April 1, 2012: Environment Summit Working Groups Event – coming soon! Please watch your email for a formal invitation. If you have not yet signed up for a Working Group, please do so below.
As a follow up to November’s well-attended Environment Summit with Stephane Dion, in February I organized a town hall featuring a panel of local scientists on Environmental Assessment: Can Development Occur Without Harming the Environment?
Watch the clip below for the Q + A segment of the discussion:
Moving Forward from Vancouver Quadra’s Environmental Summit
Held at the Kitsilano Community Centre
Moderated by Joyce Murray MP and Stéphane Dion MP
On November 13th, I hosted a summit on the environment for Vancouver Quadra. We were honoured to hear from Stéphane Dion MP, the former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, about his rich international experience designing strong, and effective, evidence based environmental policy.
The focus of this meeting was on the concerns and ideas of citizens of Vancouver Quadra. Through our discussion and deliberative process, the participants narrowed the list of 25 priorities raised, down to 5 critical issues, outlined in the table below.
| Our Economy and Our Environment |
To gain broader public support for action to protect the environment we must advance the concept that a healthy Canadian economy is dependent on a healthy environment and vice versa. |
| Climate Change | We need to ensure, that the negative effects of climate change are taken into account when planning an economic project. |
| Defend the right for Federal scientists to disclose their research to the public | As Canadians, we have the right, and responsibility, to access publicly funded research. Harper’s Conservative government continues to muzzle scientists from Environment Canada, and other ministries. The media must be able to transmit facts, not rhetoric, to Canadians. |
| Healthy Marine Environments | Our oceans are under threat, as fish populations and the biodiversity of these ecosystems continue to collapse. The ongoing threats of toxic pollution, from oil spills and other effluence, as well as climate change, threaten to destroy these habitats. |
| The Environment and Human Health | Many Canadians are not fully aware of the links between their personal/family members’ health problems, and environmental degradation. How can we help clarify and relay that information, to gain support for environmental policy change? |
My aim is to connect with those who are concerned about the government’s inaction on key environmental challenges, and help convert ideas into action. Moving forward, my office will facilitate your further discussion on these issues. Let’s get the Reform/Conservative government to start advancing effective and evidence based environmental policy!
The next step is to sign up for a working group to consider possible action.
