Follow the Young Liberals of Canada ground team at the COP 18 UN Climate Change Conference!

http://ylcatcop18.wordpress.com/

I was a member of the first YLC team to go to a COP meeting, attending the COP 15 in Copenhagen. I'm very happy to see the YLC continue to be committed to sending delegates as part of the International Federation of Liberal Youth. Please check out the link to follow the YLC on the ground at COP 18.

And don't forget to like and follow the YLC International Working Group on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/YLC.JLC.International

Ontario Liberals protecting the environment and moving Ontario forward

Ontario Liberals are taking the next steps to safeguard our environment for Ontario families. Liberals are protecting precious water resources for future generations with a Great Lakes Protection Act that will be the next chapter in clean water for Ontario.


The Liberal $52 million program will ensure that Ontario keeps its edge as a world leader in clean-water protection.


Ontario Liberals are clean up pollution hot spots identified by Great Lakes scientists and bringing these bays and harbours back from environmental decline so people can enjoy them again.


Ontario Liberals are working to prevent runoff such as phosphorous from getting into the Great Lakes by building the links between communities, farmers, industry and others so that everyone understands what they can do.


Ontario Liberals are reconnect Ontarians with the Great Lakes in their communities by promoting recreational opportunities, improving beaches and supporting community programs.


Dalton McGuinty is leading the way with environmentally progressive governments in North America, stronger drinking-water standards, endangered-species legislation and pollution laws — and we'll continue moving forward.


Under the last PC government, Ontario was one of the worst places in North America for environmental safety. The Hudak PCs would take us backwards — their $14 billion hole would mean deep cuts to environmental protection.

The Horwath NDP has turned its back on the environment — their priority would be to subsidize gas-guzzlers and they have consistently failed to support our progressive environmental initiatives like the Endangered Species Act, the Far North Act and the cosmetic pesticides ban.

Only Ontario Liberals will provide the strong, steady environmental protection that will ensure our children and grandchildren fully enjoy the beauty of our province.

Here's a video of Premier McGuinty talking to David Suzuki about the Ontario Liberal commitment to the environment:

Proud to be a clean, green Ontarian

http://blog.ontarioliberal.ca/2011/08/proud-to-be-a-clean-green-ontarian/

Great blog posted by the great Hillary Buchan-Terrell on her experiences as an Ontario Young Liberal in Copenhagen and how Ontario Liberal plans and ideas are creating green jobs and keeping Ontario on the right track.

What does Jack Layton's former chief of staff think about ONDP environment policy?

He think it is ''anti-environmental nonsense", "a serious disappointment", and "entirely the wrong direction"

Meanwhile, what do Rick Smith & Environmental Defence (of which he serves as executive director) say about Ontario's Green Energy Act?

They think it's "a great move", a "good initiative", "global best practice standard", that has made Ontario a "leader" in job creation.

I’m offering an endorsement of what Mr. McGuinty has done, absolutely. This is a great plan. Any party would be foolish to talk about abandoning it"

That's what David Suzuki had to say about the Ontario Liberal plan to keep Ontario's economy on track by creating green jobs and helping our environment.

http://www.thestar.com/mobile/news/canada/politics/article/1028008--suzuki-warns-tory-scheme-to-cancel-green-energy-plans-is-absolute-insanity


“I don’t get it, because it’s a job creator — I would have thought that the Conservatives would be banging away at the need to create jobs,” the host of CBC’s The Nature of Things said during a stroll with McGuinty in Stanley Park on Wednesday.

“Ontario right now is a leader in North America. Why would anybody come in and throw that out the window? It doesn't make any sense.”

The big thing to me is the Green Energy Act,” said Suzuki.

“It has created jobs. For me it says we’ve got a future that’s bright with job creation and we can drop our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Hudak attack on Green Energy Act would cost Ontario jobs

But don't take my word for it. Windsor mayor Eddie Francis knows a thing or two about the challenges and opportunities faced by Ontario's industrial sector over the last few years, and what does he say about the Hudak attack?


