The right to a healthy environment: The next big thing

Canada’s environmental framework is broken. But a Charter right that protects each and every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment could start to repair the damage.

Tomorrow, I’ll join my friend David Suzuki on stage at Toronto’s Massey Hall to talk about how the Charter right to a healthy environment could revolutionize the way we protect the people and places we love.

This exciting and powerful concept is the focus of our latest special report, The Right to a Healthy Environment: Canada’s Time to Act. We hope you’ll read it and share it with your friends today.

After nearly 25 years of fighting for legal precedents to keep our air breathable, water drinkable and communities healthy, we at Ecojustice have become all too familiar with how Canada’s environmental laws are failing to protect us.

Canada’s patchwork of environmental laws and weak regulatory standards mean that thousands of people, disproportionately those in First Nations communities, do not have access to clean running water. Thousands of others, like our clients Ron Plain and Ada Lockridge of Sarnia, Ont., are subject to harmful levels of air pollution every day. And dozens of toxic chemicals already banned in other wealthy countries can still be legally used within our borders.

These injustices make a clear case for why Canada needs to take bold action and recognize the right to a healthy environment in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

By enshrining the right to a healthy environment in the Charter, we can align our highest law with our most deeply-held values. As we explain in our special report, the right to a healthy environment could be a powerful catalyst in improving the quality of our laws, our environment and our health.

And it all starts with you. Read our special report to learn more today.

In the last 50 years, the right to a healthy environment has gained recognition around the world faster than any other human right. More than 110 countries now recognize their citizens’ right to a healthy environment.

Now it’s Canada’s turn. Are you with us?