<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><span>Hi folks</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr">My friend reporter Mychaylo Prystupa of the Vancouver Observer mentioned to me months ago that their paper was working on going national with a special focus to independently report on environmental issues specific to issues related to Tar Sands and the need to bump up environmental enforcement in Canada.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr">They launched a kickstarter campaign with the goal of reaching $50,000 to independently fund the articles. In thirty days time they've earned over $80,000. </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.vancouverobserver.com/opinion/crowd-funded-journalism-has-enormous-impact-and-power" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5566">http://www.vancouverobserver.com/opinion/crowd-funded-journalism-has-enormous-impact-and-power</a></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr">This paper will launch April 2, 2015. </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr">I have been talking to Mychaylo about Bob Burtt's new book: No Guardians at the Gate. He's interested in potentially doing a story on this for the National Observer.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr">Below is an email I shared with him today about how Bob's beautiful book fits well into the vision of the path forward for Canadian Tar Sands remediation.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307" dir="ltr">Lulu :0)</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307"> </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5307">_______________________________________________________________</div><div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5438"><div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5437"><div class="y_msg_container" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5439"><div id="yiv8133637376"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5441"><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_5440"><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660"><br></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660">Hi Mychaylo</div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" dir="ltr">This article was published this weekend in the Woolwich Observer. Photographed is author/award winning environmental journalist Bob Burtt. (He is now retired but used to work for the Kitchener Waterloo Record) He is an amazing man and personal friend of mine. It's all about his observation of the decades long chemical spills by Chemtura/Uniroyal in Elmira Ontairo which still pose a threat to the Grand River and it's tributaries. </div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660"><br></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://observerxtra.com/officials-not-safeguarding-elmiras-groundwater-says-author-of-new-book/" id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2670">http://observerxtra.com/officials-not-safeguarding-elmiras-groundwater-says-author-of-new-book/</a></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr">The majority of the remediation secured thus far is due to the outstanding efforts of local residents who risked arrest, who participated in tribunals and joined advisory committees to get the job done. It shows the evolution of how they stopped passing blame and transitioned to worked with companies and the MOE directly saving time, energy and money. It allowed the group to find solid footing on the path of common objectives and common sense with both the companies and ministries to secure action to clean up the mess. </div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr">In my view, their way is the best example for environmental groups to follow if we are to ever strive for the clean up of the Alberta tar sands. We can't afford to sue and we can't afford delay but we can afford to talk. By having all sides meet to discuss what needs to be done to clean up the mess, we secure results all the faster.</div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr">Bob can be reached at bobburtt@gmail.com. </div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yiv8133637376yui_3_16_0_1_1426517095547_2660" class="yiv8133637376" style="" dir="ltr">Lulu </div></div></div></div><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div></body></html>