David Coon, MLA/Député

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to encourage world-wide environmental action. Canada’s Environment Week was established in law in 1985 to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5th.

“The choices we make for ourselves and our families determine the size of our environmental footprint. We can all make conscious choices about what we purchase, what we eat, how we travel, and how much energy we use. If we are intentional about those, then we will tread more lightly on the Earth,” said David Coon, Leader of the Green Party, and MLA for Fredericton South.

According to the Green Party leader, environmental action must also go beyond making good choices to practicing active citizenship regarding government initiatives that undermine the health of our air, water and land. He pointed to how citizens actively working together in their communities have brought about the fracking moratorium in New Brunswick, and are now working hard to end herbicide spraying over our forests.

“I am looking forward to hearing the ideas of New Brunswickers on how we can make the transition to a low carbon society as the Select Committee on Climate Change holds public hearings around the province,” said Coon. “We are producing and consuming fossil fuels at such a rate that we can no longer ensure that our children and grandchildren will have the quality of life we enjoy in the face of a rapidly changing climate. It’s a sobering thought, but one what should propel us all to action.”