[Sust-mar] News to share from the Nova Scotia Environmental Network

[Tamara Lorincz]

Dear Sust-Mar Friends,

We deeply mourn the tragic loss of an incredible ocean and marine life
champion, Dr. Ransom Myers, who passed away from incurable brain cancer on
Tuesday, March 27. His funeral will be held on Sunday, April 1 at 1pm at the
Halifax Marriot Harbourfront Hotel. Please watch this short video of Ram, go
to: http://www.voteocean.org/ He is greatly missed.

A couple of URGENT items plus event announcements from the Nova Scotia
Environmental Network (NSEN) FYI: 

(1)
THIS MONDAY AT 10AM:  A SPECIAL URGENT MEETING ON THE "ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS
AND SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY ACT" 
We have only a few days to respond to Bill No. 146 "Environmental Goals and
Sustainable Prosperity Act." I have scheduled a meeting to discuss this bill
along with some other important matters for the environmental community this
Monday from 10:00am-12:00pm at the boardroom of the Canadian Ethics in
Public Affairs, 630 Francklyn Street in Halifax (Atlantic School of Theology
Campus near Point Pleasant Park). Representatives from environmental groups
are especially encouraged to come. Light refreshments provided, but please
bring your water bottle, reusable coffee mug and your brown bag lunch. NDP
Environment Critic Michele Raymond may be able to join us. 

We must discuss:
1. Bill No. 146 "Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act" and how
to present before the committee.
2. Minister Mark Parent and Deputy Minister Bill Lahey of the Department of
Environment and Labour would like to have a meeting with environmental
groups in early May - we must discuss and plans this now. 
3. New Water Strategy that was just announced today by the Minister Parent
and NSEN's new Watershed Caucus:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20070330001
4. Share resources and make announcements about upcoming events and actions.


Last week, the Nova Scotia government tabled Bill No. 146 "Environmental
Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act". The Act is now in Second Reading and
going to Law Amendments early next week:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/bills/60th_1st/1st_read/b146.htm
To read the Hansard debate this week on the bill: 
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/house_business/status.html#146

*Sorry for this short notice, but please all environmental groups make an
effort to send a representative to this meeting on Monday. Thank you. 


(2)
HELP US PLAN AN EVENT FOR EARTH DAY - MEETING TUES. APR.3
Help us organize a big joint event in celebration of April 22 Earth Day. We
will be have our second meeting on Tuesday, April 3 from 5:30-6:30 PM in the
boardroom of the Ecology Action Centre, 2705 Fern Lane in Halifax
(http://www.ecologyaction.ca/). We have some great plans: Yoga for the Earth
(A big group outdoor yoga session), Film Screening, Litter Pick Up, O
Beautiful Gaia Performance and Recycled Clothes Fashion Show. About Earth
Day:  (www.earthday.ca) We need your help! If you can't make this meeting
but want to send ideas etc. Please contact Tamara at 454-6846 or email
nsen at cen-rce.org


(3)
NSEN FORMS WATERSHED CAUCUS - GET INVOLVED!
As a result of our NSEN meeting in the January, it is our intention to
attempt to form a Watershed Caucus. This will be primarily done by email.
Once we identify interested members we hope to set up our own listserv.
Initially Anna McCarron of the Coastal Guardian Program/Southern Nova Scotia
Piping Plover Conservation and Mil Nickerson of the Tuskett River
Environmental Protection Association will be acting as Co-chairs. For more
information and/or to get involved, please contact Mil at: 
miln at eastlink.ca


(4)
NSEN ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH CAUCUS MEETING - APRIL 4
The NSEN Environment and Health Working Group will be having its next
meeting on Wednesday, April 4 from 1-3pm  in the Boardroom of the Canadian
Cancer Society CCS office (5826 South St.) in Halifax. One of the issues
that we have identified to work on will be a province-wide ban on cosmetic
pesticides and greater provincial measures to reduce toxins in the
environment. New members with an interest in eliminating toxins and
pesticides in the environment are always welcome. To attend, please rsvp to:
Andrea Caven
Cancer Control Advocacy Coordinator
CCS-NSD
5826 South St., # 1
Halifax, NS
B3H 1S6
(902) 423-6183 (work)
(902) 429-6563 (fax)
(902) 895-0422 (home)
(902) 843-0081 (home fax)


(5) 
NSEN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CAUCUS - APRIL 18
The next EE Caucus meeting will be held at Environment Canada (Dartmouth) on
Wednesday April 18th from 9:30 - 11:30am. Exact location of the boardroom
will be sent closer to the date as will a draft agenda. New memebers with an
interest in environmental education always welcome. To attend, please rsvp
to:
Meghan Berrigan, 
Clean Nova Scotia
902.420.3475
meghan at clean.ns.ca
www.clean.ns.ca 
*If you can't make the meeting and would like to be added to the EEC caucus
email list, please contact Meghan. 


(6) 
NEW NSEN EMAIL ADDRESS COMING
By the end of March, NSEN will no longer be using nsen at web.net or
nsen at web.ca - PLEASE REMOVE THESE EMAIL ADDRESSES FROM YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
NSEN's NEW email address is: nsen at cen-rce.org Please update your email
addressbooks - thank you. 

(7)
UPCOMING EVENTS 

1. 
Renowned author and public speaker Stephen Lewis, former UN
Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, will be the
special guest speaker this Sunday April 1 at the nomination meeting of Alexa
McDonough, MP for Halifax and NDP candidate in the next federal election.
The event will be held in the McInnes Room of the Student Union Building on
the Dalhousie University campus (6136 University Avenue). Please join us
this Sunday afternoon - doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the event begins at
2:00. Everyone Welcome!

