15/09/2005 - In a presentation
today to the Standing Committee on Agriculture,
Forestry and Environment, of the Legislative
Assembly of Prince Edward Island, Greenpeace
urged the government of PEI to become a Genetically
Modified Organism (GMO) free province.
Greenpeace welcomed the extensive public consultations
on GMOs on the island as a good first step.
Greenpeace supports policies based on the
precautionary principle and is opposed to
the environmental release of GMOs because
of the possible risks for preserving biodiversity.
“Making PEI GMO-free would be the best way
to implement the precautionary principle as
it has yet to be proven that GE (genetically
engineered) crops or salmon are safe for either
the environment or for human or animal health”,
said Éric Darier Greenpeace GE campaigner.
“In view of the general failure of the Federal
government to act responsibly regarding GMOs
it is up to other levels of government to
adopt measures to protect the environment,
food and public safety.”
The Federal government has so far failed to
implement mandatory labelling of GE food,
has yet to ratify the Biosafety Protocol,
and most concerning has undertaken no independent
and comprehensive scientific work to look
into the impacts of GMOs on either the environment
or human or animal health.
“Making PEI GMO-free is not only responsible
from an environmental perspective, but it
would enable PEI agricultural and fish products
to respond to a global trend in consumer demand
for non-GE food”, added Darier. “A majority
of Canadians and Islanders support the idea
of PEI becoming a GMO-free zone. It is rare
that a policy proposal is good for the environment,
good for business, good for the farmers, and
also has public support.”
In a Léger Marketing and CRA poll done
for Greenpeace last February, 58% of decided
respondents across Canada agreed that their
own provinces should become GMO-free zones.
In PEI this proportion was 62%.
Greenpeace urged PEI to:
1. End the planting of GE crops on the island.
2. Eliminate GMOs in animal feed
3. Oppose the authorization and commercialization
of GE fish in particular GE salmon.
4. Put in place mandatory GE food labeling,
like in Europe.
5. Adopt policies to foster ecologically and
socially sustainable agriculture.
6. Publicize the island as a GE-free zone
and encourage other governments to follow
suit.
Greenpeace urges Canadians to continue to
support PEI’s effort to become a GMO-free
zone by sending messages of support to the
Premier of PEI. (www.greenpeace.ca/e/campaign/gmo/depth/pei_ge_free/index.php
)
Greenpeace calls for phase out of nuclear
power in Quebec
Activists from the Greenpeace ship Arctic
Sunrise, accompanied by local supporters in
a flotilla of small boats, placed a banner
at Quebec’s only nuclear plant, Gentilly-2
on Monday, September 5.
Despite strong opposition to nuclear power
in Quebec, Hydro Quebec wants to rebuild the
23-year old CANDU reactor at a cost of $1.2
to $2.3 billion, instead of replacing it with
green energy. Greenpeace is calling for it
to be shut down in 2010.
“During the last election Jean Charest said
that the Quebec Liberal Party was against
nuclear power. It’s time for the government
to deliver on that promise.” said Greenpeace
Climate Campaigner Steven Guilbeault. “The
shutdown of Gentilly-2 would make Quebec a
world leader in sustainable energy.”
Greenpeace activists in inflatable boats from
the Arctic Sunrise came to the St. Lawrence
shoreline of the Hydro-Quebec reactor site
with mock barrels of radioactive waste and
placed a banner near the reactor building
reading: “Phase Out Nuclear Power – or our
children will pay... and their children and
their children, and their children, and their
children, etc.”
"There are already 2500 tonnes of high-level
radioactive waste at Gentilly that will be
toxic for a million years. Rebuilding the
reactor would double Quebec’s deadly legacy
for future generations.” said Shawn-Patrick
Stensil, Greenpeace Energy Campaigner.
