Toronto

STOP THE RING OF FIRE

Love and Strength for Ontario's Boreal Forest- one of the last intact forests on the Planet!

9:00pm
Saturday March 30 2013 - 2:00am
Sunday March 31 2013

One of the last, intact, untouched forests on the Planet lies in Ontario's Boreal Forest Region.

STOP THE RING OF FIRE is a movement to raise awareness about/stop the proposed destruction and development of 20,000 km2 of the forest for mining. The biggest claim to date is by Cliffs Natural Resources, which is currently negotiating to see that  the largest chromite mine in the world be developed in this area. The implications of such a development would see essential habitat for at-risk and endangered species wiped out, waterways being poisoined, First Nations' communities exploited, air and soil toxified, as well as disurpting a huge carbon storehouse, located in the forest. An estimated 35 billion tonnes of carbon lay in this area, which if released, would have fatal effects to all species on Earth.

We organized this, our first awareness event, in order to open peoples' eyes to this development. We will be holding more events in Sudbury, Peterborough, and another in Toronto in the upcoming months. If you are interested in joining our movement, please find us on facebook at the link listed above. Thank you!! WE WILL SAVE THIS FOREST!!!

From the Facebook Page:

"Ontario 's Northern Boreal Region represents ONE OF THE LAST INTACT, UNTOUCHED, ORIGINAL FORESTS REMAINING ON THE PLANET. This area is traditional territory of several Ojibway, Oji-Cree, and Cree First Nations. 9 Indigenous Communities being directly affected are Aroland First Nation, Constance Lake First Nation, Eabametoong First Nation, Ginoogaming First Nation, Long Lake #58 First Nation, Marten Falls First Nation, Neskantaga First Nation
Nibinamik First Nation, Webequie First Nation. The Ring of Fire is located in the James Bay Lowlands, 240 km W of James Bay, 500km NE of Thunder Bay. It is a rapidly growing area of mining activity with more than 8,000 mining claims, covering up to 20,000km2 and more claims are being added regularly. 20,000km2 is 3X THE SIZE OF THE GREATER TORONTO AREA; it's also EQUIVALENT IN SIZE TO LAKE ONTARIO. DEVELOPMENT IS OCCURRING FASTER THAN SCIENTISTS AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES CAN RECORD INFORMATION ON SENSITIVE AREAS. This proposed development is being IMPOSED on the People of the Land, and the affected Indigenous Communities have not given their free prior informed CONSENT to these developments. Matawa Tribal Council’s proposed Joint Review Environmental Assessment (EA) was rejected for a Comprehensive Study EA being conducted by Cliffs (the corporation proposing development). The Comprehensive Study EA allows very limited participation with First Nations while the longer Joint Review Panel EA would involve a more thorough consultation and consider all the impacts of a mine, including health and social issues. UNCHECKED DEVELOPMENT HERE WOULD DESTROY WILDLIFE HABITAT, CONTAMINATE NEARBY LAKES, RIVERS AND SOIL, AND DAMAGE A GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT CARBON BANK.
•U.S. iron-ore giant Cliffs Resources, together with Canada Chrome, plan to develop a $1.5 billion CHROMITE MINING OPERATION IN THE RING OF FIRE, WHICH WILL MAKE THIS THE LARGEST CHROMITE MINE IN THE WORLD. Chromite is used to make stainless steel.
•THE NORTHERN BOREAL GENERALLY & JAMES BAY LOWLANDS SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT DIVERSE WILDLIFE, INCLUDING MANY AT-RISK BIRDS, MAMMALS, FISH, REPTILES, AND AMPHIBIANS.
- The peatlands of the James Bay Lowlands currently store roughly 35 BILLION TONNES of CARBON. TO OFFSET THE RELEASE OF THAT MUCH CARBON INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, ALL ONTARIANS WOULD HAVE TO CUT THEIR CO2 EMISSIONS BY HALF FOR THE NEXT 350 YEARS JUST TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO. (INFO FROM http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/ring_of_fire.php)

THE CHROMITE PROCESSING SMELTER IS PROPOSED TO BE BUILT IN THE GREATER SUDBURY AREA- BRINGING THE HIGHLY TOXIC HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM (Cr VI) into the community- EVER HEARD OF ERIN BROCKOVICH? THIS IS THE STUFF THAT CAUSED THE HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES IN HER COURT BATTLE TO DEVELOP CANCER. http://www.mediacoop.ca/blog/grassrootssudburymedia/10946