Celebrating Earth Day April 22

Clyde Jackman, Minister of Environment and Conservation, in recognition of Saturday, April 22 as the 37th anniversary of Earth Day, encourages residents to reflect on the importance of preserving and protecting our environment and natural heritage.

A celebration for every Canadian is the theme for Earth Day 2006. "Let�s celebrate Earth Day by making the extra effort to do something positive for our environment," said Minister Jackman. "Our actions, big or small, make a difference. A healthy environment means healthy people, vibrant communities, and a reason to celebrate."

"Newfoundland and Labrador is fortunate to have so many people in our province who celebrate Earth Day by showing their commitment to the environment through a number of activities, such as recycling, reducing home energy use, choosing to drive less, cleaning-up beaches, planting trees and considering the environment when making purchases." Minister Jackman said. "In recognition of Earth Day, I encourage everyone in our province to demonstrate that we care about protecting our environment and natural heritage,"

More than six million Canadians join 500 million people in over 180 countries in staging events and projects to address local environmental issues. Nearly every school child in Canada takes part in an Earth Day activity. Earth Day provides the opportunity for positive actions and results.

"While we have much to celebrate with respect to our clean environment and our abundance of natural resources, there is considerable work to be done in areas such as climate change, oil spills, waste management, species protection and conservations of our limited natural resources. These issues require the participation of all our citizens. On Saturday, April 22, please do your part to protect and preserve our province," said Minister Jackman.

Media contact: Diane Hart, Communications, (709) 729-2575, 685-4401

2006 04 21                              12:00 noon