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Category: Press Release

  • Statement on RCMP Investigation into Ontario’s Greenbelt Land Swap

    Aerial photo of Dufferin Rouge Agricultural Preserve - the largest area removed from the Greenbelt by the Ontario government

    Statement from Tim Gray, Executive Director on RCMP investigation into Ontario’s Greenbelt land swap. 

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – We welcome the news of the RCMP’s initiation of an investigation into the Ontario government’s Greenbelt land swap as an encouraging and significant development. Considering the far-reaching impact of this scandal, it is highly appropriate that this investigation is now in the hands of the RCMP’s Sensitive & International Investigations (SII) unit, a unit specializing in threats to the political, economic and social integrity of Canada’s institutions.

    It has been clear from the start that the Ontario government’s removal of land to enable  sprawl in the Greenbelt was a false cover story. Contrary to  messaging from Premier Doug Ford, Ontario has more than enough land available to meet rising demand for housing without expanding city and town  boundaries and removing Greenbelt protections. However, the involvement of political figures and loyalties in this scandal makes the investigation and apportionment of criminal blame much more important. 

    Given the nature of the SII, we do not expect to hear frequent updates .  However, while the investigation is underway, immediate action must be taken to reverse boundary expansions and Greenbelt removals to ensure these areas are protected from further development.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on RCMP Investigation into Ontario’s Greenbelt Land Swap appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory: October 14 Harvest Ontario Walk to Stop The 413

    Harvest Walk 2023

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – In an effort to Stop Highway 413, local community members have organized walks and bike rides passing through different sections of farmland, forests and the Greenbelt that are threatened by the proposed Highway 413 with a focus on 2 walks through downtown Bolton. 

    This year’s walk is being held in memory of Jenni Le Forestier, a dedicated environmentalist and community organizer who passed away in 2022.

    This event is being led by Grandmothers Act to Save the Planet in conjunction with Concerned Citizens of King Township, EcoCaledon, Halton Hills Climate Action, Seniors for Climate Action Now, The Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga and the Wilderness Committee.

    “The fact that Premier Doug Ford has promised us, once again, that he will not touch the Greenbelt says to me that the 413 should also now be off the table, since sections of it will plow through the Greenbelt.” said Betty de Groot, EcoCaledon. “We’re here to remind him to keep his promise and look into other solutions for traffic congestion like stopping urban sprawl, increasing transit options and opening up lanes on the 407 for trucks.”

    “While the lands taken from the Greenbelt have been  saved (Hurray!) the government is still pushing urban sprawl and the people of Ontario must continue to take steps to save our green space and farmland for future generations. The 413 Highway will cut through the Greenbelt’s Nashville Conservation Reserve, the headwaters of the Credit and the Humber rivers and is merely 14 km north of the almost empty 407 toll highway.” said Kathy Geczi, Unitarian Congregation is Mississauga.

    “GASP is opposed to HWY 413 because it will lead to low density urban sprawl. Studies have proven that it will increase traffic congestion over time. It just doesn’t make sense as HWY 407 which parallels the route is under utilized. HWY 413 will hasten the destruction of species habitat and interrupt sensitive ecosystems, wetlands, forests, and prime farmland, while adding tons of CO2 into our atmosphere.” said Lorraine Green, GASP Co-chair. “We support sustainable public transit, walking, cycling, and better use of existing infrastructure. As grandmothers and grand ‘others’ we want to leave a livable healthy planet for our grandchildren. More highways are not the answer.”

    WHAT: Harvest Ontario Walk to Stop The 413 – a set of walks and cycling routes drawing attention to the farmland and green space threatened by Highway 413. 

    WHERE: The 2 main walks will meet in downtown Bolton. There will also be walks in Halton, King County and the Nashville Conservation Reserve.

    A map of all events, with additional information about each event, is available here: https://environmentaldefence.ca/howtostop413/

    WHEN: Saturday, October 14. Most walks and rides start at 10:00 AM. 

    For more information about the Harvest Ontario Walk to Stop the 413 Weekend, please visit: https://environmentaldefence.ca/howtostop413/

     

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Daniella Zanchi, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    Or the media contacts listed for each event listed above.

    The post Media Advisory: October 14 Harvest Ontario Walk to Stop The 413 appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement: Leaked Document Shows Ontario Government Knew Expanding Urban Boundaries Would Make it Harder to Build More Homes

    Statement by Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Today’s leak of internal documents from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing reveals that just as in Halton Region and Hamilton, the Ontario government knew that imposing 3,211 hectares of boundary expansions in Belleville, Peterborough, Waterloo, and Wellington was a threat to more than the environment – it would also make it harder to build more homes.

    More broadly, today’s leak confirms what independent experts and environmental and housing NGOs have shown with robust data: the Greenbelt removals are only the most visible part of a much wider sprawl and real estate scandal that encompasses the push to build Highway 413, the rigging of planning processes to railroad municipalities into approving sprawl, and the provincial government’s direct imposition of 10,270 hectares of forced sprawl across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. All of these actions have been taken contrary to its own land use planning rules.

    What ties all of these together is the government’s intentional squandering of construction capacity, development rights and public money, on its developer friends’ schemes for sprawl that it knew, and still knows, would be harmful both to meeting housing targets and to the environment. The scandal won’t be over until the government’s entire push for car-dependent sprawl on farms, forests and wetlands is abandoned and reversed.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca, 416-356-2587

    The post Statement: Leaked Document Shows Ontario Government Knew Expanding Urban Boundaries Would Make it Harder to Build More Homes appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the Review of Alberta Energy Regulator’s Response to Imperial Oil Toxic Tailings Leak

    ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, KEEPERS OF THE WATER

    Review of Alberta Energy Regulator’s handling of major tailings leak reveals regulatory system is designed to fail Indigenous communities and the public

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – Today, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) released the results of a review regarding its handling of two incidents that occurred at Imperial’s Kearl Oil Sands mine earlier this year, resulting in over 5.3 million litres of toxic tailings spilling into the environment. The review concluded that “the AER followed the existing policies, standards, procedures, and/or processes” even though it did not notify Indigenous nations of the incident for nine months, leaving them unaware of the risks of consuming water and game harvested in the area.

    Quotes:

    “It is shocking that the AER is refusing to admit to any wrongdoing by hiding a massive toxic leak from impacted communities and the public. This is further evidence that the AER is a captured body designed to protect industry, even if it means endangering the public. The Imperial Oil leak and cover-up were not a mistake, they were a direct result of the broken regulatory system in Alberta. It is appalling for the regulator to take no responsibility for such an egregious failure. We stand in full solidarity with the Indigenous nations calling for a dismantling of the AER. This review highlights the urgent need for the federal government to use the tools at its disposal to step in and address the issue of toxic tailings,” said Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Program Manager at Environmental Defence Canada.

