Clean Air Clean Water No Wildlife

The Conservatives Made In Canada environment plan is big on clean air and clean water. Its not a plan about the environment as much as plan to reduce smog in Eastern Canada. Which really is an issue for the Departments of health, infrastructure, and industry not really the purview of Environment Canada.

Environment Minister John Baird says he and David Suzuki are on the same page when it comes to addressing the effects of environmental degradation on public health.

Baird met with Canada's best-known environmentalist for 40 minutes on Tuesday to discuss a report on linking the environment and health.

The David Suzuki Foundation presented the document at the annual meeting of the Canadian Public Health Association, calling for governments to pay closer attention to how air and water contaminants give rise to disease.

But now we find out it's at the expense of the real environment; wildlife and endangered species and endangered spaces.

The Canadian Press

September 19, 2007

Toronto -- - Serious budget problems at Environment Canada are threatening wildlife programs and services within the federal department, CBC's The National reported last night .

Money for some programs has been frozen and budgets for others have been slashed to nothing, the network reported.

The Canadian Wildlife Service has had its service budget frozen for the rest of the fiscal year, meaning all its scientific field and survey work has been halted. Sources tell the CBC the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network, which observes changes in ecosystems, has lost 80 per cent of its budget.

The Migratory Bird Program, which monitors the health of bird populations, has seen its budget cut by 50 per cent. The budget for the National Wildlife Areas, a program that protects habitats for wildlife and birds, has been slashed from $1.9 million to zero.

CBC said that despite the spending cuts, the environment ministry would spend C$60,000 ($59,000) on a consultant to study why employee morale was so bad.

Sierra Club slams Environment Canada budget cuts

Wonder what Dr. Suzuki has to say about being used as prop to cover up for cuts to Environment Canada.

Especially since Hinterland Who's Who, is as popular as his TV program the Nature of Things.

Of most concern to conservationists among a handful of cuts is that the Canadian Wildlife Service has had its service budget frozen for the rest of the fiscal year, meaning all its scientific field and survey work has been halted. The national wildlife agency is directly responsible for studying and protecting wildlife in Canada and puts out the Hinterland Who's Who public service ads.

I guess they blew the budget on the Bear Sanctuary in B.C. a Liberal promise the Tories made their own to promote their green make over this spring.

And these cuts were predicted over a year ago as I reported then;

Tories Put Endangered Species at Risk

Verbena for Ambrose

Tories Green Petro Plan



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