NFB Interactive Website
July 9, 2009
Join us for a discussion of local water issues following the 12:45pm screening of Waterlife on Saturday, July 18th at Tinseltown.
SPEAKERS: Fin Donnelly, Rivershed Society of BC (RSBC) & a representative from the Council of Canadians.
Fin Donnelly is the founder and Executive Director of the Rivershed Society of BC, a non-profit organization with a vision of salmon flourishing in our rivers and people flourishing in our communities. Before starting the Society, Fin swam the 1,400 km length of the Fraser to draw attention to the plight of this mighty salmon river. Fin will talk about his swim, the RSBC's education and leadership programs, and ways people can protect BC’s riversheds.
Founded in 1985, the Council of Canadians is Canada’s largest citizens’ organization, with members and chapters across the country. They work to protect Canadian independence by promoting progressive policies on fair trade, clean water, energy security, public health care, and other issues of social and economic concern to Canadians.
June 26, 2009
ANN ARBOR, MI—The effort to restore the Great Lakes advanced in the U.S. Congress, as the House of Representatives today approved $475 million to fund a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative first proposed in President Obama’s budget.
The Senate Committee on Appropriations yesterday approved $400 million for the initiative as part of its 2010 Interior and Environmental Protection Agency funding bill.
“We applaud the House of Representatives, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wis.), Senate Interior Subcommittee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and all our Great Lakes appropriators for advancing Great Lakes restoration and economic recovery,” said Chad Lord, policy director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The urgent threats to our Lakes and our economy demand federal action. We are hopeful that with such strong support from Great Lakes members, the initiative will be fully funded at $475 million when the House and Senate reconcile their two bills.”
The House of Representatives vote was 254-173. For details on how each member voted, see: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll475.xml
The $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative strives to clean up contaminated sediments which threaten public health; prevent the introduction of invasive species which cost the region at least $200 million per year in damages and control costs; prevent run-off and other pollution responsible for beach closures; and restore habitat that is the foundation of the region’s multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreational economy.
The full Senate will take up the spending bill after the July 4 break, which begins tomorrow. Senate appropriations committee members from Great Lakes states include Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Arlen Specter (D-Penn.), and George Voinovich (R-Ohio).
U.S. representatives from Great Lakes states who serve on the appropriations committee include David Obey (D-Wisc.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), John Murtha (D-Penn.), Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Jesse Jackson (D-Ill.), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio).
Excepted from a release circulated by Jordan Lubetkin, Senior Regional Communications Manager, National Wildlife Federation - Great Lakes Office
June 19, 2009
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (June 19, 2009)—Key steps were taken this week in Congress towards comprehensive restoration of The Great Lakes, adding momentum to the movement to protect the region’s most important environmental and economic asset.
President Obama’s $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was passed with full funding by the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI). The initiative, originally proposed in President Obama’s FY2010 Budget, will fund programs to address invasive species, toxic pollution and habitat restoration. The plan will now likely be voted on by the full House next week before being addressed in the Senate.
The Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and will now be considered by the full Senate. The measure restores Clean Water Act protections to wetlands, lakes, and streams that were compromised in recent Supreme Court decisions – its passage is a key component of the plan to restore and protect the Great Lakes. The Act will soon be introduced in the House and considered by the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led the effort to pass this bill and was joined by Sens., Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Arlen Specter (D-PA) who all voted for this important bill.
The Great Lakes Legacy Act (S. 933) had its funding increased by $150 million per year through fiscal year 2014 by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Great Lakes Legacy Act funds are distributed through the USEPA Great Lakes National Program Office to clean toxic sediment contamination in the Great Lakes. The House passed a similar increase in March – the measure now moves to the full Senate as either a stand-alone bill or as part of a larger water investment bill. EPW-Committee member Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) sponsored the legislation (with Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), which passed in the committee by voice vote.
“This is another big week for the Great Lakes,” said Andy Buchsbaum, co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, “But it’s important to remember that Congress still has work to do before these measures are made into law and fulfill President Obama’s promise for Great Lakes restoration. We applaud the recent actions taken and urge our representatives in the Senate and the House to finish the job.”
The Great Lakes restoration effort is also boosted by other news from Washington. The Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act (S. 878), which will improve the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (“BEACH”) Act, was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and will now be considered by the full Senate. The Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act (S. 937), which requires reporting on hazardous sewer overflow releases in communities, was also approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and will now be considered by the full Senate. In addition to the efforts in Congress, the White House recently released a memo creating a task force to examine national policy for oceans, coasts, and The Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes are increasingly seen as an economic asset. According to a Brookings Institution study, investing $26 billion to restore the Great Lakes will lead to at least $50 billion in economic benefit for the region. Metropolitan areas like Duluth, Detroit, Chicago, and Buffalo could see gains between $200 million to $7 billion.
Source of more than 90 percent of the nation’s surface fresh water, the Great Lakes are seriously threatened by problems such as sewage contamination, invasive species, toxic pollution and the loss of wetlands and other habitat. When the Lakes are unhealthy, it is a drain on the economy and it means fewer jobs for the region. Just as disturbing, unhealthy Lakes mean fewer people can enjoy beaches, fishing, waterways and clean drinking water.
