I am a lifelong Ontarian and…

I am a lifelong Ontarian and a mother of two children who is deeply concerned about this government's plans to scrap cap-and-trade.

Especially in light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report advising the world of the dire environmental situation we currently face, it is shocking and sad to me that the current government would turn its back on an important and credible way to fight climate change. Rescinding the regulation that established the cap-and-trade program and withdrawing from an arrangement with Quebec and California that establishes a joint carbon market to buy and sell pollution credits is shortsighted and will directly harm all citizens of our province, especially children who will have to grow-up in a planet in peril.

Canceling this program makes it clear that this government is not interested in taking climate action and instead is withdrawing from Canada's national climate change plan without any meaningful plan of its own. This is extremely worrying given that the IPCC has clearly identified that everyone, especially governments, need to take action immediately to stave off dangerous increases in global temperatures that will cause irreversible damage.

Climate change is not a political issue. It should be the concern of everyone. The cap-and-trade program is an effective and useful tool to try to help address the growing and real problem of climate change and environmental degradation. Nothing else matters if our planet is in trouble. Businesses that you purport to support cannot thrive if this planet is in danger. Our future is dependent on everyone, including this government, taking action to fight climate change collectively. Please reconsider scrapping cap-and-trade. Please do the right thing. Thank you.