I am writing this letter to…

I am writing this letter to talk about the changes that have been made to the Growth Plan. The changes that have been made are helpful, but it should have an impact on all members of the community as, society is not just individuals but a group of individual people. People should never be judged up on their class or creed. Social justice is a key factor to growth and development. In my opinion, equality means treating individuals equally as per their needs rather than using the same yardstick for everyone.

Amending 1.2 by deleting “a clean and healthy environment” and “social equity” and replacing it with “an approach that puts people first,” contradicts my point of view. The question that I would like to ask is; “To whom does this term “people” refer to?” There is a very important native American proverb which is; “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”. The meaning of this proverb is that we do not own this land we have loaned it from our children and grandchildren, so we should treat it responsibly and carefully.

Another amendment in 1.2 is made by deleting “long-term” and deleting “net-zero” and replacing it with “environmentally sustainable.” There is a difference between net-zero and environmentally sustainable. The meaning of net-zero is a building with zero net energy consumption. Whereas, the meaning of environmentally sustainable is a state in which the demands placed on the environment can be met without reducing its capacity to allow all people to live well, now and in the future. In net-zero there is no energy consumption, but in environmentally sustainable there is a usage of energy while placing demands on the environment.

Moreover 1.2 is further amended by deleting “low-carbon” and replacing it with “environmentally sustainable” and deleting “with the long-term goal of net-zero communities,” Low carbon means to reduce the minimal output of greenhouse gas emissions, also it means a low-fossil-fuel economy. That would unquestionably be beneficial to the environment and humans. When the idea of long-term net-zero communities is gone the very purpose of the goal is lost.

The amendments for 1.2 is not required because all of the previous goals that we had in place are slowly diluting. The effectiveness to the existing law will diminish. Sustainable development is a route to a future that is very necessary and enjoyable. It will provide a baseline to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, and implementation of environmental stewardship.