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 100 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. For more information visit: www.healthylakes.org
Excerpted from a release circulated by Jordan Lubetkin, Senior Regional Communications Manager National Wildlife Federation, Great Lakes Office.
TORONTO, ON – Standing at the base of one of Canada’s largest tall ships, Great Lakes United executive director Derek Stack announced that the coalition will be pursuing a water conservation initiative that instills a new water consciousness in the Great Lakes region.
“The Great Lakes are at a crossroads. We’ve closed the door to large-scale diversions, but the greatest threat still remains: our own reckless and wasteful use of these fragile waters,” said Stack.
The announcement comes amid a flurry of action in protection of the Great Lakes. Just last weekend U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon heeded the call of groups like Great Lakes United and announced their intention to renegotiate the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, an historic pact of binational responsibility and action on pollution prevention and clean up. Meanwhile, U.S. President Obama has committed $475 million dollars for Great Lakes clean up, municipalities across the region have identified their priorities for protecting the Great Lakes, and the province of Ontario has released its vision for a sustainable watershed.
“The stars are aligning for the Great Lakes,” said John Jackson, Director of Clean Production and Toxics for Great Lakes United. “At the same time we can lighten the stresses that lead to water quality problems in the first place if we focus efforts on using less water, and using the water we do withdraw more wisely.”
Great Lakes United’s announcement on Toronto’s waterfront coincides with the unveiling of Toronto’s Waterfront Nautical Festival, and a unique partnership forged between Great Lakes United and the American Sail Training Association. Next summer, over 25 tall ships will race between seven Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River ports, bringing millions of people to the waterfront in the region’s major cities. The Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® will be a chance to educate the public about the Great Lakes through fun and interactive programs amid a festival atmosphere.
“This partnership with the American Sail Training Association and port festivals like the Toronto Waterfront Nautical Festival gives us an opportunity to talk about the importance of Great Lakes protection by engaging with people on the waterfront,” said Stack. “To truly understand how powerful, but also vulnerable, the Great Lakes are, you must see them and you must experience them.”
The Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® is the public awareness aspect of a four pillar approach to water conservation in the region. The program builds on the momentum of the provinces and states to protect and conserve the waters of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Under the same agreement that stopped large scale diversions of water to outside of the basin, states and provinces also agreed to adopt conservation programs to stem our own wasteful water use. A three-year program, Great Lakes United’s four pillars include:
1) Development of a model water conservation plan that each state and province can adopt;
2) Working in each state and province to ensure that the plan is adopted and implemented;
3) Working with two model communities facing their own water supply problems to demonstrate that water conservation can allow for community prosperity without an increase in water use; and,
4) A public awareness campaign launched during the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® that engages individuals in Great Lakes protection and water conservation.
The Great Lakes contain an astounding 6 quadrillion gallons of water; only the polar ice caps and Lake Baikal in Siberia contain more fresh surface water. But any suggestion that this is an endless supply is false. In fact, less than 1 percent of Great Lakes water is renewed every year. It is this sliver of renewable, sustainable water that must meet the needs of 40 million people and the environment. But, those who live in the Great Lakes are the most wasteful water users in the world. Per capita, only the United States as a whole uses more water every year.
“This is a real opportunity for the provinces and states to become world leaders in water conservation,” said Jackson. “Conservation is about more than just using less water. When we reduce our demands on this ecosystem, we relieve the stress on overburdened wastewater infrastructure, use less energy, and produce fewer greenhouse gases. Water conservation is the foundation to any long-term effort to protect the Great Lakes and St.Lawrence River.”
Excerpted from a press release circulated by Brent Gibson, Director of Communications for Great Lakes United. For more information, please visit www.glu.org
June 13, 2009
June 13, 2009 – NIAGARA FALLS, NY & ON – Great Lakes United is applauding this morning’s announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon that the United States and Canada will renegotiate the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
“Citizens and organizations from across the region have been calling on the Canadian and United States governments to truly commit to the binational protection of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River,” said John Jackson, Director of Clean Production and Toxics at Great Lakes United. “With this announcement I’m more optimistic than ever that our governments will reinvigorate their dedication to shared responsibility and stewardship over these vital waters.”
The announcement to renegotiate the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was during a special ceremony on the Rainbow Bridge, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Boundary Waters Treaty. This treaty set the stage for significant progress in protecting border waters and so it is fitting that the pact made possible under the treaty be announced at this time.
“Over these past few months the federal governments, as well as state, provincial and municipal governments have really sunk their teeth into the Great Lakes, dusting away the complacency that has marked the past decade,” said Derek Stack, executive director of Great Lakes United. “Now we need to ensure the revitalized agreement improves on the past and reflects today’s most serious threats to Great Lakes health, such as invasive species, climate change, emerging chemicals, and of course the region’s legacy of toxic hotspots and contamination.”
