“The need for urgent action to address the climate crisis was front and centre in the 2021 Speech from the Throne. Now we need to see that same urgency in plans for implementation – concrete and swift measures to reduce carbon emissions, end plastic pollution and remove toxic chemicals from our daily lives.” – Tim Gray, Executive Director of the citizens advocacy group, Environmental Defence Canada
A News Release from Environmental Defence Canada, a national network of advocates for protecting and preserving our environment
Posted November 23rd, 2021 on Niagara At Large
“While the Speech from the Throne made nods to both reconciliation and fighting the climate crisis, the government continues to support oil and gas projects which violate Indigenous rights, including the Coastal Gas Link pipeline, where the RCMP just arrested Wet’suwet’en land defenders to protect corporate interests, and the Trans Mountain pipeline. We’re also compelled to note the huge levels of public spending the government continues to provide to climate culprits, including for false solutions like carbon capture and fossil hydrogen.” – Julia Levin, Senior Climate and Energy Program Manager
“It is disappointing that the Speech from the Throne made no mention of promises to end plastic pollution, to create and implement a strategy to address the harms caused by environmental racism or to protect people from toxic chemicals by bringing forward a strong bill to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.” – Karen Wirsig, Plastics Program Manager
“It is worrisome that no mention of a just transition strategy or legislation were made in the Throne Speech. Despite talking about green jobs and clean communities, this government has given us no reassurance that it is setting up the right processes to deliver on these promises and truly leave no one behind. These processes must also ensure that polluters are held accountable for their harm to the land, water, climate and communities – including toxic tailing ponds from the oil sands.” – Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Program Manager
“We heard the government state that it will move to cap and cut oil and gas sector emissions and accelerate our path to “100 per cent net zero electricity future” yet they continue to support Line 5, an unnecessary and dangerous pipeline which threatens the Great Lakes and should be shut down as soon as possible. And while we have seen some positive progress in recent months for outcomes for Indigenous communities facing boil water advisories, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure all drinking water advisories are ended and that Indigenous communities are properly resourced and given agency to lead this work” – Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager
About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
A Brief Footnote from Niagara At Large reporter Doug Draper – I cannot help but add that, unfortunately, there was no promise in the Speech from the Throne to put an end to subsidizing oil and related fossil fuel producers with billions of Canadian tax dollars that could be used to support green energy projects.
This was a move the federal New Democratic Party promised to push for earlier this year during the federal election. Hopefully, the NDP will continue to push Trudeau and his governing Liberals to scrap these costly subsidies to an industry that is wreaking havoc on our climate, with catastrophic consequences for life and property.
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