Georges Bank NEEDS YOUR HELP NOW!

From: "Paula Boutis" <pboutis@hotmail.com>
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:57:43 PDT
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Please print the petition and form letter below - sign and send back to the 
Eastern Canada Chapter (address below) by June 16, 1999 to support an 
extension of the moratorium on drilling for oil/gas in Georges Bank to match 
the U.S. extension to 2012.

Thanks, Paula Boutis - Conservation Chair

Sierra Club Eastern Canada Chapter
517 College Street, Suite 237, Toronto, Ontario, M6G 4A2
Phone 416-960-9606, Fax 416-960-0020
E-mail: sierraec@interlog.com
Website: http://www.sierraclub.ca/eastern

Environmental issues of concern:
THIS CAUSE HITS HARD on MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES

*Energy: harmful versus clean
*Greenhouse gases and global warming
*Air pollution from use of oil & gas
*Water pollution from discharges and spills
*Endangered species protection
*Marine mammal protection
*Fisheries protection
*Human health threats from natural gas
*International law (NAFTA, Kyoto Protocol, Transboundary Impacts)
*Canadian law (environmental assessment laws, need for endangered
  species and marine mammal protection legislation)


SAMPLE FORM LETTER TO:

Federal Government Contacts

The Honourable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Natural Resources, Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0E4
Fax: 613-996-4516

Nova Scotia Contacts

The Honourable Manning McDonald
Minister of Economic Development and for the Petroleum Directorate
7th Floor, World Trade and Convention Centre, 1800 Argyle Street
P.O. Box 519
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 2R7
Fax: 902-424-0514


I urge you to do the right thing and support an extension of the
moratorium on further oil and gas development in Georges Bank. A
ban is the best approach. At the very least, the Canadian
moratorium should be extended until 2012, to match the American
moratorium extension.

There is significant of support for an indefinite moratorium. Many Canadian 
and American decision-makers, fishers groups, environmental groups, 
scientists, community leaders, and are strongly in support of the 
moratorium. We do not want endangered species who depend on Georges Bank, 
put at further risk. We do not want fish populations, some already in 
crisis, further threatened. We do not want more oil and gas development when 
development of truly clean energy alternatives, such as solar, wind and 
hydrogen, is viable. Since oil & gas are not sustainable resources, we know 
that the few jobs this industry creates will also not be sustainable. We do 
not want short-sighted and misguided government decision-making.

Canada has international commitments under the Kyoto Protocol on
Climate Change, the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in
a Transboundary Context, NAFTA, and the Canada-US partnership to
protect and restore the Gulf of Maine. Canada and Nova Scotia also have 
legal and policy commitments under environmental protection and
assessment laws, and the Fisheries Act. We urge you to follow the law. 
Canada does not have national endangered species or marine mammal protection 
legislation, and had these been in place, it is likely Georges Bank would 
have been automatically protected thereby. While this country has fallen far 
short in this regard, you can still do the right thing.

Make the decision to support a ban on oil and gas development in
Georges Bank. Since the oil and gas industry has access to most of
the rest of offshore Atlantic Canada, please do more to protect the
other ecologically sensitive marine areas in this area.

Sincerely,


Name: _________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________


                                 PETITION
                         TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
                         IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED

We, the undersigned concerned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the 
House to the following:

         THAT the moratorium on oil and gas development in the Canadian 
portion of Georges Bank expires January 1, 2000,
         THAT Georges Bank is a unique and ecologically significant
marine system, rich in biodiversity, supporting and sustaining
many species,
         THAT the United States of America has extended the moratorium
on oil and gas development on their portion of Georges Bank
until 2012, and

THEREFORE, we request that Parliament, in cooperation with the Nova
Scotia Government, extend the moratorium on oil and gas development
indefinitely, with no possibility of revocation until at least the year 
2012, to match the date set by the United States of America.


1. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
2. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
3. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
4. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
5 _____________________ ________________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
6. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
7. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
8. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
9. _____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
10. ____________________ _______________________ _____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature


Please return this petition by June 16th to:
The Sierra Club of Canada - Eastern Canada Chapter
237 - 517 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 4A2

THEREFORE, we request that Parliament, in cooperation with the Nova
Scotia Government, extend the moratorium on oil and gas development
indefinitely, with no possibility of revocation until at least the year 
2012, to match the date set by the United States of America.


11 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
12 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
13 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
14 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                 Address                  Signature
15 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
16 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
17 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
18 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
19 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
20 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
21 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
22 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
23 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
24 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature
25 _____________________ _______________________ ____________________
     Name                  Address                 Signature



Please return this petition by June 16th to:
The Sierra Club of Canada - Eastern Canada Chapter
237 - 517 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 4A2



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