December 15, 2016   Hon…

December 15, 2016

 

Hon. Glen Thibeault

 

Minister of Energy

 

4th Floor, Hearst Block

 

900 Bay St.

 

Toronto, Ontario

 

M7A 2E1

 

Dear Minister:

 

Georgian Bay Forever is a charity dedicated to scientific research and public education on Georgian Bay's aquatic ecosystems.

 

Georgian Bay Forever’s mission is to protect, enhance, and restore the aquatic ecosystem of Georgian Bay by funding accredited research on water levels, water quality, wetlands and invasive species; by educating the public and governments on issues regarding the environmental protection, conservation, the safety and preservation of the water and the natural features of the Georgian Bay area of Ontario; and by enhancing the public's appreciation for their environment.

 

With climate change representing a major threat to the Great Lakes – warming waters drive changes to aquatic ecosystems such as proliferating algal blooms; changes to the food web that supports fish populations; economic hardship for citizens and important sectors of the economy due to low lake levels and evaporative losses – industries, such as Bruce Power, that help mitigate the effects of climate change are critical to our future.

 

Georgian Bay Forever’s various stakeholders share our concerns and research interests in protecting the Great Lakes ecosystems. Nuclear energy producers and the shipping industry, that also supports our work and provides the low carbon solution to Great Lakes transportation, represent important and low-carbon components of the sustainable energy mix.

 

While a focus on refurbishment is an economic necessity for safely maintaining current energy production levels, it is important that Ontario continue to look towards cleaner, more efficient state-of-the-art technologies such as grid storage, “new nuclear” technologies and electric vehicle infrastructure in the pursuit of a low-carbon and sustainable energy future and encourages innovations and industries that support that transition.

 

Respectfully,

 

Georgian Bay Forever

 

David Sweetnam, Executive Director

 

[Original Comment ID: 206970]