Parry Sound-Muskoka Green Party

 
 
Harnessing safe and affordable energy is necessary for today and for future generations. The issue of how our energy will be created to power our communities was raised in Ken Black’s editorial in the June 24 edition of the Weekender.

He raised many legitimate concerns and questions about the approach that the traditional parties are taking with energy; however, I was disappointed that the solutions being presented by the Green Party of Ontario (GPO) were not acknowledged. Therefore, I would like to share some practical and realistic steps forward to address our energy needs.
First and foremost, energy conservation needs to be prioritized. The GPO advocates for a realistic step forward with the reinstatement and expansion of the Home Energy Savings Programs to enable homeowners and businesses the ability to use their energy as efficiently as possible. I believe the additional upside is the direct link between this program and the creation of jobs in our local economy.

In regards to the Green Energy Act, the GPO believes it needs a major shift toward an inclusion of the local community. Citizens need to be part of the decision-making process, and need to be recipients of the financial benefits. Another source of energy comes from outside Ontario.
Last year, the amount of power created by Darlington Nuclear, could have been replaced by negotiating agreements to purchase inexpensive hydroelectricity from Quebec. Currently, Vermont is set to buy power from Quebec at six cents per kilowatt hour.

A final option that needs to be further utilized is combined heat and power systems. This system, which already exists in some buildings in Ontario, would capture waste heat from chimneys in large buildings and turn it into electrical energy.

I believe that these are sensible strategies to meet our energy demands that do not involve new nuclear or coal generation.
Hopefully, as Mr. Black had requested, this has provided some details on an alternate plan to that of the Liberal, PC or NDP government. At the same time, core to successful politics is community engagement. Let’s keep the discussion going, without bias, and demand that the best solutions come forward.

Matt Richter, Parry Sound-Muskoka Candidate for Green Party of Ontario
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After re-reading the comments in last Friday's Weekender article on the fluoride debate, I felt that it was important to address some missing components in the report presented by the representatives of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.  I was disappointed the SMDHU did not cite the source of fluoride that is added to the District of Muskoka'd drinking water.  Perhaps an oversight?

Currently, the fluoride that is added to the district drinking water is trucked to Muskoka from a London, Ontario-based phosphate fertilizer plant.  However, it has been claimed that this phosphate fertilizer byproduct is a toxic substance and should not be confused with naturally occurring calcium fluoride.    I think it is crucial that the public be given a confirmation into this particular matter. 

Meanwhile, other relevant questions have surfaced:  How much money is the district paying for this substance? Is the public allowed to view the process of the fluoride being dumped into our drinking water? Why are tooth decay rates in Ontario relatively similar  Quebec (over 75 per cent of water is fluoridated in Ontario and under eight per cent in Quebec)?

If fluoride is to protect our teeth, why do we ingest it? We would never protect our skin from the sun by drinking sunscreen.

The cost is quite prohibitive for a homeowner to install a system to remove the fluoride from public drinking water.  How does the district address the wishes of people who want the fluoride removed from their water? Why is it that almost every European country does not fluoridate?

Plenty of questions needing genuine responses.  Let's keep the discussion going.

Matt Richter
Provincial Green Party Candidate
Parry Sound-Muskoka
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Amidst photo opportunities and spin phrases our provincial budget was presented last week to an increasingly disengaged public. No wonder, considering how rare any genuine sense of empowerment has been bestowed upon Ontario’s residents to contribute ideas and solutions. How often did people attend public meetings or forums under the illusion that they were being listened to?
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On Nov. 23 the Government of Ontario released its updated Long-Term Energy Plan. The 20-year plan includes closing all coal-fired plants by 2014, increasing power supply from renewable sources to 13 per cent by 2018, expanding hydroelectric power and relying on nuclear power for half of the province’s power supply.  Under the plan, the province pledges to bring more clean power online and reduce the cost to consumers by encouraging conservation.
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To genuinely listen to the opinions, concerns and ideas of the public and acknowledge their input by governing in accordance with them reflects participatory democracy.  The potential to empower the public in the decision making process of all sectors of government is a key component of what attracted me to Provincial politics.  However, we currently seem to be living in a dysfunctional system, in which our resident’s voices are only being heard, and not listened to.  This has never been more apparent than today’s conflict between the community of Burk’s Falls and Ontario’s government.  The people who live in Burk’s Falls have been told that an Urgent Care Clinic, Long-term beds, and other services are not necessary for their town.  Whereas, it is those very people who have rallied together to clearly express that they are extremely necessary.
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Over a week has passed since I received the official HST guide in the mail, and during this time, not one resident whom I spoke with agrees with the decisions made to increase the tax on items that promote our health.  House league soccer, camping at Massassauga, Killbear, or Killarney Provincial Park, and purchasing a fishing license will cost more.  We are living in a time when inactivity and obesity are frighteningly on the rise, thus contributing to our health care costs spiraling out of control.
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