The Ontario government is taking action to address issues of climate change. Once in office, we have been acting as quickly as possible to fulfill our commitment to Ontario families and businesses. For example, we revoked the cap-and-trade carbon tax and ended emissions trading and allowances. In addition, we have now released our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan that takes concrete steps to protect our air, water, and land and fight climate change.
Climate change is here. It is a reality and our environmental legacy will be predicated on our capacity to adapt, and to stop the worst consequences from materializing.
Fortunately, another reality is the fact the Ontario government is committed to protecting the environment using a sensible and balanced approach that creates jobs, respects taxpayers and grows the economy. But it is important to discuss what we’re fighting…the actual impact climate change can have on all of us.
Our government understands that climate change is a reality. It is a serious, worldwide problem.
More frequently, we hear media reports of severe weather that results in flooded basements, structural damages, and costly cleanups—sometimes in our own backyard. And the insured losses we’ve incurred in Ontario during 2018 give an unnerving snapshot of the consequences.
Earlier this year, a storm caused more than $46 million of insured damage in Brantford, Cambridge, London and the GTA. A spring storm in southern Ontario resulted in almost $80 million in costs. Soon after, winds and rains hit Hamilton and the GTA and caused over $500 million in damage. Last summer, a rainstorm in Toronto caused $80 million in damage. Further, we can’t forget the destruction left in the path of the Ottawa tornadoes this September.
The people across Haldimand-Norfolk are close to the land and are among the first to notice changes in the weather and the attendant damage and costs extreme weather can inflict on crops and buildings. Farmers and those that work outdoors have long been aware of fluctuating temperatures and are taking note when scientists predict that the average annual temperature in Ontario could be increasing significantly.
Milder winters and hotter summers create a paradise for insect and plant diseases. Are you getting more tick and mosquito bites? Lyme disease and West Nile virus, and other mosquito and tick-borne diseases, have been moving northward as our part of the world warms. And with increasing temperatures and phosphorus loads, many have taken notice of Lake Erie’s more frequent algal blooms and accelerated aquatic plant growth.
These aren’t news items from a far-off land. These events effect our health, increase food costs, hurt our communities, and can mean large repair bills and higher insurance premiums.
In a subsequent column, I’ll discuss our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan and how it’s constructed to meet the needs of Ontarians by protecting and conserving our air, land and water; fighting litter and waste; building resilience to the impacts of climate change—particularly extreme weather—and illustrating ways for all of us to do our part to decelerate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As one with a background in agriculture and the outdoors, I’m excited about our environment plan. It draws on the expertise of environmentalists, scientists, stakeholders, Indigenous people, and the general public—more than 8,000 ideas and recommendations were received through our online portal. But more on that in a future column. For the Silo, Toby Barrett.
UPDATE LITTER
Waste-Free Wednesday designed to keep communities litter free
PORT DOVER – The Ontario government is encouraging cleanups to help keep our province clean, healthy and beautiful. On Waste-Free Wednesdays throughout the summer, the province is urging people to get outside and clean up litter in their local communities.
Litter is one visible example of the ongoing degradation of our natural environment. Picking up garbage may be seen as a small thing, but it can make a difference.
Building on the success of the Day of Action on Litter, Waste-Free Wednesday is a weekly reminder of the importance of keeping our greenspaces and waterways clean and litter free.
“The average Ontarian generates one tonne of waste every year – much of this making its way to our waterways and greenspaces, harming wildlife and impacting human health,” said Andrea Khanjin, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and MPP for Barrie-Innisfil.
There are actions we can all take to reduce waste and keep recyclables, food and organics out of our landfills, including:
Using reusable containers instead of single-use food wraps.
Donating gently used clothes, toys and household items instead of throwing them away.
Planning meals in advance and only buying what you need.
Making sure garbage bags are properly tied or sealed so litter is contained.
Share pictures of your Waste-Free Wednesday Cleanups and other actions using the #WasteFreeWednesday and #actONLitter hashtags.
QUICK FACTS
§ Every 1,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill generates seven full time jobs in Ontario.
§ Almost every plastic item manufactured since the 1950s is still in our environment.
§ About $31 billion worth of food is wasted annually in Canada and Ontario households generate an estimated 1.4 million tonnes of food and organic waste per year.
§ 95 per cent of clothing sent to landfills could have been donated or recycled.
§ Making a can from recycled aluminum uses 95 per cent less energy.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
§ Visit the act on litter webpage for more information on ways you can prevent, reduce and divert waste.
§ For information and resources to help you organize a litter cleanup use our litter cleanup guide.
§ Use our litter cleanup reporting form to tell us what you collected during your cleanup.
For more information, contact me , MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org
2018’s Wind Of Change
Swinging into summer and the passing of fall
Six months ago MPPs returned to Queen’s Park for a rare summer sitting to begin turning our province around. The change in administration set the stage for an accountable government that will work for everyone.
