I strongly disapprove of the…

I strongly disapprove of the contents of Bill 5. Weakening the Endangered Species Act is thoughtless and backward. It is part of the "land grab" that brought us close to losing large sections of the Green Belt. There is no reason to establish businesses or build on environmentally sensitive land. There is no reason to forego environmental assessments. With over 60% of species worldwide already extinct or on the endangered species list, we should be protecting - not eliminating.

As of March 2025, the number of fungi species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ has surpassed 1,000, confirming that deforestation, agricultural expansion and urban development are driving these species to decline worldwide.

To date, 169,400 species have been assessed. Current goals, based on the IUCN Red List Strategic Plan (2021-2030), are to have 260,000 species assessed and to reassess 142,000 of those species to ensure the information on their status is up-to-date so that we can monitor trends in change of status. Meeting these goals will provide the most up-to-date indication of the health of the world’s biodiversity to guide critical conservation action.

There was a 20% increase in the number of species added to the endangered list last year.

According to the Royal Society, "biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we rely on to provide us with the air we breathe and the food we eat.

There are lots of ways that humans depend upon biodiversity and it is vital for us to conserve it. Pollinators such as birds, bees and other insects are estimated to be responsible for a third of the world’s crop production. Without pollinators we would not have apples, cherries, blueberries, almonds and many other foods we eat. Agriculture is also reliant upon invertebrates – they help to maintain the health of the soil crops grow in. Soil is teeming with microbes that are vital for liberating nutrients that plants need to grow, which are then also passed to us when we eat them. Life from the oceans provides the main source of animal protein for many people."
(https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/biodiversity/why-is-bi…)

Trees, wetlands slow down water and help with absorption, thus preventing flooding. Many plants also provide medicine. Scientists are discovering new properties in plants that may help heal or even cure diseases. Weakening or eliminating environmental assessments is a recipe for disaster. We only have to look at Los ANgeles, B.C. and Australia to to see the devasting effects of wild fires. Because the seas and oceans are warming, hurricanes are becoming more frequect and severe.

Democracy allows for public input and this bill will either limit our voices or silence our voices. We cannot allow this to happen. We cannot allow democracy to slip through our hands.

Climate change is creating climate refugees. Many countries are haveing difficulties accommodating migrants and refucees fleiing from wartorn areas. How will we accommodate millions more people whose lands have been flooded or burned.

There are no borders for water, wind, greenhouse gas emissions. If we do not curb our GHG ,we add to worldwide emissions. Every act our province takes to encourage environmental growth increases biodiversity. The reverse is also true.

Weakening environmental safeguards has an effect on health as well. Smoke from Canadian wildfires, a single week of which was estimated to have cost the province of Ontario alone “over $1.2 billion in health impacts such as premature deaths, increased hospital visits, and health emergencies,” the Canadian Climate Institute reports.

Insurance companies are either increasing policy costs or eleminating what they will insure.

I honestly do not know what else to say to convince politicians of the extreme crisis we face. This is not the time to strong arm the people of Otario. Yes, the tariffs threaten us, but not a quarter as much as climate change.