    “The Alberta government is fast-tracking climate change and environmental destruction with irresponsible and unsustainable extraction of resources, and the people in this province are bearing the consequences, with Indigenous communities being particularly hard hit. The AER is directly complicit in this destruction and needs to be dismantled. We demand it be replaced by a co-governing body where Indigenous communities have authority and can take leadership. The current way of doing business is severely outdated,” said Jesse Cardinal, Executive Director of Keepers of the Water.

    Background information:

    • Imperial Oil had informed the AER about the first incident in May 2022 but hid this information for nine months from the Indigenous nations who rely on the area for sustenance and cultural practices, leaving them unaware of potential risks.
    • It was only when a second incident occurred in February 2023 that the concealment of the initial spill came to light.
    • Indigenous and environmental groups sent a letter to the federal and Alberta governments, calling for accountability for the disaster, such as an overhaul of the AER and bringing federal charges under the Fisheries Act.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    About KEEPERS OF THE WATER (keepersofthewater.ca): Keepers of the Water are First Nations, Métis, Inuit, environmental groups, concerned citizens, and communities working together for the protection of water, air, land, and all living things within the Arctic Ocean Drainage Basin.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Paula Gray, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca, 705-435-8611

    Jesse Cardinal, Keepers of the Water, ed@keepersofthewater.ca

    The post Statement on the Review of Alberta Energy Regulator’s Response to Imperial Oil Toxic Tailings Leak appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the International Energy Agency Report that Fossil Fuels are Expected to Peak and Decline this Decade

    Canada needs to take more action to transition away from fossil fuels

    Statement from Aly Hyder Ali, Oil and Gas Program Manager

    Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – We applaud today’s report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which sends a clear signal: the era of fossil fuels is ending. For the first time, the IEA now predicts that demand for all fossil fuels will peak this decade and significantly decline, even without any additional climate policy. The updated IEA Net-Zero report sends an important message from a global body of energy experts to countries like Canada to pivot and transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, while we still have time.

    Although the use of fossil fuels is expected to peak this decade – oil and gas demand falls by 20 per cent by 2030, a decline that is due to the remarkable and rapid roll out of clean energy technologies across the world – the IEA is clear that more urgent and bold climate action is needed to keep global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees. Current emissions reduction pledges from countries around the world are not ambitious enough to prevent further climate catastrophes.

    For Canada, this means that federal and provincial governments need to act urgently to implement stronger climate policies and phase out fossil fuels. Currently, Canada is on track to be the world’s second largest developer of new oil and gas extraction.

    Yet, the IEA’s report clearly shows that governments must stop approving new fossil fuels – and close some oil and gas fields early. We can’t afford any more fossil fuel expansion, nor can we afford to rely on speculative technologies, like carbon capture, that have a long history of failure.

    The Government of Canada has promised to release the draft regulations of the long-awaited, much delayed, oil and gas emissions cap this year. To ensure that Canada does its fair share on the global stage and protects its economy from rapidly changing global markets, the upcoming cap on oil and gas emissions must be ambitious and implemented without any more delays.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

     

    The post Statement on the International Energy Agency Report that Fossil Fuels are Expected to Peak and Decline this Decade appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory: Greenbelt Rallies this Weekend to Celebrate Premier Ford’s Reversal of Greenbelt Land Removals and Protest Proposed Highway 413

    Aerial photo of Dufferin Rouge Agricultural Preserve - the largest area removed from the Greenbelt by the Ontario government

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – This weekend, Ontarians will be coming together across the GTA to celebrate Premier Ford’s reversal of the Greenbelt land removals and will also be calling on him to stop the proposed Highway 413, that if built, will pave over parts of the Greenbelt.

    Throughout the past year over 100,000 Ontarians sent emails, signed petitions, made phone calls to their MPPs, with thousands more attending an unprecedented wave of rallies to voice their concerns on the provincial government’s $8.3 billion gift to developers. Mobilization like this has never been seen in Ontario before.

    “The attack on the Greenbelt was a flagrant example of bad policy designed to benefit well-connected developers at the expense of our environment, but this was just one of many poor policies, including the proposed Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, both of which would pass through the Greenbelt. Although returning the Greenbelt lands is a great first step, there is still much work to be done to restore the many environmental protections that we have lost in recent years.” – Tim Gray, Executive Director, Environmental Defence

    What: Greenbelt Rallies in Richmond Hill and Scarborough

    Where: A map of all events, with additional information about each event, is available here: https://environmentaldefence.ca/handsoffthegreenbelt/

    Saturday, Sept. 23

    Richmond Hill – 1300 Elgin Mills Rd E, Richmond Hill, ON, L4S 1M5 –1 PM – Celebrate the Return of the Greenbelt Lands! and Rally to Repeal Bill 23, Stop Hwy 413!

    “We are happy that the Premier abandoned the Greenbelt giveaways thanks to the thundering voice of the public. This is only the first step, there are many battles ahead such as Bill 23, Hwy 413 and ensuring environmental protections. We want to keep the momentum going.” – Priya Unnikrishnan, Liveable Richmond Hill

    Organized by: Liveable Richmond Hill
    Media contact: Priya Unnikrishnan
    For more information: https://fb.me/e/L9BVmIlb

    Saturday, Sept. 23

    Scarborough – Gus Harris Trail parking lot, entrance off of Pharmacy Ave
    11:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Speeches
    11:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Group walk towards Danforth Ave

    Organized by Scarborough Southwest Environmental Group.
    Media contact: Misha Perozak
    For more information, email scarboroughsweg@gmail.com

    *Note the rally organized on Saturday Sept. 23 in Oakville at Glenashton Park, 1051 Glenashton Dr, Oakville for 12 PM  has been canceled.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Alex Ross, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Media Advisory: Greenbelt Rallies this Weekend to Celebrate Premier Ford’s Reversal of Greenbelt Land Removals and Protest Proposed Highway 413 appeared first on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on Premier Ford canceling $8.28-billion Greenbelt land removals

    Statement from Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager on Premier Ford canceling $8.28-billion Greenbelt land removals

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – “While we welcome Premier Ford’s full reversal of the inappropriate removals of Greenbelt lands, the Ontario government’s $8.3 billion gift to developers represented just the most visible part of a dishonest and counterproductive push for sprawl that will only worsen Ontario’s housing shortage. To clean up what remains of the Ontario government’s land use and environmental mess, including Highway 413, it is essential to strengthen Greenbelt protections to ensure future governments can’t try this again.

    We hope this change marks the beginning of a broader shift away from the government’s current misguided policies, including: forced boundary expansions in Hamilton and Halton, Waterloo and elsewhere; its lowering of Growth Plan density requirements; its gutting of Conservation Authorities; and its dismantling of regional land use planning. These damaging decisions, along with attempts to repeal laws which promote efficient land use and construction, must also be reversed.

