Commissioner Thompson: Feds All Talk, No Action On Environment

Environmental advocates were heartened by Thompson's conclusions but share his disappointment that, despite repeated calls for actions over the last decade from a series of commissioners, the federal government seems unable to become more green. "This is the government's feel-good voluntary approach to environmental issues," said Aaron Freeman, policy director of Environmental Defence, an advocacy group. "It's a failed approach." Thompson called on the federal government to carry out a thorough review of what needs to be fixed. Auditor General Sheila Fraser backed up Thompson's view saying, "After a decade, sustainable development strategies are a major disappointment. For the most part, senior managers in departments have not demonstrated that they take the strategies seriously and few parliamentary committees have considered them." It is the first time that the reports of the Auditor General and the Environment Commissioner have been released simultaneously. Some advocates, such as Freeman, are worried that news of the Environment Commissioner's findings will be overshadowed by the Auditor General's findings on such issues as security holes in government departments and problems with military's health care system. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071030/enviro_commissioner_071030/20071030?hub=SciTech [Proofreader’s note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on October 31, 2007]

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