The following statement was issued today by Tom Osborne, Minister of Environment and Conservation. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I wish to advise honourable members of the House of Assembly and the people of the province that tomorrow, Friday, April 22 is Earth Day. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, which is celebrated world-wide as a time to reflect on the importance of preserving and protecting our environment and natural heritage.

Our planet is precious and fragile and Earth Day is a reminder of the essential need for each and every one of us to be responsible stewards of the environment at home and abroad.

We all must work together and do our part to help ensure a heathy and clean environment for ourselves, our children and grandchildren. Newfoundland and Labrador is fortunate to have so many people all over the province who are showing their commitment to the environment through a number of activities, such as recycling, cleaning-up beaches, planting trees and spreading the environmental message in our school classrooms.

Government has undertaken many initiatives to help protect our environment, from introducing new Air Pollution Control Regulations, to announcing a number of fibre waste diversion programs, to signing wetlands stewardship agreements with various municipalities. One of the most challenging environmental issues we are facing today is climate change. Government is committed to doing its part to address climate change, which we demonstrated in Budget 2005 with the provision of $300,000 for climate change initiatives. We have also developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the federal government on climate change. We anticipate signing the MOU before the end of this month. As well, we have drafted our own climate change action plan that will be released very soon. Indeed, sustainable use of our natural environment and resources is also key to protecting our environment for the future. To this end, as committed in our Blueprint, government has also commenced work on the establishment of a Sustainable Development Act for the province.

All of these actions clearly show that government is very serious about the environment and we will continue to take action on Earth Day, and every day, to ensure its protection and conservation. In recognition of Earth Day, I encourage everyone in the province to make the extra effort to do something positive for our environment. Our actions � big or small � do make a difference. Let�s use Earth Day to renew our commitment to the environment. A healthy environment means healthy people, vibrant communities, and a stronger, more productive province for future generations.

2005 04 21                       2:40 p.m.