I am very concerned about…

I am very concerned about the Ford government (not "our" or the "Ontario" government, as it should be) trying to dismantle all the environmental protections in the province. Loosening restrictions on drinking water protection and allowing for more to be taken, and to allow development to occur in areas of recharge and filtering and such, is not the way to protect our valuable resource - our water quality is something that the US and other countries eye enviously - we should protect it and not threaten it.

Similarly, our green belt is an important piece of habitat; it is so critical to protect our few remaining natural areas, especially those that provide wildlife corridors and protection to a diversity of species. The value of nature is not just to a few nature lovers - it has been shown that exposure to nature and greenspaces decreases crime, mental health issues, and increases physical health and recovery times and concentration and so much more. Nature also helps to keep our air and water clean, helps to sequester carbon, and so much more. We should be trying to increase our amount of protected lands, and not start cutting holes in it. There are already holes in it from current existing development and infrastructure - we can't afford to lose any more of it for short-term gain. Look at the brownfield and in-fill development opportunities first! We have areas of cities that are empty - fill them up before expanding out into the greenbelt. The farmland that is there is also critical to protect - we need to fill the bellies of the increasing population, and can't rely on imports to do so, especially with future costs for transportation and environmental hazards and impacts on crops around the world.

There are other ways to save money and reduce red tape than these short-sighted goals. Please step back and remain true to promises to protect our environment!