Great Lakes United has been working with its allies to give voice to the public’s desire for a reinvigorated agreement. In 2007, the coalition identified 13 principles to guide renegotiation and they are now working to further detail these and ensure that they are included in the Agreement.
“Any renegotiation must involve the public, and it must build a framework for addressing the issues that the Great Lakes will face over the coming years and decades,” said Jackson. “Making the announcement is the easy part. The real work has only just begun.”
The above was excerpted from a press release circulated by Brent Gibson, Director of Communications for Great Lakes United.
June 3rd 2009
FRI JUN 5 / 6:50pm / VARSITY - RSVP
SPEAKERS: Director, Kevin McMahon and Great Lakes United Executive Director, Derek Stack will be discussing the film and local water issues with an audience Q&A.
Derek Stack has been Executive Director of Great Lakes United since 2004. Prior to joining Great Lakes United Derek coordinated the participation of environmental non-governmental organizations in the development of domestic and international environmental policy. As interim National Director of the Canadian Environmental Network in 2003, he oversaw a comprehensive restructuring of the organization that included internal re-organization of administration as well as constitutional amendments to strengthen representation and accountability. Derek holds a B. Sc. in biology.
SAT JUN 6 / 6:50pm / VARSITY - RSVP
SPEAKERS: Fabio Tonto of Pollution Probe and Meirav Even-Har of the Sierra Club Binational Great Lakes Committee.
Fabio Tonto will be discussing the importance of establishing a “sense of place” among the citizens of the Great Lakes region in order to our solve environmental challenges. Fabio Tonto is Manager of Pollution Probe's National Water Programme. He holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering from the University of Guelph, and a Masters Degree in Engineering and Public Policy from McMaster University. Pollution Probe is working on several initiatives in the areas of environmental data reporting, Great Lakes sustainability as well as private and public investment structures for watershed protection.
Meirav has been working with the Sierra Club of Canada’s Ontario Chapter for the past six years on various campaigns – such as International Car Free Day – and is now an active member of both the Ontario Water Team and the Great Lakes Bi National Committee, she also sits on the executive committee of the Ontario Chapter. When not volunteering, Meirav works for Canadian Business for Social Responsibility, a not for profit, member based organization that aims to help Canada’s corporations better their environmental and social performance.
SUN JUN 7 / 6:50pm / VARSITY - RSVP
SPEAKER: Mary Muter, Georgian Baykeeper, Georgian Bay Forever.
Georgian Bay Forever (formerly GBA Foundation) is the lead organization that found ongoing changes in the St Clair River are increasing the outflow of Lakes Michigan and Huron and Georgian Bay – all one lake hydrologically. But there is a 5% increase in that outflow resulting in a loss of 6 billion gallons per day. The glacial deposited Great Lakes are only a 1% renewable resource. We cannot afford this huge loss of water. The other lakes all have bi-national control boards that set monthly outflow regulations for the control gates. Lakes Michigan and Huron are the forgotten lakes for good reason.MON JUN 8 / 6:55pm / VARSITY - RSVP
SPEAKER: Dr. Elaine MacDonald, Ecojustice Senior Scientist & author of the "Great Lakes Sewage Report Card".
As Ecojustice’s Senior Scientist, Elaine MacDonald uses science to fight for environmental justice. Elaine authors scientific reports and petitions and gathers solid evidence that staff lawyers can then use to force offenders to obey laws and governments to enforce laws. When she finds that those laws are not tough enough, Elaine will speak out for better ones to protect the environment and improve the health of Canadians.
WED JUN 10 / 6:50pm / VARSITY
SPEAKER: Sarah Miller, Water Policy Researcher for the Canadian Environmental Law Association
Sarah Miller has worked as a researcher and activist for thirty years on Great Lakes issues on behalf of the Canadian Environmental Law Association. Most recently she has worked on a six year negotiation between Canada and the United States that prevents bulk water exports from the Great Lakes and improves the Region’s own stewardship and conservation of Great Lakes Waters. CELA issues regular reports on pollution in the Great Lakes on their PollutionWatch website and works in coalitions to improve laws agreements and policies impacting the ecosystem.
May 8th 2009
According to the Jury, "...This year the jury awards its Special Jury Prize to a film that speaks to us in a commanding style and with a keen intelligence. It represents the work of a filmmaker who is in full command of his medium, and who has developed a language for speaking in non-fiction film that is distinctive and utterly his own. It is also an impressive example of how a strongly articulated sense of technique can provide an illuminating and organic understanding of its subject. For these reasons, the Canadian Features Jury has decided to grant its Special Jury Prize to Kevin McMahon's Waterlife..."
April 6, 2009
KINGSTON – Josephine Mandamin warms you with her grandma’s smile and speaks in those soft aboriginal tones that lull you into agreement even as she conks you on the head.
What Josephine, an Anishinaabe elder from Thunder Bay, wants illuminated is environmental collapse. And while you might be annoyed at the idea that aboriginal people care more about that than the rest of us, let me quickly add that Josephine has walked 17,000 kilometers to reinforce her point.
