Environmental Defence Canada
Encyclopedia
[Environmental Defence Canada] (formerly known as the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund) is a nonprofit environmental organization based in Toronto
. The group is known for its innovative work on issues relating to environment on human health including urban sprawl
, global warming
, toxic chemicals, water quality and endangered species
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The group is known for its innovative work on issues relating to environment on human health including urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
, global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, toxic chemicals, water quality and endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Key Accomplishments
Key accomplishments of Environmental Defence include:- 1992 - Worked with other environmental groups to win a precedent-setting case in the Supreme Court of CanadaSupreme Court of CanadaThe Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
that ruled the federal government must perform environmental assessments of all projects needing federal permits. - 1994 - Helped prevent construction of a municipal waste incinerator in HalifaxCity of HalifaxHalifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. - 1996 - Helped pass a TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
by-law legalizing naturalized gardens on residential property. - 1998 - Worked with the InnuInnuThe Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
Nation in Newfoundland to win a case at the Newfoundland Court of Appeal that ruled exploration work at the Voisey's BayVoisey's BayVoisey's Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean in Labrador, Canada. The bay is located south of the community of Nain. The bay is heavily indented with numerous inlets and islands and is extremely rocky and is the site of the Voisey's Bay Mine....
nickel mine must follow full environmental assessment rules. - 2001 - Helped launch a $750 million class action lawsuit against Inco Limited for the contamination caused by its Port Colborne refinery.
- 2002 - Helped halt construction of a large hog factory farm in Flagstaff County, AlbertaFlagstaff County, AlbertaFlagstaff County is a municipal district in east central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 7. The county was incorporated in the current boundaries in 1944 as Municipal District of Killam No. 390, name changed a year later to Municipal District of Flagstaff No. 62. It was established...
. - 2003 - Helped establish a TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
bylaw restricting pesticide use on lawns; releases study showing pressure-treated wood is leaching arsenicArsenicArsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
into children’s sandboxes. - 2004 - Spearheaded creation of 1800000 acres (7,284.3 km²) greenbeltGreen beltA green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
in southern Ontario. - 2005 - Certified four Toronto beaches the first blue flag beaches in Canada.
- 2006 – Worked to get new Clean Water Act passed in Ontario.
- 2006 – Toxic Nation campaign led to new national plan to better regulate toxic chemicals.
- 2007 - Helped pass Endangered Species Act in Ontario.
Environmental Defence websites
- Environmental Defence homepage
- Ontario Greenbelt Alliance
- Water Guardians Network
- Campaign Lake Simcoe
- FLICK OFF!
- Toxic Nation
- PollutionWatch
- Blue Flag
- West Coast Environmental LawWest Coast Environmental LawWest Coast Environmental Law is an environmental law and public advocacy organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It believes in a just and sustainable society where citizens are empowered to protect the environment and environmental protection is enshrined in law. It fulfills...