CHAPTER 20:

POURING GASOLINE ON THE FIRE

We all kinda knew that the Dud Ford government would not be good for the environment, but it’s worse that anybody thought. Not only did they cancel the cap and trade system that was in place, an action recently ruled illegal by an Ontario court, but a new report from Environmental Defence shows how badly they are failing us and the environment.

So how bad is it? Environmental Defence examined seven promises that Dud Ford and the Cons made last November to help reduce greenhouse gases. They found that little progress has been made on almost all of them. This was the plan to replace the cap and trade system—that may have not been the greatest plan in the world, but at least it was one.

According to the ED report, the Cons plan is miserable, miserly and ineffective when it comes to helping the environment. The centerpiece of their plan, an emission performance standard for large industrial polluters, will actually increase greenhouse gas emissions rather than decrease them!!

Here’s some more lowlights from the report:

• The Cons have taken no action at all on two programs that together account for one-third of its emission-reduction target.

• They are expanding programs to reduce natural gas consumption and support to innovation, such as energy storage and low-carbon heating fuels.

• They have taken “minimal action” on their other plans that account for 40% of their greenhouse gas reduction targets, like increasing the use of green vehicles and providing cleaner fuels for consumption.

Not surprisingly the report notes that electric vehicle sales in Ontario during the first quarter of 2019 were down 55 per cent from the same time period the previous year. Maybe that had something to do with the Cons scrapping the rebates for purchasing electric cars. Ya think?

Dud Ford continues to fight not just a price on carbon, but reality as well. In a world that is on fire, he and his Con cronies are pouring on more gasoline. If you care about the environment, you know what to do.

Stand Up. Fight Back. Don’t Give Up.

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