With a federal election on the horizon in October, it’s time to make the conservation of wild species and wild spaces an election issue. If a party candidate comes knocking at your door, consider asking one of the following seven questions.
Climate change is a major and growing threat to wild species, wild spaces and human health. Will your party commit to increasing climate emission reduction targets so that they meet Canada’s obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement and are in line with preventing a global temperature rise of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius?
Next year, Canada and other parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity will be renegotiating a new global target for protected areas. Will your party champion a global target of protecting at least 30 percent of land, freshwater and ocean by 2030 and adopt these in Canada?
Ontario has gutted its Endangered Species Act. Will your party protect Canada’s at-risk plants and animals by using the federal Species at Risk Act to step in where provinces are failing to protect species facing imminent threats?
Neonicotinoid pesticides are known to negatively impact pollinators, causing direct mortality and impairing navigation, learning, food collection, resistance to disease and reproduction. Will your party implement an immediate ban on all neonicotinoid pesticides, and support farmers to transition to safer alternatives?
Almost all Canadians believe that Canada should recognize the legal right to a healthy environment, as is the case in more than 150 countries worldwide. The right to a healthy environment results in stronger environmental laws, better enforcement of those laws and a greater public role in environmental decision-making. Will you introduce legislation to create a federal Environmental Bill of Rights?
This election, whom we vote for matters more than ever. Not just for our country, but for the health of the planet. As wildlife declines, ecosystems unravel and the climate changes we will need leaders prepared to chart a course to a better and safer future for us all.
Stand with us and sign the One Earth, One Vote petition. Tell our party leaders that you will only vote for a government that will uphold environmental protection, economic justice and human rights.
Now a happy retiree, Anne Bell directed Ontario Nature’s conservation and education programs from 2007 to 2024. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental studies and has more than 30 years of experience working as an environmental educator, researcher and advocate. Anne loves to go birding, camping, swimming, cross-country skiing, and to play hockey with family and friends.
Re Mara Glebovs’s reply (Aug. 19) “…to have the (7) questions in PDF format” (for printing a paper version) to have on hand”, I so wholeheartedly agree and hope ON can do this with all writings, blogs, etc. I be only computerized (Mac) and online @ Univ. de Hearst and downtown public libraries (yes, my problem, my reality for now). Not a tablet, iPhone guy either (yet). Besides, I love reading at restaurants at any hour over my tea and grub. Yes, let’s move to paperless society, no needless butchering of trees for fibre, etc., but I want, I need these copies — I always print recto verso (both sides) and push others to do the same. And for storage in my oh-so portable, zippered binders (my archives!) for longevity, ease of transport, yada yada yada. I just printed One Earth, One Vote: Questions to Ask Your Candidates (it fits on 1 p.), fantastic, I’ll study, absorb, use it for ammo when yakking, arguing @ my favored restos. (me a permanent resident, not an eligible voter, but such ON, and 350.org, Bird Studies Can, Bruce Trail, etc. PDFs great on hand for community events, debates, ammo, etc. OK, enuf vg babble, keep me posted if printable versions viable…. Ciao, victor_granholm@uhearst.ca (“eternal student/étudiant éternel”)
I urge everyone to think twice about voting for the party currently in power. They talk about reducing our emissions and looking after our water and endangered species. But they have been the gov’t for 17 of the past 26 years and look where we are. They have undone very little that Harper did; in fact, they’ve made it even worse.
These seven points are a wonderful idea and very empowering. Is there some way you can offer them for printout without including the photos? They’re beautiful, but they consume quite a bit of ink on the printer! Thank you.
Are you against Nuke Power?? Nothing is more difficult to manage on earth than this nemesis! All nuke reactors leak as there is an interface for cooling them, this is why they are all situated on large bodies of water!!! If you are not against Nukes, you are not in my view, a good guardian of this planet!!! Ontario has a very high concentration of nukes on the best source of fresh water on earth, we don’t need them,….Hydro Quebec could easily meet our power needs for 1/3 the cost, Nuke power exists because this province through Hydro Ontario pays their employees very high wages for killing the planet!!!
