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8- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 31, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Thinking green is good for business: Elizabeth May By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The opening of Parliament was not enough to keep Green Party Leader Elizabeth May from spreading her environmental message to Oakville Monday speaking at two community events. The size of the gatherings, each in excess of 200 attendants, was in stark contrast to the past when visits from a Green Party leader were held in local coffee shops in front of small gatherings. May began her day as the keynote speaker at a luncheon held by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce in the opulently decorated Emerald Hall of the Burlington Convention Centre. In a speech heavily geared towards the business people in the audience, May outlined the benefits of environmentally-sound business. "Achieving a bottom line that takes the environment into account, it can be profitable. It increases productivity and competitiveness," said May. "Dupont managed to save $2 billion (U.S.) in efforts to reduce carbon emissions. They reduced emissions by 72 per cent. That amounts to 11 million vectored tonnes of carbon avoided. They did this by improving the way they used energy. It makes sense because if you're going to waste energy you're wasting money." May went on to list other companies, which reduced emissions, and as a byproduct saved money because of their more efficient use of energy. "In other words the most successful corporations in the world are the ones that get it," she said. "The most successful corporations in the world are those that figure out that by reducing the amount that they're polluting, whether it's reducing their use of toxic materials or reducing their carbon emissions, they actually modernize and make their businesses more efficient and more competitive." Given the chance, May said the Green Party would like to reward companies that make these changes. "We tax things you don't want like pollution, chemicals that cause cancer, smog and greenhouse gases and reduce taxes on the things you do want like profits, income and jobs." SABRINA BYRNES / OAKVILLE BEAVER GREEN SPEAKER: Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May holds up a copy of the Sunday Toronto Star to make a point about the environment during her speech to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce Monday. May also attempted to educate the crowd on what the Green Party is really about. "We're not just a party about the environment. We have other views, other platforms and other issues that I think will attract you to the Green Party," said May. In an interview with The Oakville Beaver, May explained some of these issues. "We have a full program for dealing with our foreign policy focused very much on the reform and building and strengthening of the United Nations, so that we don't just react to hot spots when they boil over, but have that kind of international focus that actually resolves conflicts," said May. "That really takes resources which is why we want to shut down the arms trade and redirect military budgets to peacekeeping and peacemaking." May also spoke about local issues the Green Party is interested in. "We have to take on the chemicals that cause cancer. We have to remove them from our environment. I'm very supportive of the local municipal efforts to have a pesticide bylaw in this community. I know the council is meeting Feb. 5 on that," she said. "It's really significant to get rid of pesticides, some of them create "We tax things you don't want like pollution, chemicals that cause cancer, smog and greenhouse gases and reduce taxes on things you do want like profits, income and jobs." Canadian Green Party Leader Elizabeth May higher risks of cancer and others create a threat to the way that our children's learning abilities are wired." May also explained some of the Green Party's economic platforms. "The Green Party wants to ensure that Canadians have the option to make RRSP deductions that are targeted to local community investments, so people could actually save for their retirement by investing in their local school or investing in local mass transit. Investing in protecting a local oak," she said. The mentality that the economy comes first and the environment second was another topic discussed by May at the chamber of commerce luncheon. "We need to understand that the economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment," she said. "These are merged priorities." May explained that having a prosperous economy means little if life on the planet breaks down in the pursuit of this goal. Despite the seriousness of the lecture, May kept the morning lighthearted, often joking with the crowd. In one instance, May provoked roaring laughter when she reassured them that manufacturing hemp macrame plant hangers was not her idea of green business. By all accounts, May's speech was well-received, commanding great applause from those present. "I was quite impressed with her speech and her ideas. I was interested in finding out what she had to say, given the prominence the environment has had in the last couple of months," said Gerald Bramm, the president of G. Bramm & Associates. "I think she tailored it very well for this audience, trying to impress upon us that being green makes good business sense." Steve Worthy, the plant operations manager of Dahl Bros., also enjoyed the speech. "It was interesting. It wasn't what I expected; I expected it to be more strictly environmental so it was nice to see that they're thinking about the industry as well. I'd be interested in listening to more details about the impact on the economy," he said. Susan Warren, who says she's leaning towards the Green Party, was delighted to see the party's leader. "It's really good to see her and how dynamic she is," said Warren. "I definitely think she's a force to be reckoned with." May certainly showed she had the stamina needed for politics by making a second speech later that night at an Oakville and Halton Green Party of Canada fundraiser. Supporters packed the dining room of a local Holiday Inn to hear May speak. This time May's speech served as a rallying cry to Green Party supporters. Shots at the Harper government for its environmental record were plentiful in her address. "The Kyoto Protocol includes 165 countries around the world and all of them, except Canada, are attempting to meet their targets, attempting to make a difference and reduce emissions," she said. "This is the first time in the history of Canada we've ever had a prime minister who has stated that he will knowingly violate an international treaty commitment." May referred to Canada as becoming a `Trojan horse for George W. Bush' in the global negotiations to reduce emissions that cause climate change. "The United States backed out of Kyoto when Bush was elected, which meant that as much as the United States could interfere with the negotiations, they didn't have a vote in the room. But once we shifted from being a country that was promoting action on the issue to being a country that was even sabotaging progress, Canada became the Trojan horse for global negotiations," she said. "We've slowed down the world and that is more than tragic." The effects such delays have had on the planet were also topics of discussion. Wind storms in British Columbia, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Juan, the first full-force tropical hurricane to hit Nova Scotia, were all mentioned by May as evidence that humanity is changing the world through its actions and inaction. "It does require our attention and it requires more attention than the vague commitment of the current government who say `We realize we have to do more.'" OAKVILLE - Celebrating 150 years! Celebrate Oakville! Oakville is celebrating its 150th Anniversary this year and we'll keep you up-to-date on all the activities. February 8, 2007 ­ Oakville Images Launch January 31, 2007 ­ Black History Month Kick-Off Central Branch Library 120 Navy Street, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Committee Rooms 1 & 2. 6 ­ 8 p.m. The Oakville Museum Traveling Exhibit - Oakville's Black History and Oakville's Role in the Join us for the launch of Oakville Images, a project that makes thousands of fascinating Underground Railroad will be on display. Nationally-acclaimed writer Lawrence Hill will be photos, videos, interviews and other historical documents available to anyone, anywhere reading passages from his new book, The Book of Negroes, as well as talking about local via the Internet. black history. The exhibit will continue during business hours throughout February. Visit For more events, visit http://150.oakville.ca/ www.ccah.ca for more information.