Firstly, I do not believe…

Firstly, I do not believe that the cap and trade program should have been repealed. It provided companies with an incentive to lower their emissions without forcing regulations on to them and the cost to consumers was minimal and tolerable. It also provided funds to help the province's citizens to reduce their carbon footprints by getting electronic vehicles and doing upgrades to their homes to increase energy efficiency which would lower their carbon footprint as well as lower energy and heating costs. It also provided funding for schools and other public infrastructure. If the main issue was to cancel green energy contracts to help lower electricity prices, those could have been dealt with separately instead of getting rid of the entire program.
The fact of the matter is that climate change is happening, faster than expected, and everyone needs to work to lower emissions, governments, corporations and citizens. Due to the fact that a lot of the technology to do that is new and uptake has been regrettably slow, these technologies are expensive and government assistance went a long way to help people. We cannot refuse to deal with climate change because just not everyone in the world is doing it the way we would like. That is like saying: I am not going to start eating healthier because my friend isn't. It is a lose lose proposition to ignore climate change. Green technology brings with it jobs, innovation, research, and a better future; it should be embraced. Cap and trade kept costs to consumers down, boosted funding, created incentives for everyone to work on climate change, and kept away government regulations that corporations and conservatives hate.
If the repeal is to remain, Ontario needs some sort of carbon pricing system and fast. Apart from cap and trade (which put the costs mostly on corporations, the heaviest polluters compared to individual citizens), the federal carbon pricing system would be a good start and I think it would be a far better use of the Government of Ontario's money to give up its legal challenge and spend the $30 million set aside for it on consultations or coming up with an alternative. The Ontario ecosystem is uniquely vulnerable to climate change and we need to do something. I want my child to be able to live in this world and experience the beauty of our province and our country the way I have. So please, as a parent, I beg you either: cancel the repeal of Cap and Trade, accept the federal carbon pricing scheme, consult and come up with a solid plan to reign in heavy polluting corporations and utilities. Absence of a plan cannot be an option. And if citizens have to pay, it is something that we will have to accept if we want to continue living on this planet. We all have a part to play in this and without cap and trade, corporations will no longer be paying for their role as the heaviest polluters and the costs will now be downloaded to the citizens. For too long, governments have been overlooking long-term problems due to short mandates but a government that sets that aside and starts dealing with a long-term problem would undoubtedly be remembered as visionary and in kind form. Please, heed these words and consider cancelling the repeal of Cap and Trade.