I'm writing as a citizen,…

I'm writing as a citizen, mother and also an environmental scientist, to express my deepest concerns about repealing the Green Energy Act, including provisions for cap-and-trade. I'm also expressing my dismay at Ontario pursing a challenge to the Federal government's proposal for a carbon tax.

Conservative politicians have long campaigned on the need to live within our means and not to chalk up deficits. The argument pertains to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, even more than dollars in the provincial budget. We've got a surplus of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and a deficit of actions to reduce the surplus. The longer we wait for action, the more severe the climate change, and needed reductions to greenhouse gas emissions will be more radical, expensive and drastic.

I want to be clear about the impact of climate change. The impact is the ability of Ontario and its economy to continue. The longer we dither about greenhouse gas emissions, the more we pay out for forest fire fighting and damage, flood expenses, and health care costs to cope with illness from extreme weather. Add to this more money for infrastructure refurbishment to cope with weather extremes. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is about saving Ontario's economy and future, its not about saving the environment.

Why am I writing about the planned repeal of the Green Energy Act? Because its repeal will increase the Ontario deficit - the money and time borrowed from my kids to pay for climate change caused by my generation. The Nobel Prize for economics just went to economist William Nordhaus who has shown the strength of putting a price on carbon for reducing emissions. We need to pursue a tax on carbon and the cap-and-trade system.

In closing, I most strongly urge the Government of Ontario to reconsider the repeal of the Green Energy Act on the grounds that is repeal will, without question, increase the financial deficit for future generations in Ontario.