Distinguished Service Award
Dianne thanks everyone who came out to see her receive the Ontario Bar Association Distinguished Service Award last night. Jon Clancy’s photos are posted at http://www.oba.org. Also, now that I am emerging from the first three weeks of my eight week trial in Ottawa, I will start catchi…
View the post titled Distinguished Service AwardObama, the Oval Office, the BP spill and the future
I thought that President Obama hit just the right notes last night with his public address about the BP spill and the future of oil. Yes, the spill must be stopped, and cleaned up, and compensation paid. But the US must finally get REALLY serious about getting off oil, instead of letting Chi…
View the post titled Obama, the Oval Office, the BP spill and the futureDoes the pesticide ban work?
Does the ban on cosmetic pesticides work? Ontario’s ban came into effect on April 22, 2009. Since then, there has been a dramatic decline in the concentration of pesticides in urban watercourses – according to a study released by the Ministry of the Environment.
View the post titled Does the pesticide ban work?Clean power or the Greenbelt?
Why sacrifice the Greenbelt for a private power plant? And why is municipal opposition being swept away? Are municipalities important and trustworthy partners on the environment? Only when it suits the province. The Municipal Act was revised a few years ago to give municipalities much greate…
View the post titled Clean power or the Greenbelt?Time to slap down SLAPPS?
Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits that some organizations use to suppress or punish their opponents, including public interest groups that fight proposed developments.[i] These suits used to be rare in Canada, but are now an increasing concern.[ii] They c…
View the post titled Time to slap down SLAPPS?Does pollution breach human rights?
Is heavily polluting a community a breach of its human rights? The Inter American Commission on Human Rights has agreed to hear a precedent-setting case against the United States based on environmental racism in Cancer Alley, as a breach of human rights. Heavily polluting industries are ofte…
View the post titled Does pollution breach human rights?PCB in my fish oil?
Are fish oil supplements safe? The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation doesn’t think we know enough to tell. In March, the Foundation filed a lawsuit against fish oil supplement manufacturers, distributors and retailers, claiming that they fail to give clear warnings, required by Calif…
View the post titled PCB in my fish oil?Coal phase out when?
Ontario is having a hard time deciding which it wants more: clean power, or cheap power? As required by Ontario regulations, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will shut down all four of their remaining coal-fired thermal stations – Atikokan, Lambton, Nanticoke and Thunder Bay – by December 31, …
View the post titled Coal phase out when?Liability caps and disasters
Does environmental law help prevent high risk spills? In at least one area, the law makes a unique contribution to making things worse. We encourage investors, insurers, and other financial players to take ultra high risks by capping their exposure to third-party damages. Canada’s Nuclea…
View the post titled Liability caps and disastersDumping drugs?
Know how to safely dispose of surplus pharmaceuticals? Jackie has written an excellent article: Pharmawaste for the professional journal Pharmacy Practice, and has graciously shared it with us. The update is particularly timely, as Ontario will begin a new waste diversion program for pharmac…
View the post titled Dumping drugs?Receive Blog Posts
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