[All] 2014 Provincial Election and Green Prosperity

[Kevin Thomason]

Good evening GREN folk,

With a provincial election on the horizon, we now have an opportunity to show political candidates of all stripes that voters care about the environment.
 
Here are some sample questions to ask candidates be it in an e-mail, phone call, letter to the editor, debate question, or when a candidate knocks at your door. Use them as is or as a launching pad for creating new ones. Together we can raise the profile of environmental issues for this upcoming election.
 
1.   Neonicotinoid insecticides have been linked to the deaths of millions of bees in Ontario, and are lethal to birds and other wildlife. Seventy-eight percent of Ontario voters want these chemicals banned until their impacts are better understood. If elected, will you support a ban on neonicotinoids?
 
2.   There are more than 200 at-risk species in Ontario. This number is increasing every year, and includes once-common species like barn swallow and monarch. If elected, will you stand up for Ontario’s most vulnerable species and the law that is intended to protect them – Ontario’s Endangered Species Act?
 
3.   In 2015 there will be a public review of the Greenbelt, Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation plans. If elected, will you stand up for these plans and the maintenance or enhancement of their environmental protection measures?
 
4.   Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire is rich not only in minerals, but also in wildlife and other natural assets that help to control climate, clean water and purify air. If elected, will you support an environmental assessment that recognizes First Nations rights and interests, ensures long-term community benefits from development, and protects healthy ecosystems?
 
5.   In southern Ontario alone, the benefits provided by our forests, wetlands, lakes and rivers are valued at over $84 billion per year. These benefits include flood control, soil formation, water filtration and pollination. If elected, what specific measures will you take to sustain nature’s benefits for present and future generations?
 
Please join us in ensuring that the environment gets the attention it deserves in the upcoming provincial election.
 
For more information on the issues addressed above, visit the Green Prosperity website - www.greenprosperity.ca - an unprecedented alliance of 20 of Ontario's leading environmental organizations endorsing an action agenda for the province that can help to usher in an era of green prosperity.
 
Cheers,
Kevin.

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Kevin Thomason

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com

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