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Selling off Greenbelt land to Premier Doug Ford’s buddies and donors is not all to shake our heads about in light of the climate change impact assessment report that Ford has had since January but only now, with no fanfare, has released.
Ontario’s food production will see “declining productivity, crop failure, and livestock fatalities,” businesses will face increased climate-related risks, and Ontarians will experience 55 to 60 extreme heat days per year — a nearly fourfold increase — as well as flooding, droughts, and fires. The impact that climate change will have on our lives is truly frightening.
Unfortunately, the Ford government doesn’t seem bothered. And no wonder. Consider Ford’s track record when it comes to climate:
- Cancellation of the cap-and-trade climate plan, which aimed to lower greenhouse gas emissions by putting caps on the amount of pollution companies could emit.
- Cancellation of green incentive programs, including ending contracts for solar and wind energy projects.
- Weakening conservation authorities, particularly in the management of water and land resources.
- Rollbacks in environmental regulations, including those related to water quality, land conservation, and endangered species protection.
- Slashed funding for Indigenous conservation efforts.
- Selling off the Greenbelt, putting a great number of species and protected water at risk, and building proposed highways though farms and wetlands.
The Ford government is failing us — and the planet. They must resign.
Barbara Sternberg
Brechin
