News from the office of Ontario, Canada’s Enviroonmental Commissioner Gord Miller
(A brief NAL note – Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner is non-elected and is an independent watchdog on the actions of our provincially elected representatives around their efforts, or lack thereof, to protect the natural environment we all need to sustain healthy living.)
July 9, 2014 – Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller says Ontario needs to get back in the game on climate change.
Ontaro’s Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller takes past governments in province to task on lack of climate change action.
“The latest scientific evidence shows that the pace of climate change is accelerating,” says Miller. “Extreme weather events have increased dramatically around the world. Here in Ontario though, the provincial government hasn’t even delivered on commitments it made seven years ago.”
The Environmental Commissioner today released “Looking for Leadership, The Costs of Climate Inaction,” his 2014 report on the government’s progress in reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) and meeting the reduction targets contained in its Climate Change Action Plan.
The report shows that the government will likely meet its 2014 target (a 6% reduction in emissions below 1990 levels) largely because of the shutdown of the province’s coal plants. “But it’s not going to meet its 2020 target,” says Miller, “because it has taken very little additional action to implement the Climate Change Action Plan it released seven years ago.”
The Environmental Commissioner points out that transportation, mainly cars and trucks, is the biggest source of GHG emissions in the province. “The 2007 Action Plan said the government would reduce transportation emissions by 19 megatonnes (Mt) by 2020. That goal, unfortunately, has now been cut by almost 80%. I have been given no reason why, and no explanation about what the Ontario government plans to do instead.”
Miller says the province has lost the leadership position it once had. “British Columbia has brought in a carbon tax, Quebec has implemented a cap-and-trade system for carbon credits. Meanwhile, Ontario appears to have lost the ambition it once had and won’t even look at directives to ensure more compact urban development or a serious commitment to using electricity for transportation.”
The Environmental Commissioner says society has to end its reliance on carbon-based fuels, especially for transportation. “We need to limit the increase in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius. But that can only be done if we leave two-thirds of the existing oil and natural gas reserves in the ground. People need to understand that brutal fact.”
A Brief Niagara At Large note – Interesting how the following media release from the Ontario government happens to come in on same day the province’s Environmental Commissioner released his stinging report on the lack of action by past Ontario governments. We are posting it here for oour readers’ information.
Taking Steps to Fight Climate Change, Protect HealthJuly 9th, 2014 – Legislation Would Prohibit Coal-Fired Power in Ontario PermanentlyOntario is continuing to lead North America in fighting climate change and protecting the air that we breathe. Premier Kathleen Wynne announced today that the government is reintroducing legislation that would, if passed, permanently prohibit burning coal solely to generate electricity in the province. Ontario is the first jurisdiction in North America to eliminate coal-fired electricity. The Ending Coal for Cleaner Air Act would build on this milestone achievement by prohibiting coal-fired electricity generation going forward. The government is committed to building a clean electricity future for Ontario to protect our health for generations to come. Acting to prohibit coal-fired power permanently is an important step, because coal-fired power contributes to health-damaging smog. It is also a major source of climate-destabilizing greenhouse gases that contribute to extreme weather events, such as tornadoes, flooding and violent rainstorms. Fighting climate change and improving the quality of the air we breathe is part of the government’s economic plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate. |
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Niagara At Large 
When I see the TAR SANDS Oil going south or possibly across the ocean to China or wherever and the OIL and GAS INDUSTRY spending Millions of Dollars in CORPORATE MEDIA ADS and LOBBYING “OUR” so called CORPORATE Provincial and the Federal Governments over the necessity to use FRACKING AND TAR SAND”S to extract oil and gas from thousands of feet below the surface… The risking involved in the FRACKING process is legendary ……Earthquakes in Ohio, Poisoning of livestock and Yes People in Alberta, Texas and elsewhere, contamination of the water table and the untold amount of FRESH WATER being flushed down wells to get the last ounce of Oil.
What is Canada doing being involved in the poisoning of the very AIR we Breath, of tearing up wooded area and polluting the waters of lakes and rivers that were and are the habitat of earth’s creatures including man WHY HARPER??????….WHY???? You are suppose to be the Prime Minister of Canada BUT IN TRUTH YOU AND THE GOONS ARE NOTHING BUT THE “SLIME MINISTERS of CORPORATE WELFARE:”
and the sooner you ALL are history the better off the “WHOLE WORLD WILL BE”
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