    Environmental Defence is particularly concerned that Premier Ford continues to pursue the wasteful and unnecessary Highway 413 scheme. Not only does the highway divert billions in public funds but also misallocates crucial construction resources needed for housing and transit. The only beneficiaries of building highway 413 appear to be a select group of land speculators who have invested in farmland and forests along the proposed route. Building 413 would mean fewer homes, slower, and worsened traffic in the GTA.

    The only way to deliver the number of homes that Ontarians need – with the speed that our housing crisis demands – is to overhaul the zoning and official plans of  existing neighborhoods where people want to live. This would permit and encourage the construction of compact, affordable family homes on all residential streets – including those currently limited to single detached homes. This approach would expedite the creation of much-needed housing without compromising community integrity. “

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Daniella Zanchi, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on Premier Ford canceling $8.28-billion Greenbelt land removals appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory: Rallies planned across Ontario to defend Greenbelt and demand housing solutions

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – As MPPs prepare to reconvene in the legislature, a wave of concerned Ontarians are mobilizing to oppose further removals of land from the Greenbelt. Despite mounting evidence that we have more than enough land to build housing without removing land from the Greenbelt, Premier Doug Ford continues to resist calls to reverse the environmentally disastrous $8.3 billion attack on Greenbelt lands.

    Growing public awareness around the corrupt process behind Greenbelt removals has led to 69% of Ontarians expressing outrage, prompting a surge in community level action. Upcoming rallies across Ontario will demand the immediate return of  lands to the Greenbelt, including those within the ecologically fragile Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve adjacent to Rouge National Urban Park, and to take the actions necessary to build affordable homes in Ontario where municipalities have already identified land for building.

    A full list of rallies is provided below. Interviews can be arranged with local event leaders upon request.

    What: A series of “Hands Off The Greenbelt” rallies across the province, including Housing Minister Paul Calandra’s office.

    Where: A map of all events, with additional information about each event, is available here: https://environmentaldefence.ca/handsoffthegreenbelt/

    When: September 23rd – October 1st. Exact times and dates vary by location.

    Saturday, Sept 23
    Oakville – Glenashton Park, 1051 Glenashton Dr, Oakville – 12 PM

    “GASP is holding this rally as we believe that Stephen Crawford’s constituents expect accountability and want to know why he supported the Greenbelt takeout when the government’s own Housing Affordability Task force determined there is more than enough land available to accommodate future housing. GASP believes this is a betrayal of the public’s trust and is calling on MPP Crawford, as our elected representative, to stand up and speak to Premier Ford and the cabinet and let them know he supports making the Greenbelt whole again. Million-dollar homes on precious farmland will not solve the housing affordability crisis.”  – Grandmothers Act to Save the Planet

    Organized by Grandmothers Act to Save the Planet.
    Media contact: Marilyn Ortwein

    Saturday, Sept. 23
    Richmond Hill – 1300 Elgin Mills Rd E, Richmond Hill, ON, L4S 1M5 – 1 PM

    “New residential development in the Greenbelt is wholly unnecessary, environmentally damaging, and utterly unrelated to solving the undeniable housing crisis.” – Howard Doughty, Professor at Seneca College

    Organized by Liveable Richmond Hill.
    Media contact: Priya Unnikrishnan
    For more information: https://fb.me/e/L9BVmIlb

    Saturday, Sept. 23
    Scarborough – Gus Harris Trail parking lot, entrance off of Pharmacy Ave
    11:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Speeches
    11:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Group walk towards Danforth Ave

    “The Greenbelt is critical infrastructure – like roads and buildings – that we all benefit from, and once it’s gone we can’t get it back. Let’s build lots of homes AND leave the Greenbelt alone, we don’t have to choose.” – Tierney Smith, Scarborough Southwest Environmental Group

    Organized by Scarborough Southwest Environmental Group.
    Media contact: Misha Perozak
    For more information, email scarboroughsweg@gmail.com

    Sunday, Oct. 1
    Stouffville – Housing Minister Paul Calandra’s Office. 37 Sandiford Dr., Main St. and Sandiford, Stouffville – 2PM.
    Environmental Defence experts available for on-site and virtual interviews.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Daniella Zanchi, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Media Advisory: Rallies planned across Ontario to defend Greenbelt and demand housing solutions appeared first on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on Thorold City Council’s Unanimous Vote Against a New Gas Plant in Niagara

    Keith Brooks, Programs Director, Environmental Defence

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – We applaud the members of Thorold City Council for voting unanimously against this unnecessary and highly polluting project. Ontario doesn’t need more gas plants. We are encouraged to see communities like Thorold recognize this and stand up for their residents. In order to ensure a safe and stable future, we need more clean energy, not more fossil power. Respected bodies like the International Energy Agency have been clear – there is no room for new fossil fuel infrastructure if we want to hold warming to 1.5 degrees.

    Along with their contribution to larger climate change impacts, gas plants also cause local air pollution – mainly nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. In voting against this proposal, Thorold has both helped with the global project of decarbonization and taken an important step to protect air quality in Thorold and the broader Niagara region.

    Additionally, Thorold’s vote against this project will also save Ontarians hundreds of millions of dollars. Based on other gas plant contracts recently inked by the Independent Energy System Operator (IESO), the gas plant proposed for Thorold could have cost over $700 million over the term of the contract. This, despite the project developer – Northland Power – saying that they anticipate the plant would produce “little energy” and act as a backup option. It would have been a giveaway to fossil fuel project developers – not so different from other giveaways this province has handed out to other developers in recent months.

    Thorold has set an example that other municipalities should follow if prospective gas-plant developers come calling.

    Background information:

    • In October of 2022, the IESO recommended Ontario procure up to 1500 MW of new gas-fired power generation. The Ministry of Energy directed the IESO to proceed with the procurement.
    • Multiple studies have concluded that Ontario does not need more gas to meet growing electricity demand.
    • Northland Power had proposed to build a 198 MW gas-fired power plant in Thorold, Ontario, in Niagara Region, which they intended to bid into the IESO’s upcoming LT1 procurement process.
    • At the request of the Ministry of Energy, the IESO stipulated that project proponents would need a municipal resolution of support in order to secure a contract. The IESO was also directed to structure contracts to ensure power plants would still be paid even if forced to shut down due forthcoming federal Clean Electricity Regulations.
    • Thorold City Council’s vote against the power plant proposal effectively blocks Northland’s proposal from going forward.
    • In a recent capacity procurement, energy storage projects ended up coming in at lower costs than new gas plants.
    • If the IESO is successful at procuring the 1500 MW of gas that it was seeking, this could cost rate payers over $4 billion, despite the fact that these plants are supposed to rarely be used and will have to be shut down before their contracts expires due to incoming federal Clean Electricity Regulations.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on Thorold City Council’s Unanimous Vote Against a New Gas Plant in Niagara appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory: Environmental Defence and Other Groups in Ontario to Rally Against Greenbelt Removals

    Aerial photo of Dufferin Rouge Agricultural Preserve - the largest area removed from the Greenbelt by the Ontario government

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – In early November, 2022, the provincial government announced Bill 23 (“More Homes Built Faster Act”), the rollback of forward-thinking municipal plans in Halton and Hamilton, and the removal of 7,400 acres of protected land from the Greenbelt to build sprawl.

