Jack Gibbons and Angela Bischoff
Please make a donation today to support our campaign to move Ontario to a 100% fossil-fuel free electricity system by 2030.
It’s been a tough year all ‘round. While our attention has been on the immediate impacts of Covid, the climate crisis has only worsened. Meteorologists started using the Greek alphabet to name hurricanes this year. Doctors are suggesting naming heatwaves to draw attention to how deadly these have become. Our far north is warming two to three times quicker than any other place on earth. And we’ve all seen the raging fires ravaging the west coast.
That’s why it is so alarming that Ontario is planning to increase climate pollution from gas-fired electricity plants by more than 300% by 2025. What’s deeply frustrating is that there is no real justification for this approach. We have plenty of better and low-cost options that don’t involve adding to our climate problems.
Take energy efficiency. Doug Ford has cut funding for efficiency efforts by more than 60% while requiring families to subsidize the hydro bills of commercial and industrial corporations.
And while renewable energy is taking off around the world with prices that are now lower than even coal-fired electricity in many places, our government continues to insist that solar and wind are not for Ontario. Why are we turning our back on zero emission power and ramping up gas-fired generation?
Finally there is the huge surplus of clean water power our neighbours in Quebec are literally dumping on the U.S. spot market for pennies a kWh while we continue to spend tens of billions to re-build old and outdated nuclear reactors.
We need to change direction and we need to do it fast.
The Ontario Clean Air Alliance led the first big pivot for energy policy in Ontario by driving its world-leading coal-power phase out. Now we need your support to get to our next target – phasing out gas-fired power generation and moving to a 100% renewable energy future. Going renewable will be great for business in a province that was once a leader in renewable energy technology and efficiency, for consumers currently saddled with rising rates due to high-cost nuclear power, and for our climate.
This year with your help and that of community groups on the ground, we successfully stopped Enbridge Gas’ plan to build a large new gas pipeline through Hamilton to feed a ramp up of gas-fired power in Ontario and to send fracked gas to the northeastern U.S. But this plan could well be resurrected if Ontario does not quickly start down the path toward phasing out our gas-fired power plants by 2030.
We are small, nimble and effective organization that has tremendous track record of achievement. Your support will allow us to deepen our efforts to encourage Ontario to once again lead on climate by phasing out gas-fired power. Our campaign is picking up terrific momentum with more than 50 organizations endorsing our call for a gas plant phase out and the municipalities of Burlington, Halton Hills, Kitchener and Hamilton being the first of what we are sure will be many cities and towns echoing the call.
Please donate $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to help us make Ontario a climate leader once again. Your support helped us phase out dirty coal and now it’s time to take the next step by moving our great province to a 100% fossil-fuel-free electricity system by 2030.
Thank you!
Angela Bischoff, Director and Jack Gibbons, Chair