Reducing greenhouse gases…

Reducing greenhouse gases has been scientifically proven to reduce the effects of climate change. This summer we saw how catastrophic the effects are by the number and intensity of forest fires not just in Ontario, but in Europe as well. Experts warn that the size and intensity will get worse unless something is done.

The Cap and Trade program was reducing our carbon footprint and it was working. Personally it encouraged my husband and I to make our home more energy efficient, it encouraged friends to buy or sign up for electric cars and it has encouraged myself to make better choices at home with reducing the amount of water and electricity I consume. Higher energy and gas prices encourage people to consume less meaning less pollutants enter the atmosphere slowing down the effects of climate change. The pollutants currently in our air are causing health issues and climate change is encouraging diseases like Lyme to migrate further into Canada.

By ending the Cap and Trade program, not only is this making it difficult for home owners to retrofit their homes and reduce their carbon footprint, it is also taking money away from refitting our children's schools. Already our children are expected to learn in classrooms that are unbearably hot, now they will be expected to continue to learn in schools that desperately need windows or roofs fixed. Money from the Cap and Trade program was going directly to school boards to fix these problems.

By ending the Cap and Trade program and not replacing it with an adequate program the effects of climate change will continue and increase. We only have one planet to live on.

Please do not proceed with the Cap and Trade Cancellation Act.