I am deeply concerned that…

I am deeply concerned that protections for endangered species are being weakened by these interim changes and the proposed Species Conservation Act. Endangered species are the canaries in the gold mine that warn us we are in danger of sending ourselves extinct. What protects them ultimately protects us. The "economy" does not sustain our species -- nature does. The services that nature provides us -- cleaning water, breaking down waste, keeping soil fertile, pollinating our food crops, and so much more -- keep us alive. As we degrade and destroy nature, we become ill. If our air is filled all summer with smoke from slow-burning peat fires that started because we allowed Ontario's peatlands to dry out from careless, short-sighted development, we will suffer, and our economy will suffer. Please think of our future on this planet as you craft legislation. We depend on you to think beyond short-term gain to consider our survival as a species. Human activities and the natural world can co-exist -- we just need to act with care. All of us are healthier and wealthier when we take care of the world that takes care of us.