It’s Getting Harder and Harder for Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Party of Climate Laggards like Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff to Continue Wreaking Havoc on Life on this Planet
A Brief Foreword by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large, followed by a News Release from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a citizens advocacy group for a cleaner, greener energy future
Posted October 18th, 2023 on Niagara At Large
Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff and Premier Doug Ford have been systematically weakening and gutting green energy projects and others efforts to protect our natural heritage since the Ford government was first elected in Ontario in 2018. At the same time, they continue to push low-density urban sprawl, the building of more multi-lane highways and carbon-polluting, gas-fired energy plants.
After Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his his party of lap dogs like Sam Oosterhoff first formed a government in this province in 2018, among the first things they did while applauding themselves was kill incentives and much of the infrastructure (including battery charging stations across Ontario) the previous Liberal government had put in place to encourage people to buy electric trucks and cars.
Ford and company also ripped up an estimated $230 million in renewable energy projects the previous government had given the nod to.
Ford, who was also poised at the time to diminish the powers of environmental and conservation agencies to protect wetlands, woodlands and species at risk, went so far as to brag about how “proud” he was to shred contracts for the kind of green energy projects being pursued by more environmentally-conscious regions and countries around the world – regions and countries more committed to developing sources for a greener energy that will fuel their economies and, at the same time, protect our collective environment in the 21st Century.
Yet Ford and his Tories prefer to remain stuck in a carbon-polluting 20th Century as they promote spending countless billions of dollars on more highways over public transit and they try to push carbon-polluting gas-fired energy plants on communities across the province.
Fortunately, growing numbers of citizens across this province are pressing their municipal governments to say no to the Ford government’s Neanderthal policies when it comes to energy generation and environmental protection.
This past September, Thorold’s city council in Niagara Ontario said a unanimous NO to a gas-powered energy project planned for that municipality, and the latest city council to do the same thing is Kingston.
What we must dedicated ourselves to do now is focus on the health and welfare of our children and grandchildren and fire this dangerous Ford government out of office in the next provincial election.
Now Here Is The News Release from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance –
Kingston Says No To Climate-Wrecking Gas
(This October 17th), Kingston City Council made it overwhelmingly clear where it stands on addressing our current climate crisis: YES to renewables, efficiency and battery storage; NO to polluting gas-fired electricity generation.
Through motions and amendments, the city made its opposition to new gas-fired generation black and white, and in doing so sent a message to our provincial electricity planners and Energy Minister Todd Smith that Kingston cares about action on climate change.
Unfortunately, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and Minister Smith seem to care a whole let less as they continue their quest to hugely ramp up gas-fired generation [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/campaigns/gas/], using empty threats about potential blackouts to try to coerce communities into accepting more polluting gas.
It didn’t work in Thorold [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/thorold-says-no-to-gas-over-to-you-mr-smith/] or Toronto [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/toronto-says-no-to-gas-again/], and now Kingston has also made it clear it won’t be intimidated.
Kingston’s proactive stance is something other cities should take note of, particularly Brampton, Halton Hills and King Township, which are all facing huge increases in gas use in existing gas plants, and more pollution in their communities. It is time for these communities to also say “ yes to renewables, no to more gas. [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/why-is-doug-ford-ignoring-the-renewable-energy-revolution/]”
It was Kingston residents like Aric McBay of the Providence Centre [https://pc-jpic.ca/] who turned things around in their community when city staff appeared willing to do the IESO’s bidding.
Deputy Mayor Wendy Stephen [https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/mayor-and-council/district4] heard what residents were saying and moved an amendment to ensure the city clearly expressed that it would not be a willing host for a gas plant. Together, they set an important precedent for citizens and councils working together to stand up for their communities and not get snowed by dubious claims made by the IESO and fossil gas companies.
It may serve the interests of big fossil fuel companies to increase gas burning, but it sure isn’t in the interest of communities where current gas plants are located, or where the Ford government wants to build new ones. And it doesn’t serve the people of this province who are already seeing the growing impacts of climate change. It is important that communities make it clear where they stand – with their residents, not with fossil fuel interests.
Send your own message to Doug Ford and Minister Smith [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/gorenewable/] that Ontario must invest in renewables and conservation now.
More News on this Issue can be viewed by clicking on the following links –
City of Thorold Votes YES – Again and Again – for Building a Healthy Community | Niagara At Large
Doug Ford ‘proud’ of tearing up hundreds of green energy contracts | CBC News
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