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“Only if you love something will you inconvenience yourself
​to work on its behalf.”
                                                    - Barbara Kingsolver

​Straight talk from Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg realized at a young age the lapse in what several climate experts were saying and in the actions that were being taken in society. The difference was so drastic in her opinion that she decided to take matters into her own hands. Greta is a 15-year-old Stockholm native who lives at home with her parents and sister Beata. She’s a 9th grader in Stockholm who enjoys spending her spare time riding Icelandic horses, spending time with her families two dogs, Moses and Roxy. She love animals and has a passion for books and science. At a young age, she became interested in the environment and convinced her family to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

The Environmental Consequences ​
​of the Ontario Election

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with permission of creator
​The Ford government's claims that they care about climate change in the wake of revelations that government employees received emails telling them not to talk about it on social media ring hollow in the ears of anyone who has been paying any attention at all to their policies.Since renewable energy is the primary way that we can meet the world's energy needs without devastating our ecosystem, Ford lost no time in killing every single clean energy contract that he could.
https://globalnews.ca/…/ontario-renewable-energy-contracts…/
Just one of those cancellations alone may cost the province a hundred million dollars, because that's what happens when you break contracts with people: they sue you. Nothing says Ontario is open for business like reneging on a valid contract that a foreign investor has already spent more than ten years working on and then writing a new law that says they cannot sue you for their resulting hundred million dollars in losses. If Doug Ford's goal is to destroy investor confidence in Ontario's trustworthiness, he couldn't do so better. “Among Ontario’s strengths are its reputation for fair dealing and respect for the rule of law. Many of the business leaders I represent are concerned that this hard-earned reputation is at risk.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/…/article-cancellation-of-…/
Ford's attack on clean energy and carbon pricing will cost billions, destroy thousands of jobs, and hurt investor confidence in Ontario. Don't take my word for it, here's Forbes magazine telling it like it is.
https://www.forbes.com/…/ontarios-economic-investment-out…/…
Programs like the Green Ontario Fund, which helped homeowners reduce their emissions, also went on the chopping block, of course.
https://www.thestar.com/…/doug-ford-warns-gasoline-companie…
Unfortunately, that loss is dwarfed by $2-4 billion it will cost Ontario to abandon its Cap and Trade program, because companies have already paid the province for carbon allowances that are now rendered worthless and will litigate to get their money back, on top of billions a year in lost revenue the program represented.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/…/doug-fords-promise-repea…
Plans to take the federal government to court to try to fight a carbon tax coming from Ottawa merely throw away tax dollars on a political stunt, since the constitution is very clearly on Ottawa's side.
https://albertapolitics.ca/…/saskatchewan-ontario-have-no-…/
You can add to all of that the demise of incentives for electric vehicles, which has opened the province up to yet another lawsuit.
https://www.cbc.ca/…/tesla-canada-sues-ontario-government-1…
And while we discuss the fact that cutting gasoline taxes will blow another hole in the provincial budget, we largely seem to be ignoring the fact that they amount to a financial incentive to increase driving emissions rather than reduce them.
https://globalnews.ca/…/42…/bill-kelly-doug-ford-gas-prices/
So thus far, the entirety of Doug Ford's government's actions on climate change are to do everything within their power to make it worse for ideological reasons, without any plan to proactively do anything at all to genuinely address the problem.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/…/doug-ford-does-not-have-…
The only action on climate change I have seen the right promote in recent years is "being rude when people bring the subject up." Thus far there are zero reasons to expect anything better from the Ford government. Meanwhile, climate change is not only getting worse, but rapidly approaching the point of no return.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45084144

Plastic Pollution​

https://climateandcapitalism.com/2018/10/09/plastic-plague-intensifies-on-remote-southern-islands/
​
​How the Oil Industry is Pushing Plastic
(big infographic)
https://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/infographic-how-the-oil-industry-is-pushing-plastic-20180625
What you can do
  • Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water. Cloth bags and metal or glass reusable bottles are available locally at great prices.
  • Refuse single-serving packaging, excess packaging, straws and other "disposable" plastics. Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use at bbq's, potlucks or take-out restaurants.
  • Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos.
  • Bring your to-go mug with you to the coffee shop, smoothie shop or restaurants that let you use them, which is a great way to reduce lids, plastic cups and/or plastic-lined cups.
  • Go digital! No need for plastic cds, dvds and jewel cases when you can buy your music and videos online.
  • Seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.
  • Recycle. If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics. Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.
  • Volunteer at a beach cleanup. 
  • Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.
  • Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to reduce plastic in our lives and the nasty impacts of plastic pollution.
​https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/7242-tnw-plastics_us_5b743a1ce4b0a1c19286f666

Enviro-Cafés

EH! hosts EnviroCafés on the Second Tuesday of the month alternating between a Minden and Haliburton location.

 The Next EnviroCafé
 Tuesday January 8 , 7:30
Haliburton United Church
10 George St, Haliburton

Special Speakers

EH! invites speakers to address
the AGM as well as a summer event.
Recent speakers have included Elizabeth May,
Maude Barlow,  Norman Yan and
​Peter Schliefenbaum.
This summer's speaker was
Brian Kelly  
Sustainability Manager
​for Durham Region
For coverage of his talk see
http://www.mindentimes.ca/speaker-recommends-climate-adaptation-plan?id=875

Planet Haliburton

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Planet Haliburton is a bimonthly program on CANOE FM, our local community radio station, co-hosted by Greg Roe and Terry Moore, Vice president of EH!. Greg and Terry cover topics of environmental importance with relevance to the Haliburton Highlands. The program takes an interview format.  ​
        Schedule and details here

​Upcoming Events 

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