McGuinty govt. targets natural waterfalls for energy production.

From Peaceful Parks Coalition October 11 2012 

A new proposal recently introduced by the Ontario govt. will allow private energy companies to harness the power of rushing waters ahead of natural waterfalls, divert them through a generating station and discharge the water downstream, similar to what happens now at Niagara Falls.

 The difference is that Niagara Falls is protected as a tourist designation but smaller unprotected waterfalls across the Niagara Escarpment and the Canadian Shield could see natural waterfalls reduced to a trickle as companies divert water away from the natural gorge. 

This is part of the McGuinty govt.  Green Energy Plan, only there is nothing ‘green’ about it, except for ‘greenwashing’.  Utilizing the natural energy of rushing waters is a sustainable way to produce energy but only if the water course remains intact.

Trillium Energy Alliance, an Ontario not-for profit organization has issued an Action Alert on this issue.  They are working with citizens across Ontario to tell the Ontario government that small local waterfalls are too important to local communities to shut them out. 

 Bala Falls is in imminent danger of being privatized. The proposed hydro-electric project is just the tip of the iceberg and may set a bad precedence if MPP Bradley does not intervene. Ontario has hundreds of waterfalls worth tens of billions of dollars. All options, impacts and potential benefits must be fully assessed in order to determine if privatizing these opportunities is in the best interest of the province.

 For more information, please contact Trillium Energy Alliance.  Everything you need to know including links to the proposed policy is here:

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