Glen Murray, Ontario's Minister of Earth love -or something like that - this week held court in front of primarily well tailored clean people to introduce a climate change strategy discussion - or something like that. A discussion paper is claimed to "asks important questions to inform a comprehensive climate change strategy and action plan;" Ontario's Climate Change Discussion Paper, 2015.
Parker Gallant continues to demonstrate how the audiences' pay cheques at Ministerial announcements tend to flow from the Ontario government, this week in Ontario “charities”: giving to other “charities.”
David McLaughlin has a good post on where the Wynne government is going with this climate change show: Ontario’s Climate & Carbon Pricing Policy – Get Ready for Cap-and-Trade.
Cherise Burda's Speeding up climate action in the transportation sector post is also interesting.
I've stated in the past I didn't think this government would introduce a carbon tax as that could be honest, whereas cap-and-trade allows constituencies to be built by gaming the system.
I'm not as sure, but that'd still be my guess.
Then came the farmers.
I have never, in nearly half a century, thought that if somebody was a farmer there was a pretty good chance he was a jerk.
Until today.
Here's one Ontario Federation of Agriculture news release from today, OFA responds to climate change discussion paper:
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) welcomes the release of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change’s discussion paper on climate change yesterday. Weather impacts every aspect of the business of farming and the OFA wants to ensure the agriculture industry is fully recognized for existing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make sure agriculture has a voice in climate change policy discussions.
“Ontario farming practices already serve to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and farmers are constantly evolving farm practices to decrease emissions,” says Don McCabe, OFA president.And here's a second OFA news release from today, Building stronger communities through infrastructure investments (2015):
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is advocating for affordable, accessible natural gas across rural Ontario. For more than a year, our focus has been to address this issue with government and policy makers at Queen’s Park. And in 2014 the OFA welcomed the announcement of the provincial government’s investment in natural gas expansion with $200 million in loans and $30 million in grants over two years. Last year’s announcement was a good start.Green and gas.
...This year, the OFA is committed to growing awareness of the benefits of expanding natural gas to farms and rural Ontario. Expanding the reach of this cost-effective energy will dramatically boost business with significantly lower energy costs. Natural gas is currently available to less than 20% of Ontario farms and rural households. Simply expanding access to natural gas to just 60% of Ontario farms, rural residents and businesses would free up $800 million per year in new disposable income. Those savings would fuel substantial reinvestment and economic development in rural Ontario.
Pathetic.
The OFA's President is Don McCabe, who was part of the coalition bringing the Green Energy debacle to the province, which will take well over $1 billion out of Ontario electricity rate payers annually - some of that headed for farmers hosting wind turbines, or to pay the feed-in tariff contracts awarded to farmers for other generation.
Now the OFA's McCabe wants gas to free farmers of the burden of hydro rates.
This isn't news, but if it's new to you see Tom Adams' Turkeys Voting for Thanksgiving.
Remember, at temperatures below 20 degrees, if you ate today, thank an affordable power infrastructure that allowed your food to be grown, packaged, frozen, shipped, retailed and cooked.
Addendum
Cherise Burda's Speeding up climate action in the transportation sector post is also interesting in spelling out issues in reducing Ontario's emissions beyond the electricity sector.
"Hell no!" was my immediate response on seeing this tweet:
#LunchtimeRead: Ontario Releases Climate Change Strategy Discussion Paper http://t.co/mmUvX8baHL They need more ideas from us.
— Toronto Lawyers Assn (@TLAvoice) February 13, 2015
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