[greenon-l] Voters and the Environment

Wed Sep 17 12:00:50 EDT 2008

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September 17, 2008

THE ENVIRONMENT:  make it personal!

Talk Mega Bucks, not Megatonnes

Chris Winter

Executive Director

The Conservation Council of Ontario

My advice for the women and men running in the Canadian Federal election:
don't treat the environment like something far off and remote.  Make it
personal and help people deal with the effects of climate change and rising
energy costs.  As "Tip" O'Neill - a longtime Speaker of the House in the
U.S. Congress, once said "all politics is local."  Why should the
environment be treated any different? 

>From my experience at community events all across Ontario, people are making
the connection between climate change and their own lives.  Every time a
major hurricane sweeps across the Gulf of Mexico our gas prices go up.
Every time gas goes up, food prices and the cost of living also rise.  It's
as simple as that.

Short-term price gouging is not the real issue here.  It is the steady
increase in energy costs and the resulting impact on personal pocket books.

The key question is not 'will you stop climate change', but 'what will you
do today that will help me deal with the effects of climate change"?
Promises of megatonne reductions in CO2 emissions are meaningless to most
voters, whereas incentives for fuel-efficient cars, public transit,
increased insulation and energy conservation are easily understood and
appreciated by Canadians trying to cope with rising prices and economic
uncertainty. 

There is also a second and more troubling trend over the past few years,
where at many of the public events on conservation someone will commonly
ask, "Is it enough?"  

There is a deep-rooted fear for the future.  People see the impact of rising
energy costs on the economy.  They are afraid of economic collapse and the
subsequent impact on our standard of living.  As a result, they are looking
for political leadership to create a more resilient environment, economy and
a better quality of life.  

So here's my advice to those seeking to win a seat in the Federal election,
whether as the Prime Minister or an MP is to focus on the cornerstones of a
sustainable economy (food, shelter and transportation).

*         Transform the automotive sector to become leaders in
fuel-efficiency by 2012.

*         Invest in the energy conservation sector by increasing energy
efficiency standards in new homes, training builders in best practices, and
increasing incentives to retrofit the existing building stock

*         Invest in green infrastructure to create compact, transit-friendly
communities with strong local economies

*         Invest in local, sustainable agriculture and healthy food.

Like it or not, we are moving towards a conserver society and economy.  The
choice is between a smooth transition to a better standard of living, or the
eventual collapse of the traditional economy.

 _______________________________

For a chance to delve deeper into environmental promises and the federal
election, join me for a workshop at the Evergreen Foundation Conservation
and Sustainability Fair this weekend. Details at www.evergreen.ca
<http://www.evergreen.ca/> .  

Conservation and Sustainability Fair

Saturday, September 20 10am-1pm

The Evergreen Brickworks in the Don Valley

Join Evergreen, the Conservation Council of Ontario and leading conservation

organizations to learn how to leave a lighter eco-footprint. Bring the whole
family!

Getting there:

Leave the car at home and travel in sustainable style! Ride your bike, walk,
take the TTC from Davisville or ride the free

shuttle from Broadview Station. Visit www. <http://www.evergreen.ca/>
evergreen.ca  for directions, maps and schedules.

Entertainment and Activities

10am and noon Mr. Something Something will perform with a crew of cyclists
to create a bike-powered dance party

11am Groove out with Evalyn Parry, popular songwriter, poet, theatre artist
and ironic social commentator.

Participating Groups

Conservation Council of Ontario, Toronto Renewable Energy Co-op (TREC),
LEAF, Riversides, Turtle Island Recycling, Earth Day Canada, The City

of Toronto Live Green Program, Windfall Ecology Centre, Toronto Hydro, Honda
Toronto, Bullfrog Power, The Little Green Book, Next Generation

Energy Alternatives (NGEA), 100 km Foods, and more!

10-11:30am

Explore Water Conservation in Nature and Design

Garden Jane will explore sustainable water use

10am-11am

Picturing Alternatives

Film: "Climate Camping: A look into the North East Climate

Confluence 2008"

10am-noon

Community Planting

Come and get your hands dirty in the wildflower beds

11am-1pm

Permaculture Bread

We'll grind wheat, hook dough and talk food politics

11:30am-12:15pm

Green Living Made Easy by the Daily Apple

Learn the Top 10 ways to make your life more eco-friendly

11:45am-12:45pm

Explore the upcoming Federal Election

through the lens of the environment

Join Chris Winter from the Conservation Council of Ontario

Chris Winter

Executive Director

The Conservation Council of Ontario

416.533.1635  ext 1.

 www.weconserve.ca

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