I do share your other concerns, but by not dealing with the Nuke issue, this places all life in Ontario at risk, there are also plans to construct a nuke waste containment site @ Bruce Power or at KinKardine,… and all of these containment facilities have leaked and release radiation worldwide! It’s about time true environmentalists came to grips with this issue. Here are some great organizations in Ontario,.. I suggest you team up with -http://www.sosgreatlakes.org/sayno/ and http://www.cleanairalliance.org
The questions are not needed for one candidate. It has become abundantly clear which party does NOT support the environment. (as in I don’t need to name the party, you know which I refer to) .
I think the questions do have merit posed to the other parties, though.
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Re Mara Glebovs’s reply (Aug. 19) “…to have the (7) questions in PDF format” (for printing a paper version) to have on hand”, I so wholeheartedly agree and hope ON can do this with all writings, blogs, etc. I be only computerized (Mac) and online @ Univ. de Hearst and downtown public libraries (yes, my problem, my reality for now). Not a tablet, iPhone guy either (yet). Besides, I love reading at restaurants at any hour over my tea and grub. Yes, let’s move to paperless society, no needless butchering of trees for fibre, etc., but I want, I need these copies — I always print recto verso (both sides) and push others to do the same. And for storage in my oh-so portable, zippered binders (my archives!) for longevity, ease of transport, yada yada yada. I just printed One Earth, One Vote: Questions to Ask Your Candidates (it fits on 1 p.), fantastic, I’ll study, absorb, use it for ammo when yakking, arguing @ my favored restos. (me a permanent resident, not an eligible voter, but such ON, and 350.org, Bird Studies Can, Bruce Trail, etc. PDFs great on hand for community events, debates, ammo, etc. OK, enuf vg babble, keep me posted if printable versions viable…. Ciao, victor_granholm@uhearst.ca (“eternal student/étudiant éternel”)
Hi Victor,
Thanks for requesting a PDF, you can also find a PDF version of these questions to ask your candidates with a PDF link at the end of this blog.
The Ontario Nature Team
On side with all questions except number 5.
I fail to see its relevance in this discussion.
I urge everyone to think twice about voting for the party currently in power. They talk about reducing our emissions and looking after our water and endangered species. But they have been the gov’t for 17 of the past 26 years and look where we are. They have undone very little that Harper did; in fact, they’ve made it even worse.
These seven points are a wonderful idea and very empowering. Is there some way you can offer them for printout without including the photos? They’re beautiful, but they consume quite a bit of ink on the printer! Thank you.
Are you against Nuke Power?? Nothing is more difficult to manage on earth than this nemesis! All nuke reactors leak as there is an interface for cooling them, this is why they are all situated on large bodies of water!!! If you are not against Nukes, you are not in my view, a good guardian of this planet!!! Ontario has a very high concentration of nukes on the best source of fresh water on earth, we don’t need them,….Hydro Quebec could easily meet our power needs for 1/3 the cost, Nuke power exists because this province through Hydro Ontario pays their employees very high wages for killing the planet!!!
I do share your other concerns, but by not dealing with the Nuke issue, this places all life in Ontario at risk, there are also plans to construct a nuke waste containment site @ Bruce Power or at KinKardine,… and all of these containment facilities have leaked and release radiation worldwide! It’s about time true environmentalists came to grips with this issue. Here are some great organizations in Ontario,.. I suggest you team up with -http://www.sosgreatlakes.org/sayno/ and http://www.cleanairalliance.org
The questions are not needed for one candidate. It has become abundantly clear which party does NOT support the environment. (as in I don’t need to name the party, you know which I refer to) .
I think the questions do have merit posed to the other parties, though.
So who do you folks think will honestly provide any of these remedies?
Perhaps a pole from your subscribers. I for one think green and vote liberal.
Ian
It would be nice to have the questions in PDF format so that we could print them and have them on hand.