Environment Week - June 4-10

Taking Action for our Environment

Environment Week is a time to celebrate successes in caring for our planet, and to renew our commitment to doing more. Please see our EnviroTips for great ideas on how you can make a difference. Use our Community Activities calendar to find Environment Week activities in your area.

Canadian Environment Week takes place from June 4 to 10, and coincides with World Environment Day June 5, Clean Air Day June 7, and World Ocean’s Day, June 8.

Read the Environment Week news release.

Nova Scotia's green plan, Towards a Sustainable Environment (PDF: 2.1mb), is a helpful guide for government and its partners. It builds on existing initiatives to bring true sustainability to our environment.

Together, government, industries, community groups and Nova Scotians are putting this plan into action and achieving the common goal of protecting our land, water, and air for future generations.

Nova Scotia Environment and Labour is proud of our province's many accomplishments in environmental preservation and protection.

Our Air

We met our commitment to adopt new air quality regulations last March. The emissions controls they place on industries mean that by 2010 we will have achieved a total of 50% reduction in sulphur dioxide from sources in existence in 2001.

We introduced a new industrial air emissions fee program in 2003. Now polluters pay for our growing air quality program. We now have more staff and a better network of air quality monitoring stations to give us more information.

Nova Scotia’s air quality is now checked more closely by better equipment. The provincial ambient air monitoring network was improved by upgrading the ambient air monitoring station in Dartmouth, adding a fine particulate monitor in downtown Halifax, adding an ozone analyzer in Pictou, and improving data management and reporting software throughout the province.

Our Land

Since October, 2004, we have added nearly 11,800 hectares (ha) to the province's system of wilderness areas and nature reserves, including:

the addition of 652 ha to 6 wilderness areas in October, 2004
the creation of 4 new nature reserves and expansion of an existing one, for a total addition of 1780 ha, in December, 2004
the creation of 2 new wilderness areas at Gully Lake and Eigg Mountain-James River, totaling 7960 ha, in April, 2005
the expansion of Eigg Mountain-James River Wilderness Area through the designation of 1340 ha of Town of Antigonish watershed lands, in December, 2005
the expansion of Cloud Lake Wilderness Area through the designation of 60 ha of Nova Scotia Nature Trust lands, in February, 2006

Our Water

Over 90 percent of Nova Scotia’s 55 municipalities now have implemented, or are about to implement, drinking water management plans. The plans guide local governments and homeowners in best practices in choosing, protecting and managing a drinking water source—a lake, river, or well—to ensure greatest level of safety and quality of water. Implementation of the plans also includes the active participation of landowners. For more information see the Drinking Water Strategy (PDF: 1.2mb).

More consistent procedures to protect our wetlands are in now effect (March 1, 2006). The process to follow when considering changes to a wetland is now clearly stated as a directive for landowners and our inspectors to follow.

Leading by Example

Within the Department, we have a pollution prevention plan that includes things like motion sensors for boardroom lighting, hybrid vehicles and water conservation devices. We’re sharing this plan with other departments through a ‘how to’ toolkit.

Environment and Labour has also implemented a departmental sustainable transportation policy that encourages staff to use sustainable transportation options and to make fuel efficiency and environmental impact the key decision-making factors when purchasing, leasing, or renting a vehicle for department use. As a result of this policy, the Department now has four hybrid vehicles.