    Public opposition to these attacks on Ontario’s environment is surging. Following the revelations by Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner, and those of the Auditor General earlier this month, activists across the province began organizing another round of rallies to emphasize the urgency for protecting Ontario’s forests, farms and wetlands.

    Local Activists will hold a rally during Ford Fest on Friday, September 8th to loudly voice opposition to removals of land from the Greenbelt and other issues. More rallies in the province will take place in the days following this action, with a full list below. Interviews can be arranged with local activists upon request.

    WHAT: A series of “Hands Off The Greenbelt” rallies across the province, including the Premier’s Ford Fest in Kitchener, Queen’s Park in Toronto and MPP Christine Hogarth’s Office in Etobicoke. New events are being registered every day.

    WHERE: A map of all events, with additional information about each event, is available here: https://environmentaldefence.ca/handsoffthegreenbelt/

    WHEN: September 8th-23rd. Exact times and dates vary by location.

    Friday, Sept. 8th

    Kitchener – 425 Bingemans Centre Drive – 4:00 PM

    Greenbelt Rally: Unions, teachers, nurses, political parties, health coalitions and environmental groups will be there.

    Saturday, Sept. 9th

    Etobicoke – MPP Christine Hogarth’s Office – 2:00-3:00 PM

    Tuesday, Sept. 12th

    Barrie – Grace United Church – 7:00-8:30 PM

    Featuring special guest speakers: David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto and former chair of Greenbelt Council; Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada; Margaret Prophet, SCGC; Franz Hartman, Alliance for a Liveable Ontario.

    RSVP Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uniting-for-a-sustainable-future-public-forum-on-the-greenbelt-tickets-699659128287?aff=new

    Thursday, Sept. 14th

    Ancaster – Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre – 5:30-8:00 PM

    Saturday, Sept. 16th

    Toronto – Queen’s Park – 11:00 AM

    This rally is part of a globally coordinated action to demand that governments end fossil fuels – fast, fair, and forever.

    Sunday, Sept. 17th

    Newmarket – Intersection Yonge and Mulock – 11:00 AM – 1:00pm

    Marching to MPP Gallagher Murphy’s office to deliver letters and petition for government to take better action to stop climate change.

    Saturday, Sept. 23rd

    Richmond Hill – Richmond Green Sports Centre and Park – 1:00-3:00 PM

    Facebook Event Page: https://fb.me/e/L9BVmIlb

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Daniella Zanchi, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Media Advisory: Environmental Defence and Other Groups in Ontario to Rally Against Greenbelt Removals appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Environmental Groups Seek Investigation Into Enbridge Gas for False Advertising

    Exterior of the Enbridge Gas headquarters building in Toronto

    Enbridge’s marketing materials claim heating with gas is cheapest, though electric heat pumps would save a typical homeowner over $10,000 by comparison.

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – Environmental Defence, along with Ontario Clean Air Alliance, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and a number of impacted residents have filed a complaint to the Competition Bureau over Enbridge Gas’ deceptive marketing encouraging homeowners to connect to its “natural” gas system. The organizations assert the company is falsely claiming that gas is the most cost-effective way to heat homes. In reality, a typical customer in a gas expansion area could spend over $10,000 more if they choose to use gas instead of installing a high-efficiency electric heat pump (over the lifetime of the equipment).

    “Enbridge’s dishonest marketing is duping people into signing up for its gas service, falsely claiming it’s cheaper than heating with electricity which is just not true.” said Keith Brooks, program director at Environmental Defence. “Heat pumps have come a long way in recent years and they are now the most affordable way to heat a home, and are far superior from an environmental perspective. Enbridge needs to stop lying to people and pushing its fossil gas agenda on communities.”

    The deceptive marketing is targeted at customers in communities that Enbridge has recently connected to its gas pipeline network and ones it plans to connect in the near future. The misrepresentations are being made in materials sent by mail, delivered at the doorstep, and posted at community events. 

    The organizations also take issue with Enbridge’s deceptive use of the terms “low carbon” and “clean energy” when describing natural gas. “Natural gas”, also known as methane gas or fracked fossil gas, is a potent greenhouse gas that pollutes the environment and causes climate change when it is burned and when it escapes into the atmosphere during extraction, production, and transportation. Currently, 19 per cent of Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to heating with gas.

    “I am outraged by Enbridge’s campaign filled with misleading information about the cost and environmental impact of its polluting product. Its proposed new pipeline in Selwyn Township will deliver harmful fossil gas to our residents who will be locked in to higher prices for decades. If this pipeline is built, our community will find it harder to achieve the greenhouse gas reductions we committed to in our 2016 Climate Change Action Plan,” said Guy Hanchet, a resident of Selwyn, Ontario. “We deserve better from a company that claims to be leading the transition towards a net-zero future but whose actions are locking us into a planet that will be a disaster for our grandchildren.”

    The longer Enbridge is allowed to advertise these false claims, the more homeowners will be stuck heating their homes with gas instead of selecting a more affordable option like an electric heat pump. As this continues, unnecessarily high energy costs and carbon pollution can be effectively locked in for a decade or more to the detriment of consumers and the climate.

    “I cannot believe Enbridge has been allowed to lie for so long about the cost of its gas compared to heat pumps. We have a heat pump installed in our home and know it saves us money,” said Lesley Hastie, a resident of Huntsville, Ontario. “I feel especially sorry for renters who have no choice but to pay more for gas heating and cooling because their landlords chose to connect to gas. It’s unfair that Enbridge’s infrastructure expansion costs are being imposed on customers, and it’s unacceptable that the municipality is left with increased greenhouse gas emissions.  Enbridge should be made to stop deliberately misleading the public.”

    For a long time, fossil gas was the cheapest way to heat homes. However, electric heat pumps designed for cold climates are now much cheaper for consumers. This is true both for the initial upfront equipment costs and for the annual energy costs. Upfront equipment costs often beat gas as heat pumps provide both heating and cooling in one unit and the price tag can be further reduced using federal rebate programs. Annual energy costs are also lower as heat pumps are approximately three times more efficient than gas furnaces (or five times for ground-source heat pumps, also known as geothermal).

    “Heat pumps are an amazing technology that allow people to get their homes off of fossil fuels, and save money while doing so,” said Jack Gibbons, chair of Ontario Clean Air Alliance. “People need to know that if they are about to install new heating and cooling equipment, they should go with a heat pump. But Enbridge is misleading these people, and trying to lock in more Ontarians to gas. It’s shameful and should be brought to a stop.”

