REPORT FROM THE OTTAWA MEETING OF 
     
     ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS 
     
    
   
   
    
     by Rosemary Curley, waterside 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Environmental groups from across Canada met in closed sessions in Ottawa 
     
     April 29 - May 3, and then spent two more days discussing their opinions with 
     
     Environment Canada in public consultation hearings. The conference, officially 
     
     entitled the Environmental NondGovernnental Organizations (ENGO's) Meeting, was 
     
     instructive, interesting and a bit minduboggling. Both Roy Johnstone of H.O.P.E. 
     
     and myself were in attendance to represent P.E.I. The meetings were funded for 
     
     the most part by Environment Canada and the Canadian Environmental Advisory 
     
     Council. 
     
    

    
     The meeting began with two guest speakers. Author Richard Grossman elaborated 
     
     on his recent release "Fear at WOrk" which emphasizes that regulations aimed at 
     
     pollution control create new jobs more often than they cause job loss. Yet 
     
     employers often use job lay—off as blackmail to influence regulationdmaking bodies. 
     
     Environment Canada's TomJDeFayer speculated on future economic development and 
     
     environmental effects. 
     
    

    
     The next few days were spent in concurrent workshop sessions where directions 
     
     in forestry; agriculture; energy, including nuclear energy; economic development; 
     
     aboriginal rights; and acid rain were discussed. .Rasolutions in subsequent 
     
     general sessions included requests for the following: 
     
    

    
     1. settlement of aboriginal people's land claims 
     
    

    
     2. more research into biological control in agriculture 
     
    

    
     3. more field trials in various forest management methods. 
     
    

    
     Learning sessions on the Environmental Assessment Review Process, lobbying, 
     
     and fundraising were also provided. I attended the session on fundraising to 
     
     obtain some ideas for the Island Nature Trust, which needs funding badly. 
     
    

    
     On May 2, representatives from each region met with Environment Minister 
     
     JOhn Roberts. Eight Atlantic delegates discussed forest research, promotion of 
     
     Department goals, acid rain, forest spray programs, and the National Park system 
     
     in a 45 minute session with the Minister. we all felt this was very worthwhile. 
     
    

    
     Over 200 people, 50% industry personnel, attended the Environment Canada 
     
     public hearings. Topics of greatest environmental importance were listed in ten 
     
     concurrent workshop sessions, and reported in general sessions. Among those listed 
     
     were: forest management, toxic waste disposal, acid rain, safe use of pesticides, 
     
     nuclear waste disposal and NCrthern development. Surprisingly, ten of ten groups 
     
     reported that "the polluter should pay for cleanrup". Even though industry 
     
     personnel were well represented, they assumed an observer role in most workshops 
     
     and thus the conclusion represented the environmentalist view. 
     
    

    
     Another surprise was that "loss of agricultural land" was near the top of the 
     
     list of environmental problems. Farmers have been concerned about this for some 
     
     time, but environmentalists are beginning to realize that the disappearance of our 
     
     best land means that marginal soils now harbouring wildlife are being developed 
     
     to replace the loss. As well, develcgnent.of land on steep slopes leads to serious 
     
     erosion and stream siltation, and in the long run, capacity to produce food is 
     
     impaired. This was one issue on which industry and public groups fully agreed. 
     
    

    
     It is difficult to sunnerize a week—long full schedule in one page, and I 
     
     hope to report more fully at our October meeting. One major disappointment was 
     
     that both the Canadian Wildlife and Nature Federations did not send delegates 
     
     from their Ottawa offices. These groups contain the majority of Canadian environ- 
     
     mentalists. However, a lasting impression was that today's environmental groups 
     
     are relying on logic rather than emotion to achieve their goals, and therefore 
     
    
   
   
    
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