Reporting disease in fish a crime? Proposed B.C. law condemned by Friends of the Earth Canada

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(Ottawa, May 30, 2012) With the anticipated passage of Bill 37 — 2012 Animal Health Act tomorrow, British Columbia Minister of Agriculture Don McRae will be responsible for new and punitive legislation with heavy fines and imprisonment for people reporting diseased animals and fish. One provision of the pending legislation would make it illegal for journalists or scientists to report on animal illnesses at fish farms or other agricultural operations.

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Oh Canada — you’re not free to cut and run from Kyoto

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By my calculation, by the time Canada’s withdrawal kicks in one year from now, we will have had commitments under the Kyoto Protocol for five years less 19 days. Professor Nigel Bankes from the Faculty of Law at University of Calgary reviews law pertaining to withdrawal from an international environmental agreement in his blog.

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Asian Carp threat to Great Lakes

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Friends of the Earth, represented by their attorneys, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center and Ecojustice Canada, filed an amicus brief on November 22, 2011 urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the appeal by the States of Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. These States are in court to force the U.S. Corp of Engineers and other defendants to take urgent action to prevent the invasion of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes through the Chicago Area Water System.

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Friends of the Earth, Ecojustice fighting for polluter pays principle at Supreme Court

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Friends of the Earth, represented by Ecojustice, will appear before the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of Newfoundland and Labrador v. AbitibiBowater Inc. The Supreme Court is considering whether insolvent corporations in Canada must fulfill their past environmental obligations to the public or whether taxpayers must bear the full cost of an environmental clean-up. This is the first time Canada’s insolvency procedure is challenged to deal with the polluter pays principle, in this case, for historic contamination by AbitibiBowater’s mining, shipping and pulp and paper operations in Newfoundland.

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CEO’s statement in response to SCC’s decision on climate lawsuit

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Friends of the Earth is disappointed by the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to decline to hear our application to hold the federal government accountable for its lack of action in implementing the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act which was duly passed by Parliament in June 2007.

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World Water Day Celebration — Be True to Blue

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Manitou, Manitoba / Ottawa — In celebration of World Water Day, Friends of the Earth is launching its new water awareness project, “Be True To Blue” in Manitou, Manitoba in cooperation with the Pembina Valley Conservation District and the Manitoba Department of Water Stewardship. The launch takes place at Manitou Opera House on March 18 at 7:30 pm.

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Media advisory — World Water Day Celebration

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To celebrate World Water Day, Friends of the Earth and the Pembina Valley Conservation District (PVCD) will launch a new water outreach program, “Be True To Blue,” with the support of Manitoba Water Stewardship and RBC’s Blue Water Project and participation from RBC branches in Manitou, Morden, Winkler, Crystal City and Somerset.

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Canada back in court over Kyoto lawsuit

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OTTAWA — Lawyers for Friends of the Earth Canada gave the Government of Canada notice yesterday that they will be appealing a recent Federal Court decision in Canada’s first ever climate change lawsuit. The much anticipated appeal comes one week before the world gathers in Poznan, Poland for the next round of international climate change negotiations.

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Canada’s top court upholds right to launch environmental class action lawsuits

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OTTAWA — Environmental advocates are hailing a precedent-setting ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada today in the case of St. Lawrence Cement Inc. v. Barrette, which upheld the right for citizens to launch environmental class action lawsuits. Represented by pro bono lawyers from Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund) and the firm of Lauzon Bélanger, the Quebec Environmental Law Centre and Friends of the Earth Canada intervened in the dispute to defend the rights of Canadians to use class action procedures in environmental nuisance cases. The groups also sought to challenge a controversial Quebec Court of Appeal decision that would have prevented class action lawsuits over environmental harm.

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