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Environmental Groups Seek Investigation Into Enbridge Gas for False Advertising appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on Housing Minister Clark’s Resignation re: Breach of Integrity Rules

    Grow the greenbelt climate change

    Statement from Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager at Environmental Defence, on Housing Minister Clark’s Resignation re: Breach of Integrity Rules

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – Phil Pothen, Environmental Defence’s Ontario Environment Program Manager, is available to provide insight following Housing Minister Clark’s resignation over the Ontario government’s Greenbelt scandal. His statement is as follows:

    “The resignation of Minister Clark is a predictable attempt at damage control but that is no substitute for reversing the $8.3 billion Greenbelt giveaways in their entirety.

    “Given the findings of the Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner and the vast 350km2 supply of designated development land we had in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area alone (before this government took office), sprawling further outwards, let alone into the Greenbelt, cannot be justified and will only make things worse. Any Minister who persists in claiming otherwise, will only be implicating her or himself in what, going forward, they will know is a false story and disreputable, harmful policy initiative.

    “It is clear that the Greenbelt removals are not about housing, therefore the Premier, Cabinet and PC MPPs need to immediately take the following actions:

    • Restore protection to every acre of land Minister Clark removed from the Greenbelt and prohibit any further removals

    • Reinstate the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act

    • Reverse the various boundary expansions and sprawl MZOs authorized by the Minister’s Office

    • Overhaul land use rules to slam the brakes on sprawl and focus development on adding compact, affordable homes to existing neighbourhoods and settlement areas

    Interview availability today by Zoom and in Toronto with Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager

    Background Information:

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Stephanie Kohls, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on Housing Minister Clark’s Resignation re: Breach of Integrity Rules appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Hit in DNA Database Proves Leonard Mack’s Innocence After 47 Years of Wrongful Conviction

    Hit in DNA Database Proves Leonard Mack’s Innocence After 47 Years of Wrongful Conviction

    Unreliable witness identifications along with racial bias and tunnel vision led to Mr. Mack’s wrongful conviction, the longest to be vacated based on DNA evidence.

    Breaking news
    09.05.23
    By Innocence Staff

    Unreliable witness identifications along with racial bias and tunnel vision led to Mr. Mack’s wrongful conviction, the longest to be vacated based on DNA evidence.

    Breaking news
    09.05.23
    By Innocence Staff

    Leonard Mack in 2003.

    Leonard Mack in 2003.

    Leonard Mack at Elmira Correctional Facility in 1978.

    Leonard Mack at Elmira Correctional Facility in 1978.

    (September 5, 2023 — White Plains, NY) Leonard Mack was exonerated today nearly five decades after he was wrongfully convicted of rape and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in March 1976. New DNA testing of crime scene evidence found in a post-conviction investigation by the Innocence Project and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit proved Mr. Mack did not commit the crime. Mr. Mack’s wrongful conviction is the longest to be overturned based on new DNA evidence known to the Innocence Project. The DNA profile developed from the evidence was uploaded to the state and local DNA database and yielded a hit. The actual assailant identified by this search has since confessed to the crime.

    This case contains virtually every common contributing factor in wrongful convictions. Eyewitness misidentification, the leading cause of wrongful convictions, played a central role, in addition to misleading forensic testimony presented by the State’s forensic analyst at trial, racial bias, and tunnel vision. Despite alibi witnesses and serological evidence from the victim’s underwear that excluded Mr. Mack in 1976, he spent seven-and-a-half years in prison and has since lived with this wrongful conviction for 41 years.

    “Today, indisputable DNA evidence proves that Leonard Mack is innocent. Nearly five decades later, he finally has some measure of justice,” said Mary-Kathryn Smith, one of Mr. Mack’s Innocence Project attorneys. “Mr. Mack’s resilience and strength is why this day has finally come. We want to thank the Westchester County District Attorney and its Conviction Review Unit for their cooperation and commitment to search for the truth.”

    “I want to first thank God for this day. Next, I want to thank the Innocence Project. Today has been a long time coming. I lost seven-and-a-half years of my life in prison for a crime I did not commit and I have lived with this injustice hanging over my head for almost 50 years. It changed the course of my life — everything from where I lived to my relationship with my family. I never lost hope that one day that I would be proven innocent. Now the truth has come to light and I can finally breathe. I am finally free.”

    Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said, “Today we’re asking the courts to find Leonard Mack actually innocent for a rape he never committed; for which he unjustly served more than seven years in prison. We were able to prove Mr. Mack’s innocence, in large part, due to our independent Conviction Review Unit’s commitment and Mr. Mack’s unwavering strength fighting to clear his name for almost 50 years. This exoneration and the new DNA evidence confirm that wrongful convictions are not only harmful to the wrongly convicted but also make us all less safe.”

    Leonard Mack in 1993.

    Leonard Mack in 1993.

    Multiple Eyewitness Misidentifications

    On May 22, 1975 at 3:00 p.m., two 12th-grade students from Woodland High School were walking home from school near a wooded area in Greenburgh, NY, when a man approached them and held them at gunpoint. He told them not to scream or he would kill them, and proceeded to use their belt and shreds of jacket to blindfold, gag, and restrain both girls’ wrists and ankles. He then raped one of the girls twice and threatened them again as he left the scene. The girl who was not raped broke free and ran to a nearby school where a teacher called the police. The second victim, who was raped, freed herself and ran home, where her sister also called the police, before being taken to the hospital where a rape kit was collected.

    The Greenburgh Police Department issued a dispatch for officers to be on the lookout for a Black male suspect in his early 20s, close cropped hair, clean shaven with a medium build, wearing black pants, a tan jacket, a black hat with a white brim, and a gold earring in his left ear, and carrying a .22 or .32 caliber handgun.

    Roughly two-and-a-half hours later, Officer James Fleming pulled over Mr. Mack, who was wearing a black fedora hat and had a gold earring in his left ear, on Harney Road. Officer Fleming told Mr. Mack he matched the profile of a rape suspect, although his clothing did not match the description the teenagers gave to police. Mr. Mack denied any involvement in the crime and explained he was with his girlfriend at the time of the attack, which she corroborated. Officer Fleming searched Mr. Mack’s vehicle and, finding a .22 revolver in the trunk, placed him under arrest. Both girls were then asked to identify him in a series of highly suggestive and problematic identification procedures. 

    One of the victims was brought to Harney Road, where Mr. Mack was in handcuffs and surrounded by Officer Fleming and six police cars. At first, unsure, the girl asked police to reposition him, at which point she identified Mr. Mack as the assailant. She was then taken to Greenburgh Police Station and presented with a photo array containing seven photos of Black men, including that of Mr. Mack. His was the only photo showing his face and clothing, along with a distinctive May 1975 calendar hanging in the background, clearly differentiating it from others. The girl selected Mr. Mack’s photograph. 

