Pronnoit', profed'ion of fine environment

If you are interested in becoming more active in promoting en— . vironmental well being, you are urged to attend a meeting on Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. at the CP Hotel, Charlottetown, in the Valient Room. .

A group, tentatively called the P.E.I. Env1ronment Council, has already issued a questionnaire to all candidates in the upcoming Pederal election on P.E.I., a press release on the questions and the meeting, and will publish results of the poll.

The questions were: .

1. If elected what would you do to ensure longterm supplies of un-

contaminated groundwater?

2. If elected what steps would you take to encourage soil improvement

on P.E.I.?

3. How will the Free Trade Agreement benefit the environment? .

4. If elected what would you do to clean up P.E.I.'s streams, rivers

and estuaries? I

5. If elected what would you do to improve overall air quality?

While many groups on Prince Edward Island are concerned with the environment, including the Natural History Society, many issues seem to fall between the cracks and not fit into their mandates. Also, a group such as the P.E.I. Environment Council would be able to look at a very broad range of issues, from sand removal to forestry practices, from developments to groundwater.

CE N ~ AEN update

The Canadian Environmental Network is already planning for its . upcoming annual general meeting for the summer of 1989. At a recent steering committee meeting in Ottawa, representatives decided on "Empowering Watchdog Groups" as the theme for the meeting,, to be held June 16-19. The CEN has shifted much of its attention towards helping caucuses get off the ground and having proactive groups of environmentalists across the country working on issues. Several caucuses, such as the Environmental Planning and Assessment, and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, have been active in the past year, while others such as forestry and wilderness are just getting off the ground.

The CEN is administering an acid rain networking project funded by Environment Canada. Groups or individuals wishing to take part in the project or submit projects for funding are asked to contact the editor of this newsletter. There is also a big drive on to raise funds in an effort to lessen dependence on Environment Canada. A fundraiser has been hired solely for this task.

Closer to home, the Atlantic Environmental Network has just mailed out the new issue of Tides of Change, its quarterly newsletter. This issue tackles the nuclear industry, and also covers opponents of aerial spraying, free trade and the environment, the new wildlife cen- ter at the Atlantic Vet College, and Native fishing rights. Copies will be available at NHS meetings or at several locations in Charlottetown.

The AEN is also looking for funding to bring together people to work on a sustainable forestry paper, which arose out of the AEN's last annnual meeting. This has been a difficult, though not unforseen task, since neither government nor the big user groups such as Irving or Stora industries want to cough up funds to those that have critized their actions.

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