Ontario’s climate change discussion: get involved!
AWARE News Network
The Ontario government has launched a public consultation process on climate change: Climate Change Discussion Paper, EBR #012-3452. This is an exercise we should all get involved in as a first step. Future steps will be to ensure our government follows through with real action to address this global threat.
Our local watchdogs would like you to go to this website ASAP as the deadline is coming up.
Comments due: March 29, 2015
There are in-person consultations. The closest to Simcoe County is in Aurora on March 18th (6-8 pm) at Aurora Cultural Centre, 22 Church Street.
There is also an online consultation. Scroll to the end of this post for links to specific posts on the government website from allied organizations, and other really good ideas, and if you like them you can vote for them.
Here are some tips on navigating the online process.
When you go to the Ontario climate change website, click on Tell Us What You Think.
These are the government’s specific questions:
- How can Ontario better support scientific research to advance future technologies that can help fight climate change?
- In what ways could sectors such as industry, transportation, electricity, agriculture, waste and forestry foster economic growth while reducing carbon emissions
- What could be done to transition more buildings and communities to low-carbon technologies?
- What market mechanism(s) could be most effectively used to price carbon?
- How can we best leverage the traditional knowledge of First Nations and Métis communities in developing and implementing the climate change strategy and action plan?
You can share your ideas; see what others are saying; and/or send a private message
Please check out the Most Popular Proposals: (don’t forget to “see all” as well)
- Increased Protection and Enforcement of Environment
- Carbon reporting
- Require electric vehicle super chargers in residential garages and condominium buildings through the Ontario building code
- End all oil and gas subsidies
- Increase biodiversity on provincial land to help bees and other pollinators
- We Want to Buy Local but Trade Agreements are Crippling Our Efforts
- Design low carbon footprint communities around transit
- Consider adopting Passive House Standards in Ontario
- Improve city planning
- Direct the OMB to enforce existing anti-sprawl legislation legislation
Other Popular Proposals include:
-Increased Protection and Enforcement of Environment
You can vote up/down – this one already has 515 + votes (last checked) – easy way to get a vote in.
-Laws Directed to Zoning Restrictions & Sustainability for all Municipalities
-Population Growth, Urban Sprawl and Increased Emissions
-No Tar Sands Pipelines through Ontario
-Progressive, Future Focused Policies
See: Discussion Questions in Climate Change Discussion Paper 2015, Section 4 (Pg. 37 & 38)
“We plan to consider all of the feedback we receive on this discussion document and incorporate these ideas and others into a comprehensive strategy that will allow us to help Ontarians adapt to climate change, meet our emissions reduction target for 2020 of being 15 per cent below 1990 emission levels, achieve 80 per cent reductions by 2050 while working toward carbon neutrality by the end of the century.
“We ask that you read this discussion paper and focus on the questions that are provided at the end of the document. We know that our province’s greatest strength is our people. We look forward to hearing from you as we work to develop a strategy that will allow us to achieve our goal of a healthy, prosperous province recognized as a world leader in climate change solutions. “
You can provide comment on the EBR (Environmental Bill of Rights) as well:
Twitter link:
#ONclimate (Environment Ontario)
https://twitter.com/environmentont/status/573146176108814336
Links to ideas posted on the government website
Support Nature’s Benefits – Escaprment Biosphere Conservancy
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