This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
A truly grassroots movement, where local actions move global solutions forward.
Ottawa (21 April 2010) - More than six million Canadians join a billion people in more than 170 countries every year in staging Earth Day events and projects to address local environmental issues. Nearly every school child in Canada takes part in an Earth Day activity.
This Earth Day is being celebrated on April 22 for the 20th year in Canada.
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) joins with citizens everywhere in recognizing that environmental challenges abound as the pollution and degradation of the environment continues on a global scale.
Earth Day provides all Canadians with an opportunity to take positive action and achieve positive results.
This year Canadians can finally celebrate meaningful action by their federal MPs. On April 14th the House of Commons cleared the way for third reading to take place later this spring on the Climate Change Accountability Act - Bill C-311. Although much work remains to be done to put a climate plan in place, there is also much to celebrate for having come this far.
Because the health and environmental sustainability of our communities is important to our members, NUPGE works on a variety of environmental initiatives at the national level. To receive our monthly Environmental eBulletin subscribe here.
40th U.S. Earth Day
First launched as an environmental awareness event in the United States in 1970, Earth Day (April 22) is celebrated worldwide as the birth of the environmental movement.
Earth Day is a powerful catalyst for change. The first Earth Day, spearheaded by Wisconsin Governor Gaylord Nelson and Harvard University student Denis Hayes, involved 20 million participants at teach-ins that began to look seriously at decades of environmental pollution. The event inspired the U.S. Congress to pass clean air and water legislation and to establish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to research and monitor environmental issues and enforce environmental laws.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
More Information:
Earth Day Canada over the years (1990-2010) - pdf