    In a third identification attempt, the same girl was taken to the Parkway police station later that evening where police conducted a show-up — when witnesses are presented with only one suspect for identification — through a one-way mirror. According to Officer Fleming’s testimony, it was not “feasible” to put together a line-up of Black males in the “basically white” Greenburgh area. Not surprisingly, the girl identified Mr. Mack, later describing him as the person she was supposed to identify. The girl later mentioned that Mr. Mack was wearing the wrong clothes, upon which police showed her clothing options allowing her to pick out the right clothes for Mr. Mack to wear. She again identified him as her assailant. 

    The same suggestive photo array was later shown to the other victim after she left the hospital and was taken to the Greenburgh police station. This girl was legally blind and had stated that she was unable to tell the gender of a person unless they were within 10 feet of her and could not see the color of someone’s clothing unless they were within five feet. She told detectives she recognized one man’s shirt, referring to Mr. Mack’s photo, but could not be sure of her identification. 

    She was then taken to the Parkway police headquarters, where she viewed Mr. Mack through a one-way mirror with the other victim, who told her, “That’s him.” The girl could not identify Mr. Mack, saying only, “It could be, I think so.” She said that Mr. Mack was the same “size, shape, and color” as the man who had attacked her. Given the limitations of her identification, she asked if she could hear Mr. Mack’s voice. At that point, police had Mr. Mack repeat what the attacker said to the girls through a door: “Don’t scream, don’t turn around or I’ll kill you.” Based on this, the girl identified Mr. Mack as the assailant.

    Eyewitness misidentification, as in this case, is the leading contributing factor of wrongful convictions and has contributed to 64% of the Innocence Project’s 245 exonerations and releases. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, intentionally suggestive witness identifications occur twice as frequently in the cases of Black and Latinx exonerees as they do in the cases of white exonerees.  In 2017, New York passed a law adopting standards and best practices, advocated for by the Innocence Project, around eyewitness identification procedures that law enforcement agencies were required to implement. 

    Flawed Forensic Testimony at Trial

    At trial, the State’s case rested almost entirely on the victims’ identification of Mr. Mack. In addition to three alibi witnesses who accounted for Mr. Mack’s whereabouts the afternoon of the crime, the defense presented testimony from Dr. Alexander Wiener from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in New York City. Dr. Weiner testified that the State had confirmed there was sperm on the victim’s vaginal swab and that biological material found on her underwear, which had tested positive for acid phosphatase, a presumptive test for semen, had excluded Mr. Mack through serological testing. The basis for this exclusion was that the biological evidence indicated that the assailant was blood type A, which is not Mr. Mack’s blood type.

    The State, which did not include any of the serology evidence in its case, presented testimony from an analyst from the forensic science lab for Westchester County in its rebuttal case. The analyst attempted to cast doubt on Dr. Wiener’s testimony by incorrectly suggesting that the victim may have been the source of the biological evidence. On March 29, 1976, Mr. Mack was found guilty of all three charges.

    Missteps: Racial Bias and Tunnel Vision

    Satisfied that they had their suspect, a Black male wearing a black hat and a gold earring in a predominantly white neighborhood, the State failed to search for the true assailant. Because of information based on little more than his race, Mr. Mack “fit the description” and his fate was sealed. Despite all the contradictory factors — Mr. Mack’s clothing not matching the original description, the unreliable identifications, and the exculpatory serology evidence — police made no efforts to investigate further. Such tunnel vision, fixing on a single theory or suspect, is a known consequence of implicit racial bias that contributes to the deep racial disparities evident in wrongful convictions. While just 13.6% of the American population identify as Black, they account for 53% of the 3,200 exonerations listed in the National Registry of Exonerations according to its 2022 report, Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States. Based on exonerations, innocent Black Americans are seven times more likely than white Americans to be falsely convicted of serious crimes. Similarly, of the 245 people the Innocence Project has helped free or exonerate, 58% are Black. 

    DNA Identifies the True Perpetrator

    In November 2022, the Innocence Project contacted the Westchester County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit seeking its assistance and collaboration in finding and testing biological evidence in this case. Most of the crime scene evidence no longer existed, but the Conviction Review Unit did find the victim’s underwear cuttings that tested positive for semen along with Mr. Mack’s underwear. Using modern DNA testing methods, the Westchester County forensic lab excluded Mr. Mack as the source of the DNA on the victim’s underwear. The DNA evidence was then uploaded to the state and local DNA database. The search yielded a hit to to an individual who was convicted of a burglary and rape in Queens that occurred weeks after this crime. He also had a 2004 conviction for burglary and sexual assault of a woman in Westchester County.

    Mr. Mack is a Vietnam War veteran and has lived with his wife in South Carolina for nearly 21 years.

    Mr. Mack is represented by Susan Friedman, a senior staff attorney at the Innocence Project, and Post-conviction Litigation Fellow Mary-Kathryn Smith.

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    The post Hit in DNA Database Proves Leonard Mack’s Innocence After 47 Years of Wrongful Conviction appeared first on Innocence Project.

  • Statement on the Integrity Commissioner’s Findings that Ontario’s Housing Minister Breached Integrity Rules in Removing Land from the Greenbelt

    Statement by Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager, Environmental Defence, on Integrity Commissioner’s Findings that Ontario’s Housing Minister Breached Integrity Rules in Removing Land from the Greenbelt

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – Today’s report by Integrity Commissioner David Wake revealed integrity breaches by Housing Minister Steve Clark, as well as political involvement by the Premier and key insiders. This reinforces the absolute necessity for the Ontario government to immediately reverse all Greenbelt removals.

    For several years, Minister Clark has made rhetorical use of the very real housing crisis in Ontario while pursuing a push for sprawl that could never have done anything but make housing shortages worse. This push culminated in the removal of 7,400 acres of land from the Greenbelt last October. Today’s revelations by Commissioner Wake, and those of the Auditor General earlier this month, reveal the grave breaches of integrity rules and political backroom motivations that lay behind this.

    Regardless of what personal consequences Minister Clark ultimately faces as a result of his integrity breaches, or the ongoing RCMP investigation, it remains clear that there is no path to restoring Ontario’s reputation that does not begin with reversing the $8.3 billion Greenbelt giveaways in their entirety.

    In light of these reports, which leave no room to continue insisting that the Greenbelt removals are about housing, the Premier, Cabinet and PC MPPs need to immediately take the following actions:

    • Restore protection to every acre of land Minister Clark removed from the Greenbelt and prohibiting any further removals
    • Reinstate the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act
    • Reverse the various boundary expansions and sprawl MZOs authorized by the Minister’s Office
    • Overhaul land use rules to slam the brakes on sprawl and focus development on adding compact, affordable homes to existing neighbourhoods and settlement areas

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Daniella Zanchi, media@environmentaldefence.ca

     

    The post Statement on the Integrity Commissioner’s Findings that Ontario’s Housing Minister Breached Integrity Rules in Removing Land from the Greenbelt appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on Premier Ford’s First Public Admission that Greenbelt Removals May be Reversed

    Statement by Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager, Environmental Defence, on Premier Ford’s First Public Admission that Greenbelt Removals May Be Reversed 

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – This morning, after weeks of mounting public outrage about his $8.3 billion giveaway of public rights to land speculators, Premier Ford admitted clearly, for the first time, that his government might restore protection to some areas of the Greenbelt.

