The Upper Grand District School Board has officially joined the growing number of organizations and communities that have embraced the Blue Dot environmental movement.
This January, a student at Centennial CVI in Guelph presented information to board trustees about Blue Dot, which is a project of the David Suzuki Foundation. The movement is ultimately asking the federal government to recognize citizens’ right to a healthy environment – clean water, fresh air, healthy food and a say in decisions that affect them.
Currently, the foundation is asking organizations, communities, municipalities, cities and provinces to declare their support of the Blue Dot movement to recognize that a healthy environment should be a basic right.
This is a symbolic gesture and organizers say its potential resides in gathering numbers. If enough support is demonstrated, they believe this may convince the federal government to include healthy food, clean air and fresh water in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. More than 100 municipalities, including Guelph and Erin, have officially signed declarations to date.
At the Jan. 26 board meeting, trustees approved the adoption of the Blue Dot resolution, “making the UGDSB an environmental leader in its commitment to environmental sustainability.”
