This Bill has serious…

This Bill has serious consequences for the vital environmental services that Conservation Authorities provide in Ontario. Removing considerations of environmental impact and pollution is not scientifically sound. If we solely consider soil erosion or bedrock for environmental assessments, assumptions will be made without fully understanding the ecosystem, how it functions, species who use it for habitat, and there will be dire consequences for our children and grandchildren who will inherit this world. Furthermore, Conservation Authorities are public organizations that are at the forefront of carbon footprint mitigation and building resilience through climate change adaptation. As a person with more years on this planet than the people making these decisions (hopefully) - I beg of you to start looking at innovative solutions for sustainable development. Look at Toronto's new Inclusionary Zoning Policy and putting the responsibility on individuals who can afford to build these developments and who profit more in the future, rather than tax-paying citizens. Or look at the communities that already exist within urban areas and look at infrastructure retrofits and landlord incentives to increase attainable housing. This Bill also entirely contradicts our federal government's commitment to reach net zero by 2050 - we need trees and agricultural land to sequester carbon.
So again, the effects of Bill 23 on the Conservation Authorities Act are not scientifically sound and were developed by Policymakers. If this was developed by scientists who truly understand the way our environment functions, there would be no consideration to remove "environmental impacts" and "pollution" from considerations.
Please, I implore you to think of your children and theirs, because they aren't.