There is solid proof that…

There is solid proof that humans have an effect on climate. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recent report (which had more than 6,000 scientific references cited and the dedicated contribution of thousands of expert and government reviewers worldwide) has proven human impact on climate change and how severe the negative impact will be.
This report highlights many examples of how mitigating climate change will reduce major risks, such as"by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C". The rise of the global temperature will cause major issues including:
- Rising sea levels = increased flood risks and deterioration of land and infrastructure
- Increased heat = heatwaves, which cause higher need for airconditioning (which is expensive for poor Ontarians), and is a threat to health (heatwaves can kill vulnerable Ontarians)
- Erratic weather patterns = tornadoes, severe rain and flooding, ice storms, etc. = can cause severe damage to infrastructure, can be so severe that electricity is lost leaving residents unable to work and contribute to the economy and unable to stay safe (meaning serious public health and safety issues)
- Etc.

There is no disputing the impact of climate change on public health, safety and the economy. It is up to the government to create policies and incentives that make citizens and businesses adopt practices to help reduce carbon emissions. Cap and Trade has proven successful as an incentive to push businesses to adopt new technologies (which is beneficial for both creating new jobs and reducing carbon emissions).

Climate change will have a very negative impact on Ontario's economy over the long term. Two areas where it it will be most obvious is both in both infrastructure and insurance. Here are some numbers to highlight the financial cost of climate change from the 2018 Greenhouse Gas Progress Report, Climate Action in Ontario: What’s Next?

Impact on the Financial Industry:
- Up to 10% of Canadian properties may soon be too high risk for private-sector flood insurance. pg 30
- "insured damage from the 2013 Toronto floods totalled $940 million, making it the costliest insured disaster in Ontario’s history" pg 29
-"Ontario taxpayers bear some of the brunt of the uninsured costs of storms, as well as significant personal losses (e.g. $60 million losses were uninsured from the 2013 Toronto flood event)." pg 29
- "Intact Financial, one of Canada’s largest property insurers, is reported to have raised premiums by as much as 15-20% in response to increasing costs of weather-related property damage." pg 30

Impact on Infrastructure
- "Increased variability in freeze-thaw cycles have caused significant road maintenance issues" pg 27
- "Over 770,000 people affected by utility disruptions from disaster-level extreme weather events in Ontario from 2003-2012"
- "The flooding of the Toronto Islands during the spring and summer of 2017, when lake levels hit a historical high-water mark, has cost the city approximately $16 million so far, and an additional $25 million will be needed over the next ten years for long-term repair and resilience measures." pg 29
- "Over the last several decades, wildland fire management costs have been steadily rising by about $120 million per decade in Canada, reaching annual values of $1 billion in recent years" pg 31

The notes above are just the tip of the iceberg. The costs associated to issues caused by climate change will increase drastically, further putting a severe strain on Ontario's economy and the residents who live here.

Like all governments, you enact policies that will immediately reward you and help you get the next vote. Ontarian's are concerned about costs of energy and gas right now, however, many are not focusing on how much more the cost of living will go up in the future if climate change continues at the rate it is going. I understand that you are compelled to do what Ontarian's want now, however, it is your duty as a government to protect the long-term interests of your populace. It is your duty to set up policies that may have a minor negative impact on residents over the short run to ensure long-term stability.

The current direction this government is taking is extremely shortsighted, and will cause severe negative harm to Ontarian's in the future. You are a government for the people, and one that prides itself in making a stronger economy. You decision to repeal Bill 4 is not aligned with your rhetoric. It will not make Ontario's economy stronger, and it will not help Ontarians have more money in their pockets.