The summer sitting of the Ontario Legislature gave me an opportunity to rise and pay tribute to John Graves Simcoe – Ontario’s first Lieutenant-Governor. He fought in the American War of Independence and interacted with such notable figures as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Benedict Arnold.
In September, my Private Members Bill concerning alternate land use services and programs on agricultural land received all-party support. The proposed legislation requires the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to develop a framework and action plan on how agricultural land can be used to create clean air, clean water, healthy soil, and a better environment for the good of all society.
Also in September, Premier Doug Ford announced a program to facilitate natural gas expansion in rural and northern Ontario through a partnership with local communities and private partners. Switching to natural gas can save the average customer between $800 and $2,500 a year.
One of the first orders of business when we formed government was to axe the carbon tax. Today gas prices are the lowest we have seen in some time.
The Making Ontario Open for Business Act introduced in October will enable Ontario employers to boost job creation and investment by cutting unnecessary regulations that are inefficient, inflexible and out of date.
In the spirit of remembrance, in November I paid tribute in the House to the bravery and skill of Canadian military snipers past and present. During the Great War, Metis Henry Louis Norwest was a famed Canadian sniper. In trench conflict, he needed excellent marksmanship with the ability to camouflage and stay still for long periods. Lance Corporal Norwest made 115 kills and earned two military medals. Norwest was killed by a German—also a sniper.
I have also drafted a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in support of building a memorial to Canadian veterans of Afghanistan. Over 40,000 Canadians bravely served in the war in Afghanistan, with 159 making the ultimate sacrifice. Premier Doug Ford committed to building a memorial honouring the bravery and sacrifice of our Afghan veterans.
Over the years, I have stressed the need to teach basic math skills and in November this was addressed in the Safe and Supportive Schools Act, 2018. The legislation also requires math testing for new teachers and accommodates service dogs in all schools.
Question Period also gave me a chance to highlight that our government has established Ontario 511 where drivers can track their plow and plan their route all in one stop.
Since June, we have accomplished much but there is much more work to do. As people, as a province, our potential is limitless. We are blessed with an abundance of natural resources, blessed with the smartest and hardest working people to be found anywhere. There is a reason to be proud of the incredible province we inherited from our forefathers. And we must work every day as a province, as a people, to create a better Ontario for our children and for their children.
Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand Norfolk
UPDATE A plan to tackle climate change in Ontario
As an elected representative I am often asked – “What are you doing about climate change?”
The climate is changing. Severe rain, ice and windstorms, prolonged heat waves and milder winters are more common. These changes will continue to affect Ontario’s forests, waters and wildlife. All sectors of the economy are feeling the impacts and paying more for associated costs.
As of 2013, Canada is responsible for 1.6 per cent of global emissions, with Ontario responsible for less than 0.4 per cent.
Recently, Environment Minister Rod Phillips announced a made-in-Ontario plan to keep our province beautiful by protecting our air, land and water, and to support people to do their share in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We must also do our utmost to help communities and families prepare for changes in climate.
This plan will ensure we balance a healthy environment with a healthy economy and is presently available for comment and suggestions on the Environmental Registry at https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/013-4208.
Ontario’s plan represents a clean break from the status quo.
We understand the pressure Ontarians feel with rising costs of living as well as skyrocketing energy costs that have hurt our economy and our competitiveness. People are understandably frustrated to see their hard-earned tax dollars spent on policies and programs that do not deliver results.
That’s why a cap-and-trade program or carbon tax that punishes people for heating their home or driving their cars remains unacceptable.
With hard work, innovation and commitment, we will ensure Ontario achieves emissions reductions in line with Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets under the Paris Agreement.
We will tap the resourcefulness and creativity of our diverse and thriving private sector by helping them invest in and develop clean solutions to today’s environmental challenges.
People in Ontario have already made significant contributions to meaningful climate action. We in Haldimand-Norfolk took a big hit for the team with the closure of OPG Nanticoke – one of the world’s largest coal-fired generating stations.
We must work to unlock further private capital to give Ontario businesses and residents new and more affordable ways to invest in energy efficiency, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most effective ways we can combat climate change is encouraging innovation and discouraging regulatory barriers to solutions.
Further, we will improve our understanding of how climate change will affect Ontario and help people understand those impacts.
With respect to climate change, I have always felt that farming and forestry is a big part of the answer.
It is essential that we continue to support programs and partnerships intended to make the agriculture, forestry and food sectors more resilient to current and future climate impacts. We will support on-farm soil and water quality programming and work with partners to improve agricultural management practices. Practices that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere include sustainable forest management, conserving and restoring natural ecosystems, and enhancing soil carbon in agriculture.
Forests emit greenhouse gases as trees age and die, while younger forests that are growing vigorously capture carbon from the atmosphere. Sustainable forestry practices can encourage forests to grow and increase carbon stored in forests and harvested wood products.
This government has set the stage for meaningful ecological and economic sustainability. As I mentioned earlier, leave your suggestions and feedback at the website or email me at toby.barrett@pc.ola.org Please mention The Silo when contacting. Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk