I am a university student…

I am a university student and lifelong London resident who is preparing to dedicate my life to the health of Ontarians as a healthcare professional. What concerns me about the Cap and Trade Cancellation Act is the way it will affect the wellbeing of my community.

The IPCC has set 1.5 degrees of global warming, anticipated to be achieved in 12 years at current rates, as the difference between life or death on the planet. The impact of climate change on human health is, however, already evident in London. As reported by the Middlesex-London Health Unit publication in 2014, our community has experienced rising rates of heat-stress related mortality that correlate with rising temperatures, and mortalities are expected to double by 2031-2050 and increase six-fold by 2071. Furthermore, the incidence of smog-related respiratory illness has also increased, while the risk for vector-borne diseases in our community is expected to grow with rising temperatures, particularly since our city houses an international airport that receives over 400 000 travelers each year. Furthermore, 22.2% of children in London live in poverty, 71 000 live in low-income households, and like other Ontario communities, our population is aging. This means that at a large proportion of our population will be poorly prepared to cope with the threats of climate change, which will result in poor community health.

The cap and trade emissions program with the carbon tax is an essential tool for the government to support the wellbeing of Ontarians for the present and the future. It has been recommended as the most effective strategy to reduce carbon emissions by Nobel Prize winners Paul Romer and William Nordhaus and furthermore, our cap and trade system to date has reduced Ontario’s emissions below 1990 levels by 2016. Furthermore, the cap and trade program is beneficial to Ontario financially. Carbon taxes have raised $2.87 billion in revenue for the province, and the $5 million in reimbursement our province would have to pay is estimated to be 100 times too low, a cost our province, communities, and homes just can’t pay.

Climate change is the biggest threat to the health and wellbeing of our communities, and our future must be carbon neutral. Please make the responsible decision for your constituents and do not eliminate the Cap and Trade system.