"It would be hard to believe that anybody would come in and suggest that we're going to turn back the clock on job creation and economic diversification. We all know in this region that the Green Energy Act gave birth to the renewable energy sector in this province, and has created thousands and thousands of jobs."

I've got family roots in Windsor, and my family has been personally affected by the changing global economy. Liberals are investing in creating jobs for families in places like Windsor and across the province, and create a healthier environment for families and children.

Liberals vs. PC's on the environment

I'm blogging here from the Collingwood Conference, and so far I've sat in on a number of interesting sessions, in particular one about clean water technology and how Ontario must be a global leader in green tech and creating green jobs. All this innovative talk of creating a 21st century green knowledge economy got me thinking about comparing the stands of the Liberals and the PC's on environmental issues. Let's take a look:

Liberals:

-Passed the Green Energy Act, a globally recognized move that will help creating 50,000 new green jobs in Ontario.

-Will bring in the Water Opportunities Act, which will build on the great private investment companies have made in clean water technologies in Ontario. The Conference Board of Canada estimates the global market for water technology at more than $400 billion US dollars per year and doubling every five to six years, and Ontario companies are already employing 22,000 people in good, high-paying Ontario jobs selling water technology around the world. We need to keep building on this.

-As part of Ontario's Clean Technology Mission to India late last year, McGuinty ensured Ontario green tech firms got deals worth over $250 million, expanding Ontario's green tech sector into one the world's fastest growing and most important markets.

PC's:

-Don't believe provincial government's have a role in fighting climate change at all. PC environment critic Toby Barrett has said that efforts to adapt our economy and create jobs belong"in an international forum", absolving provincial governments of responsibility and opportunities.

-Barrett and the PC's have fought tooth and nail against the eventual closure of coal fired plants in favour of cleaner energy sources. The healthcare costs due to dirty air generated by these plants in estimated to be $4 billion annually.

-Barrett said that Ontario taking action to create green jobs and fight climate change were "provincial tinkering".

-PC frontbencher and endorser of Tim Hudak's leadership Randy Hillier told environmental activists to "stop breathing" in response to criticism.

-Hillier has openly denied climate change: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/features/ontariovotes2007/story.html?id=71f3e23a-f116-47bb-a876-2fb8532e433a&k=20655


"Randy Hillier...isn't shy about casting doubt on the prevailing scientific theory about global warming...Mr. Hillier made the comments while arguing in favour of keeping Ontario's coal-burning power plants open...As to the greenhouse gases, don't worry about them, Mr. Hillier said"

-The Ontario Landowners association's (of which Hillier used to be the president, and which has declared plans to attempt to win PC nominations in ridings across Ontario for the next election) Glengarry branch sponsored a screening of the trash climate change denial "documentary" The Great Global Warming Swindle in August 2008.

-The Unanimous Declaration of independent Landowners Associations on the 25th day of February, 2006 makes explicit reference to "false environmentalism".

Who do you trust to create 21st century jobs?

The North and Climate Change

I attended quite an interesting talk the other day at Copenhagen, one with particular relevance to Canada: A discussion on Climate Change and how it is hitting the Arctic. It drew some big names; the foreign ministers of Denmark and Norway, the Premier of Greenland, the Danish minister of the environment, a special UN Envoy, and former US President Al Gore.

While the discussion itself was great and informative, it was also in a way bittersweet. It was great to learn about the efforts that nations like Denmark and Norway are undertaking to tackle climate change and build green economies, but somewhat depressing to see how far Canada is getting left in the dust. The risks of climate change run highest in the North, yet Canada is a laggard, and it is a supreme irony that the Tories, who paint themselves as the party of national security and economic stability, are displaying a huge lack of leadership by putting the future of our economy and national security at risk by not taking on climate change as a serious issue.

The Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs in particular gave a great speech, calling for a "green growth path", focusing on sustainable development of the north, investing in clean energies and cleaner energy extraction, and more use of renewable resources. As someone who considers themselves an eco-capitalist and a supporter of green market liberalism, this made me happy to hear that the Danish government was supporting an agenda, similar to Premier McGuinty in Ontario, that views the environment both as something to be protected, but something that can help create jobs and lasting sustainable growth.

Overall, it was a very informative talk that gave me lots to think about and lots of things I wished the government was doing to help our economy and security. Canada responded to the crisis of the Cold War with the invention of peacekeeping, we must now respond to the crisis o climate change with similar innovation.

Learning from the Lib Dems

Now that the Green Shift sadly seems to be a thing of the past, I think looking at this: http://www.libdems.org.uk/home/green-tax-switch-439116;show example of Green Liberalism is worth doing.

The Lib Dems under current leader Nick Clegg have taken a refreshing turn towards economic liberalism, away from trying to copy "Old Labour" policy ideas. This over-arching economic liberalism is reflected in the "Green Tax Switch", which while in terms of actual policy, is quite similar to the Green Shift, but is presented quite differently. My personal favourite parts:

It's about using taxes in a new way to change behaviour, not to simply raise money for the Government.

This is why the Liberal Democrats have argued for fairer and green taxation, but not for higher taxes overall.

Green taxes will continue to yield substantial sums to the exchequer if they do their work properly, and there must be a clear understanding that this revenue is handed back to the taxpayer in tax cuts on activities that we are not trying to penalise such as work effort.

The plan is presented as one of a tax cut with environmental benefits, not vice versa. I think in selling the Green Shift that is an area in which we allowed the Conservatives to paint us into. Any future policies which build Green Liberalism have to be based, first and foremost, around helping individual Canadians save money and helping build a free-market economy for the 21st century. Note that when it comes to actual implementation, the very first thing mentioned is:

We will give everyone a green income tax cut of 4p giving people more of their hard-earned money in their pocket.

Not a lecture on how great the environment is, not how Canadians have to look into their hearts and social conscience, but telling people you will have more money in your pocket. The plan is presented as part of the overall package of less government intrusion in your affairs, responsible spending, and building towards tomorrow. We Green Liberals in Canada can learn much from our liberal cousins in the UK

Green Liberalism, not a bail-out.

http://www.thestar.com/Article/542016

Interesting and true words by McGuinty. While the auto-sector is obviously not in the best shape, the best way to deal with it is in dispute. McGuinty is correct when he talks about not wanting to take Ontario deep into a structural deficit. But the most interesting thing he says is this:

But McGuinty said taxpayers and governments also have to be realistic in demanding carmakers switch to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, noting that five out of the top 10 selling vehicles in Canada are trucks and minivans. "If we want them to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles we need to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles," he said.

A simple observation of supply and demand economics opens up some deeper examination. One, is that I believe the environment is subject to something of a "Bradley Effect". People, when asked if they believe the environment should be a high priority, or they want governments to take action on the environment, etc, will say yes. After all, who wants to say they are against the environment, or believes that no action should be taken? However, when an actual cost is associated with the environment, or a more important issue like the economy develops, support for environmental action drops dramatically. The other big examination is that we do, in fact, not buy a whole lot of fuel efficient cars. I believe these factors are somewhat linked, and that Green Liberalism can help solve it.

Rather then writing a giant cheque to the auto sector, the McGuinty government should use this opportunity to implement and help build the 21st century economy, and develop some of the ways Green Liberalism can move past an implementation gap. The Ontario government should look into things like tying in private sector relief with introducing environmental standards, while at the same time, increase tax credits for people buying more fuel efficient cars. Simply dumping more money into the supply side will not guarantee increased demand. Green Liberalism should be about using free-market tools to help the economy and fight climate change, not interventionist corporate welfare or redistributionist ideas.