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-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Ed: To get involved with the Sierra Club, contact Amelia Clarke, our interim volunteer coordinator - mailto:aclarke4@is2.dal.ca -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Margaree Harbour July 16, 2000 SIERRA CLUB LAUNCHES ATLANTIC CANADA CHAPTER Environmentalists from the four Atlantic provinces met this weekend in Margaree Harbour, Cape Breton to form the newest chapter of the Sierra Club. Over fifty people participated in the conference which focused on issues from industrial hog factories, to the threat to the fisheries from oil and gas, to the on-going human health and environmental toll of the Sydney Tar Ponds. Newfoundland Sierra Club member, Martin Von Mirbach commented, "The strength of a respected credible national organization like the Sierra Club of Canada will boost local efforts to protect the critical old growth boreal forests of the Main River watershed." Founding members of the new Atlantic Canada Chapter expressed solidarity with the efforts of the Save the Main Coalition and promised to make the protection of Main River's rare forests an immediate and high priority. "I am so encouraged to find so many like-minded people committed to help us in our local efforts for a healthy environment," said Sydney concerned parent Susan Mirao. The Sydney Tar Ponds, clean-up of the Muggah Creek watershed and pressing for sewage treatment for Sydney Harbour also emerged as a key priority for the new group. The Sierra Club of Canada is a membership-based, volunteer-governed national environmental organization. Paul Falvo, chair of the existing Sierra Club branch in Atlantic Canada (Chebucto Group) said, "The weekend exceeded even our wildest expectations. Our membership is growing faster than ever. Atlantic Canadians are demanding clean air and clean water. We want our children to be healthy. When government and industry don't respect that, people turn to organizations like the Sierra Club." Sierra Club of Canada Executive Director Elizabeth May agreed. "The Atlantic provinces are victimized by political marginalization. Nowhere else in Canada would people be living next to a toxic soup like the Tar Ponds, and nowhere but in the Third World do you see shoreline oil and gas leases except in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence." Halting any exploration or development of oil and gas in the rich fisheries of the Southern Gulf is a chapter priority in conjunction with the existing coalition of fishermens organizations, First Nations, tourism operators, the local clergy, and environmentalists. Acadia University professor Janet Eaton placed many of Atlantic Canada's current environmental crises in the context of increased corporate control in an era of economic globalization. The Sierra Club of Canada -- Atlantic Canada Chapter also plans to lead wilderness outings and reach young people in school with environmental education materials. -30- Contact: Amelia Clarke: mailto:aclarke4@is2.dal.ca Paul Falvo: 902-454-9573 Elizabeth May: 902-235-2584 Susan Mirao: 902-565-7484 Martin Von Mirbach: 709-634-0371 -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- The preceding message was posted on Sustainable Maritimes (sust-mar) -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Overloaded with email? Sust-mar has a DIGEST version. If you'd prefer to receive a compilation of sust-mar messages twice monthly instead of daily, send email to <majordomo@chebucto.ns.ca> As the text of your message type "subscribe sust-mar-digest" And on the next line, type "unsubscribe sust-mar" Voila! Daily messages will stop, and twice-monthly will start.
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