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| Thursday, May 26, 2022 | 18 The IFP - Halton Hil theifp.ca (Or-Tadui(-tom Dloxe Male-liallate P Cicereyanliate pa-lare. Puppy Socialization Services serving all of Halton Hills Ready for a magical touch? Maddisen Phelan, KPA-CTP, CTDI THE INDEPENDENT THE INDEPENDENT READERS’ CHOICE 2021 READERS’ CHOICE 2021 Dog Training Pet Grooming 289.428.0127 £ HB OPINION THIS ELECTION, VOTE WITH CLIMATE AND NATURE IN MIND OUR LIVES, AND THOSE OF OUR CHILDREN, DEPEND ON A HEALTHY PLANET, WRITES GIDEON FORMAN GIDEON FORMAN Column lany Ontarians are fo- cused on the cost of living now, and that's under- standable. But when you cast your ballot in the June 2 provin- cial election, please re- member that our very lives —and the lives of our chil- on a healthy planet. The David Suzuki Foun- dation hopes when you vote, you'll keep the climate crisis and protec- tion of nature top of mind. There are some issues to consider as you begin thinking about which can- didate you want to sup- port. PROTECTING GREEN SPACE Here in southern Onta- rio we're blessed with the Greenbelt, an extraordi- nary landscape of farms, rivers and forests abutting one of Canada's most densely populated re- If you've spent time walking its trails, as have, you know how marvelous itis. Its trees capture carbon and help us tackle the cli- mate crisis; its streams provide habitat for fish and wildlife; its farmlands grow succulent fruit. But our Greenbelt is under threat because the Ontario government is planning to pave part of it with Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. nese unnecessary i will waste billions ar dol lars and make congestion worse: new roads inevita- bly mean more cars and driving. If you're con- cerned about our Green- belt, it's crucial that you vote on June 2. RENEWABLE ENERGY Scientists urge us to re- duce our reliance on fossil fuels, and shift to alterna- tives such as solar and wind power. These energy sources —abundant in many parts of Ontario — don't create carbon pollution but they do create local employ- ment. A few years back, the province's renewables sec- tor was starting to take off and waster confidence "ta in 2018 the Ontario government cancelled more than 750 renewable energy contracts, saddling Ontarians with more than $230 million in cancella- tion costs. If you're con- cerned about this loss of jobs and emissions-free power, it's crucial that you vote on June 2. PROTECTING SPECIES AT RISK The animals and plants that live in Ontario enrich our lives with their beauty and song and have intrin- sic worth quite apart from the joy they bring human beings. But more than 230 spe- cies in the province are now at risk of disappear- ing. Threatened creatures include Blanding's turtle — with its brilliant yellow chin— and the bobolink, a magnificent bird that can fly as far as 1,800 kilo- metres ina day. You'd think the Ontario government would do all it could to save at-risk spe- cies while it still can. But the province's record in this area is poor. In a re- cent report, Ontario's au- ditor general wrote, "Our audit found that the Envi- ronment Ministry is fail- ing in its mandate to pro- tect species at risk." you're concerned about losing some of our animal friends forever, it's crucial that you vote on ine 2. We know Ontarians feel strongly about these is- sues. A recent EKOS poll found 85 per cent of us agree the province should do more to protect forests and wildlife. (Interesting- ly, in the 905 region the fig- ure climbs to 87 per cent!) But the challenge is electing politicians who will respect our wishes and make laws that actual- ly preserve nature and re- duce emissions. It's something to think about as you decide which candidate gets your vote. Gideon Forman is a climate change policy analyst at the David Suzu- ki Foundation. SUBMIT YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR TODAY!