper Company — the other 50% is held by the Burma government’s Ministry of Mines.

Read More

‘Dirty’ Air Act — deceptive and disastrous

Posted By: Friends of the Earth Canada Comments Off on ‘Dirty’ Air Act — deceptive and disastrous

(Toronto, October 19, 2006) The Bill unveiled in Parliament today deliberately deceives Canadians. “Under Harper’s ‘Dirty’ Air Act, Big Oil wins and the average Canadian chokes,” says Beatrice Olivastri, Chief Executive Officer, Friends of the Earth. “There is nothing to protect Canadians from dirty air or climate chaos — no targets for real reductions of pollution, no schedules that nail down deadlines for reductions.”

Read More