Press Release
April 7, 2005
BC's Leading Environmental Groups Join Forces in Lead Up To Election
“We’ll be reaching out to all our supporters on four environmental issues”
For Immediate Release
April 7, 2005, Vancouver, BC – A dozen of British Columbia’s leading environmental groups announced today they are joining forces to reach out to tens of thousands of their supporters to bring widespread and focused attention to four environmental priorities in the lead-up to the B.C. election.
The four priorities are the expansion of open net fish farms, the lack of effective provincial endangered species legislation, the crisis in funding for B.C.’s provincial parks system and the expansion of provincial highways that is at odds with smarter, regional transportation planning.
“We will be using our joint capacity to activate our supporters to make these four environmental issues priorities in the upcoming election,” said Tzeporah Berman of ForestEthics and the spokesperson for the environmental initiative. “We will be watching closely to see how all party leaders respond.”
The environmental groups have self organized, agreed on four key issues and are working as a coalition entitled ‘Priorities for Environmental Leadership’ to raise public awareness and have voters consider the four critical issues when they vote.
“There are available solutions for all four of these environmental issues, which provides an ideal opportunity for government to show leadership,” said former Vancouver city councilor and former board member of TransLink Gordon Price.
The solutions are:
* A demonstration project on closed containment fish farms would not only make B.C. a leader in the technology, but it would begin the path to solving the open net fish farm threat to wild salmon.
* The most effective way to protect B.C.’s 1,300 endangered species is with a clear provincial law that protects habitat.
* If B.C. invested in parks as much as Parks Canada our provincial parks would be closer to ensuring they are a well managed world class system for future generations.
* A smart transportation plan that stops the expansion of Highway 1 and the Port Mann Bridge in the Greater Vancouver Area would help to reduce pollution and congestion.
In the coming weeks, members of the environmental coalition will be launching public education, outreach and media campaigns to focus attention on the four environmental priorities.
-30-
For more information and for b-roll/images, please contact:
Tzeporah Berman (spokesperson for Priorities for Environmental Leadership)
Cell (604) 313-4713
Jennifer Lash, Living Oceans Society (smarter salmon farming)
Cell (250) 741-4006
Eva Riccius, CPAWS (caring for BC parks)
(604) 685-7445
Cell (604) 812-9366
Gordon Price (livable region)
(604) 687-7382
Joe Foy, Western Canada Wilderness Committee (safeguarding BC’s wildlife)
Office (604) 683-8220
Cell (604) 880-2580
Visit www.environmentalleadership.org for more information.
CPAWS - British Columbia Chapter