2. 
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE: Eco-friendly Fundraising Breakfast with NDP
Environment Critic Nathan Cullen
Wednesday, 4 April, 8:00 - 9:00 am
at the Wooden Monkey, 1685 Argyle St., Halifax 
Healthy menu of locally grown and organic fresh ingredients!
Guest Speaker:
Nathan Cullen, MP - NDP Environment Critic
Topic:  The Politics of Climate Change 
Special Guest: Alexa McDonough, MP for Halifax
Tickets:  $40.00 each (portion of ticket qualifies for a political tax
receipt) .can't attend yourself, why not sponsor a student?
ONLY 40 tickets available & selling quickly - Order NOW!
Contact:  Nat Smith, 483.5292

3. 
"The Politics of Climate Change & How Citizens Can Help Canada Meet Our
Kyoto Targets"
Speaker: Nathan Cullen, MP (federal NDP environment critic)
Date: Wednesday, April 4
Time: 5:00-6:30PM
Place: Room 104, Weldon Law Building, Dalhousie University, 6061 University
Avenue. 

Canadians want immediate action taken to reduce pollution so their families
have cleaner air to breathe and so that Canada does its part in world-wide
efforts against global warming. Get the inside scoop from MP Nathan Cullen
on the politics behind Bill C-30, the Clean Air Act, and what the federal
government is and is not doing to deal with climate change. The re-writing
of the federal government's ineffective and inadequate Clean Air Act by the
special legislative committee provides a significant opportunity to get
Canada on track to reduce pollution and to combat climate change. Find out
how you can have an impact on federal policy to tackle the climate change
crisis and help Canada meet its Kyoto Protocol targets. 

Nathan Cullen is the MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, British Columbia, and is
the NDP Environment Critic. He is also on the Legislative Committee on Bill
C-30 (The Clean Air Act) and on the Standing Committee on Environment and
Sustainable Development. 

All are welcome to this free public discussion! For more information about
the event, please contact Nat Smith at 483-5292 or natsmith at hfx.andara.com

4. 
Movie:  An Inconvenient Truth at 6 public libraries in March and April. 
Woodlawn Public Library, Sat. March 31st, 2007, 2pm. 
Alderney Gate Public Library, Mon. April 16th, 2007, 6:30pm. 
Spring Garden Road Public Library, Thurs. April 19th, 2007, 6:30pm. 
Captain William Spry Public Library, Thurs. April 26th, 2007, 6:30pm

5. 
Black River Productions Ltd. & filmmaker Neal Livingston
are pleased to announce the Halifax Premiere of their new documentary film,

RUDY HAASE 
A biography about Canada's great unknown environmentalist.
A Film by Neal Livingston 
Produced in Association with CBC Maritimes and The Chester Educational
Foundation

Monday April 30th, starting at 7:30 p.m. 
Park Lane Theatre, Spring Garden Road, Halifax, NS
Tickets at the door: waged-$9/un-waged-$7

Both the filmmaker Neal Livingston and Rudy Haase will be in
attendance.Special Guest for the evening is Elizabeth May, Leader of the
Green Party of Canada who appears prominently in footage spanning nearly 30
years of her life, as a friend and colleague of Rudy Haase.

6. 
PASSIONATE EYE Monday
(Monday April 2 at 10pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld) CAN WE SAVE PLANET EARTH?
*Check your local listings for time and channel!!
Of the hottest years on record, nine out of ten have occurred since 1990.
Thousands of plant and animal species are already on life support.
Hurricanes, floods, droughts, heat waves and forest fires are happening with
more regularity and intensity than ever before. And in a matter of decades,
some coastal communities could be entirely under water. All because of
global warming. All because of the choices we make every day.
Legendary UK broadcaster Sir David Attenborough says we've reached a tipping
point and that we must act now to save our planet.
Discuss this film online.
http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyesunday/feature_240906.html

7. 
An Information Meeting 
A Burning Issue:  
An Application from Brookfield Cement Plant to Burn 600,000 of Nova Scotia's
used tires/year
Where?  St Andrews United Church, 6036 Coburg Road (Corner Coburg and
Robie), Halifax
When?  Wed., April 4th, 2007
Time:  7o'clock
You are invited to Participate:
1. CABOT:  Citizens Against Burning of Tires
2. DOEL: N.S Department of Environment and Labor
3. Brookfield Lafarge Cement Plant 
4. Presentation:  The Making of Cement
5. Hon. Bill Casey 
6. Premier Rodney MacDonald
    Minister of Environment:  Hon. Mark Parent
7. Leader Liberal Party:  Michel Samson
    Liberal Environmental Critic:  Keith Colwell
8. Leader NDP Darrell Dexter
   NDP Environmental Critic:  Michelle Raymond
9. Members of the Nova Scotia Legislature
Presentations will be limited to 15 minutes each.
A Question Period will follow.
Question will be limited to 2 minutes, responses will be limited to 2
minutes.


********************************************

Tamara Lorincz
Executive Director (NSEN)
Nova Scotia Environmental Network 
55 Willowbend Ct. 
Halifax, NS Canada B3M 3L3
Phone: 902-454-6846
Fax: 902-454-6841
Office Hours : M, W, F 10AM-5PM
Email: nsen at cen-rce.org
Web Site: www.nsen.ca