PRESS RELEASE

Clean Nova Scotia Endorses GPI Ecological Footprint Study

Organization Will Work to Achieve 1 million ha. Footprint Reduction

March 2001, Halifax, Nova Scotia—Clean Nova Scotia (CNS) welcomes the release of the Nova Scotia Ecological Footprint by GPI Atlantic. This important new study shows us how to measure the impact of Nova Scotians’ everyday consumption habits on the environment. Clean Nova Scotia announced its intention to work with Nova Scotians to achieve the 1 million hectare footprint reduction recommended by GPIAtlantic by the end of 2002.

CNS Director Meinhard Doelle commented that “The GPI study comes at a time when Nova Scotia is developing new strategies on climate change, energy, solid waste, water and other vital issues that will determine our future for years to come. The “ecological footprint” exposes the linkages among all these issues, and therefore will be an invaluable tool for policy makers and citizens alike to measure our progress in the years to come.”

“The GPI study highlights the need for holistic thinking and planning. It also demonstrates that there are real opportunities to reduce our overall environmental impact. Most importantly, it provides Nova Scotians with a standard for assessing our progress. The bigger the ecological footprint, the bigger the demand on our natural resource base. Our present state of consumption both provincially and on a global scale is not sustainable.”

“Through existing CNS programs like our Home Tune-Up program, our PACK newsletter, and our solid waste and litter education programs, we at Clean Nova Scotia are already working with Nova Scotians to reduce our ecological footprint,” commented Doelle. “Our newly established Climate Change Education Centre is ready to assist organisations and individuals throughout the province to take concrete actions to reduce our environmental impact through more sustainable energy use, agriculture, consumption, and transportation.”

The GPI report presents a number of specific recommendations for individual and political actions that can dramatically reduce the impact of our current consumption habits on the environment. Doelle is optimistic that the GPI target for a one million hectare footprint reduction by 2002 can be realized, and he announced that Clean Nova Scotia would work with Nova Scotians to achieve the goal.

“In just 5 years Nova Scotians have reduced their solid waste footprint by 50%. So we know from actual experience that we can do it, and that individual and public actions can make a real difference. Nova Scotia’s success with solid waste has been recognised throughout Canada and internationally as far away as Ireland and Russia. The Ecological Footprint study now suggests new frontiers for cooperation to reduce our impact on the environment further.

“We invite Nova Scotians, individually; through businesses, institutions and non-profit organizations to which they belong; and through enlightened public policy, to work with us to reduce Nova Scotia’s ecological footprint to sustainable levels. Nova Scotia can be a global example that economic prosperity and an exceptional quality of life do not have to mean leaving a degraded environment for our children and grandchildren. We can become a model to the world of responsible and sustainable living,” said Doelle.

The Nova Scotia Ecological Footprint (summary 4 pages) 116K PDF