    While Premier Ford’s public musings about restoring protection were focused primarily on two particular Greenbelt parcels, we are optimistic that this is just a tentative, face-saving first step on the path to a complete reversal of the Greenbelt removals. After the Auditor General’s report, a reversal of the removals in their entirety is certainly this government’s only plausible way out of this scandal.

    We are troubled to see the government still attempting to preserve its reputation by provoking land speculators into bulldozing Greenbelt land before 2025. Diverting scarce construction labour and equipment to prioritize building mansions on the Greenbelt would not be ‘progress.’ It would mean that vast numbers of more affordable and more efficient non-Greenbelt sites already designated for housing go unbuilt. It would be the worst possible outcome for housing supply, as well as for the environment.

    Background Information:

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Daniella Zanchi, media@environmentaldefence.ca

     

    The post Statement on Premier Ford’s First Public Admission that Greenbelt Removals May be Reversed appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Marcellus Williams, Facing Execution Despite DNA Evidence of His Innocence, Sues Missouri Governor and Attorney General for Dissolving Board of Inquiry Examining the Case and Moving to Set an Execution Date

    Marcellus Williams, Facing Execution Despite DNA Evidence of His Innocence, Sues Missouri Governor and Attorney General for Dissolving Board of Inquiry Examining the Case and Moving to Set an Execution Date

    Gov. Mike Parson violated the law when he dissolved board without a report.

    Press Release 08.24.23 By Innocence Staff

    Marcellus Williams. (Image: Courtesy of Marcellus Williams’ legal team)

    Marcellus Williams. (Image: Courtesy of Marcellus Williams’ legal team)

    (August 24 – Jefferson City, MO) Marcellus Williams, who faces execution in Missouri despite DNA evidence proving his innocence, has filed a civil lawsuit against Gov. Mike Parson for dissolving the board of inquiry that had been investigating his innocence claim before it could produce a report and recommendation, and against Attorney General Andrew Bailey for moving to set an execution date after the governor had illegally dissolved the board. The suit, filed in Missouri’s 19th Circuit Court, asks the court to invalidate Gov. Parson’s June 30 executive order dissolving the board and lifting Mr. Williams’ stay of execution, arguing that the governor violated Mr. Williams’ rights and the law when he dissolved the board without a report and recommendation. 

    In an unprecedented move earlier this summer, Gov. Parson rescinded an executive order issued by his predecessor, effectively lifting Mr. Williams’ stay of execution and terminating a board of five former judges appointed by previous Gov. Eric Greitens to examine the new DNA evidence — which no court has ever reviewed. Gov. Greitens issued the executive order pursuant to Missouri Revised Statutes section 552.070, a law passed in 1963 designed to protect innocent people from being wrongfully executed. The statute permits the governor to empanel a board of inquiry to review evidence of innocence in a death penalty case, an action taken only three times by Missouri governors since its passage. Gov. Greitens’ 2017 executive order required the board to provide him with a report and recommendation about Mr. Williams’ claims of innocence and application for clemency. The lawsuit alleges that Gov. Parsons never received such a report or recommendation from the board before he dissolved it.

    “The dissolution of the board of inquiry before a report or recommendation could be issued means that, to date, no judge has ruled on the full evidence of Mr. William’s innocence,” said Tricia Rojo Bushnell, executive director of the Midwest Innocence Project, which represents Mr. Williams. “Knowing that, the state of Missouri still seeks to execute him. That is not justice.”

    “The board of inquiry statute was created so that an independent group of retired judges had an opportunity to review all the evidence in a death penalty case, without any procedural or political obstructions, to make sure an innocent man or woman is not executed. It’s a unique, fail-safe protection. By aborting the process before this distinguished group of jurists issued a report, Gov. Parson violated Mr. Williams’ due process rights under the state and federal constitutions to life and liberty,” said Barry C. Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project. 

    Who Is Marcellus Williams: Man Facing Execution in Missouri Despite DNA Evidence Supporting Innocence

    Mr. Williams has spent 24 years of his life on death row for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter who was stabbed 43 times in her home. Although no physical evidence or crime scene evidence connected him to the crime, his conviction primarily relied upon the testimonies of two incentivized witnesses, whose statements were inconsistent with the crime scene evidence, with their own prior statements, and with each other.  

    In 2016, post-conviction DNA testing conducted on the handle of the knife lodged in Ms. Gayle’s neck detected the presence of male DNA and definitively excluded Mr. Williams as the source. That evidence has been reviewed and analyzed by three renowned DNA experts, all of whom concluded that Mr. Williams is not the source of the DNA. Furthermore, Mr. Williams was excluded as the source of the hairs found near Ms. Gayle’s body and as the source of bloody footprints found inside the house near the body.

    Based on this new DNA evidence, Gov. Greitens stayed Mr. Williams’ execution in 2017, and formed the board of inquiry to examine it. When Gov. Parson dissolved the board without receiving its report and recommendation about Mr. Williams’ case, he violated the statute, defied the executive order, exceeded his authority, and undermined Mr. Williams’ rights.  

    “There is clear and convincing evidence that Marcellus Williams did not murder Ms. Gayle. It would be a terrible tragedy for the state to execute Mr. Williams before the board of inquiry completed its commission to make a report and recommendation to the governor as to whether or not Mr. Williams should be executed,” said Charles Weiss, a partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, which represents Mr. Williams. 

    Mr. Williams is represented in this filing by Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (Charles Weiss), the Midwest Innocence Project (Tricia Rojo Bushnell, Rachel Wester, Blair Johnson, Leigh Ann Carroll); and the Innocence Project (Adnan Sultan, Barry Scheck, Tim Gumkowski, Hannah Freedman, and Cecily Burge).

    About the Midwest Innocence Project: The Midwest Innocence Project is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to representing people convicted of crimes they did not commit in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, and Nebraska; supporting and empowering freed and exonerated people post-release; and changing the system to prevent wrongful convictions in the first place. The MIP is a member of the Innocence Network, an affiliation of 72 similar organizations around the world, and is a distinct and separate organization from the Innocence Project in New York. For more information, please visit www.themip.org.

    About the Innocence Project: The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C.Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Its work is guided by science and grounded in anti-racism.

    Tagged

    Marcellus WilliamsMissouri

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    The post Marcellus Williams, Facing Execution Despite DNA Evidence of His Innocence, Sues Missouri Governor and Attorney General for Dissolving Board of Inquiry Examining the Case and Moving to Set an Execution Date appeared first on Innocence Project.

