To Whom it May Concern, I am…

To Whom it May Concern,

I am deeply concerned by the premier's decision to cancle to cap and trade program in Ontario. I find this decision to be incredibly short-sighted, ignorant, and disheartening. Environmental policy should not be a partisan issue - it has serious implications for all Canadians regardless of their political affiliation or views. Unfortunately, the premier has decided to ignore logic - both environmentally and economically - in favour of a short-sighted political move to win faith with voters who likely do not understand the long-term implications of these types of decisions. A few reasons why I disagree with the premier's decision:

1) The cap and trade program was providing valuable resources to help mitigate climate change and keep major polluters in check. There is no doubt that fighting climate change is a complicated and nuanced problem, yet using revenue streams generated by limiting green house gas emissions is one effective mechanism that the premier doesn't seem to value. Further, flooding and other climate-related issues are costing Ontarians thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars, so what kind of message does it send to 1. Reduce available funds to fight these problems and 2. eliminate important checks and balances for companies that are contributing to these problems.

2) It is incredibly irresponsible and reckless to end a program of this nature without having another one in place to replace it immediately. The cap and trade program has both environmental and economic benefits that are already being realized in Ontario, and to suddenly end it without having another plan in place, especially given how dire things have become with the impacts of climate change, is utterly ridiculous. Furthermore, why should Ontarians be forced to spend their tax dollars on developing a new climate change strategy when there is already a reasonably good one in place? For a government that claims to be trying to save taxpayer money, it seems odd to attack a climate change strategy that has already brought millions of dollars to the Ontario economy and supported many public projects to reduce green house gas emissions. It calls into a question how much the premier truly values the environment and the well being of Ontario citizens.

3) The program was supporting many green projects designed to help fight climate change, including transit and energy efficiency in public buildings. It also provided rebates to many Ontarians for cars, windows, and other energy-efficient purchases. These initiatives helped to reduce people's reliance on fossil fuels, a long-term climate change strategy. Increasing savings at the gas pump does nothing to help solve these problems - rather it is a short-sighted move that further perpetuates the problems we're experiencing.

I encourage the government to put aside its philosophical differences with the previous government and do what’s best for Ontario: helping us mitigate and adapt to our new climate reality. It's time for the government to stop ignoring and putting off these issues and be proactive in fighting climate change. Wake up, Doug Ford.