    This post was originally published on Innocence Project.

  • Media Advisory/Interview Opportunity: Environmental and Land-Use Planning Expert Available to Comment re: RCMP Investigation into Greenbelt 

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – Phil Pothen, Environmental Defence’s Ontario Environment Program Manager, is available to provide insight into the RCMP investigation into Greenbelt land removals.

    “It’s encouraging to see that the Greenbelt investigation has been transferred to the RCMP,” said Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager at Environmental Defence. “However, we must not wait around for a criminal process that could take years. The independent Auditor General’s report has already provided all the answers Ontarians need to conclude that the government’s only path to redemption starts with reversing the Greenbelt removals,” Pothen continued. “That’s the only way to fix an effective transfer of $8.3 billion in public value to sprawl developers that the Auditor General showed was never even meant to increase the housing supply.” 

    “The GTHA has already designated around four times the amount of land needed to deliver the next three decades of affordable housing. Building on the Greenbelt would only divert construction away from lower-cost housing in existing cities and towns.”

    Who: Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager

    When: August 23, 2023 onwards

    Where: Toronto, Ontario and available remotely

    Background Information:

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Brittany Harris, bharris@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Media Advisory/Interview Opportunity: Environmental and Land-Use Planning Expert Available to Comment re: RCMP Investigation into Greenbelt  appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the City of Toronto’s Call for a New Fiscal Framework

    Statement by Nate Wallace, Clean Transportation Program Manager, Environmental Defence

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – The City of Toronto’s updated Long Term Financial Plan and an accompanying staff report released today indicate that the city faces an unprecedented financial crisis. Toronto’s Executive Council will meet on August 24th to consider informing the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario that they plan to pause negotiations on Provincial Priority Transit Projects and future provincial transit expansion projects, unless there is funding from both the federal and provincial governments to support the operating costs of the country’s largest public transit system.

    Environmental Defence supports the call from the City of Toronto for all levels of government to increase funding support for the TTC through new revenue tools and fiscal transfers. It is crucial for the federal and provincial governments to strike a ‘new deal’ and contribute towards funding the operating costs of Canada’s largest public transit system, which carries one out of every four transit riders in Canada. Preventing drastic TTC service cuts is crucial to stopping a downward spiral and meeting Canada’s climate goals. Reliable public transit is also needed to increase the supply of housing in cities rather than furthering sprawl. We call on all levels of government to work together to continue expanding public transit to fight climate change.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on the City of Toronto’s Call for a New Fiscal Framework appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • “Compostable” Checkout Bags Are Still Plastic and Should Not Be Exempted from the Federal Single-Use Plastic Bans

    Statement from Karen Wirsig on Calgary Co-op’s campaign to exempt its checkout bags from single-use plastic bans

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – We are deeply concerned that the Calgary Co-op grocery store is undermining the federal ban on plastic checkout bags by seeking an exemption for their so-called “compostable” bags. The manufacturer has reported that the bags are made of PLA (polylactic acid, a plastic polymer made from plant-based starch) and PBAT (polybutylene adipate terephthalate, a plastic polymer made from fossil-based feedstocks). It is therefore false to say they “contain no plastic.”

    Whether they’re made from oil and gas, plants or other organic material, all plastics have a similar chemical structure. Once these products end up in the environment, it makes no difference what the original feedstock was.

    Single-use checkout bags are one of the most commonly littered items in Canada. No matter what type of plastic they’re made from, checkout bags pose a risk to animals and their habitat.

    Even if the Calgary Co-op bags are certified as “compostable plastic,” they only compost under specific industrial conditions that are rare in Canada. Further, the certification doesn’t require the bags to break down fully. It allows small pieces of plastic—up to 2 millimeters—to remain at the end of the composting process, which means the resulting compost can be a source of microplastic pollution.

    The federal government is right to include this type of bag in the ban on single-use plastic checkout bags. This is good policy that reduces the hazard that single-use plastics pose to the environment.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post “Compostable” Checkout Bags Are Still Plastic and Should Not Be Exempted from the Federal Single-Use Plastic Bans appeared first on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the federal government’s draft Clean Electricity Regulations

    Statement by Keith Brooks, Programs Director, Environmental Defence

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – We applaud the federal government for moving forward with its commitment to clean electricity. The first draft of the Clean Electricity Regulations, released today, will deliver significant emissions reductions. 

    Clean electricity is an essential element of any strategy to decarbonize Canada’s economy and is key to an affordable and safe future. Electric cars, heat pumps and other opportunities for electrification all depend on clean electricity. 

    The good news is that a 100 per cent renewable electricity grid is achievable, affordable and reliable. Wind and solar power are now the cheapest forms of new electricity generation. Battery and other storage technology have come a long way in recent years and can be counted on to balance out supply and demand and Canada has a solid base of hydro generation to build upon. 

    However, these regulations, as currently drafted, will not deliver on the promise of a net-zero grid by 2035. They are also unlikely to achieve the level of emissions reductions forecast in Canada’s Emissions Reduction Plan, putting Canada’s climate targets in jeopardy. 

    Climate change has hit home in Canada this year in a big way. Lives have been lost and this is just a preview of what we should expect in a warmer world. There is an urgent need for Canada to rapidly reduce emissions across the economy. 

     Premiers across Canada should take notice that fossil-fueled electricity will be all but phased out in 2035 and, rather than attempting to get new gas plants built, provinces should focus on building wind and solar power. We hope these regulations motivate Alberta, Ontario, and other provinces to revisit their plans. 

    We urge the federal government to be firm in the face of opposition that will surely come from the fossil fuel industry and some provinces. To deliver on the commitment to a net-zero grid, Canada must strengthen the draft Clean Electricity Regulations to: 

    • Include interim targets that ratchet down over time to spur the power sector to move toward net-zero before 2035. 
    • Ensure that no fossil fuel power plants are able to operate after 2035 except for in real emergencies.
    • Remove the loopholes allowing for fossil gas plants with carbon capture (“abated” gas). To date, the use of carbon capture in the power sector has resulted in expensive failures. There are no existing commercial gas plants with carbon capture anywhere in the world.  Carbon capture for the power sector is a dead end – and a license to pollute. Canada should reject this pathway. 
    • Make it clear that power plants will pay the full carbon price for every tonne of CO2 released beginning in 2030.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on the federal government’s draft Clean Electricity Regulations appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory: Ontario Residents Raise Voices for Lake Erie on #WeAreLakeErie on August 16, 2023

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – Lake Erie is experiencing persistent and frequently harmful algal blooms every year. Residents of Ontario are responding to a call for action on social media to raise awareness and demand urgent action to protect the lake and drinking water for millions of people and many complex ecosystems. 

    August 16, 2023, is the 7th annual #WeAreLakeErie Day – an event to highlight people’s support for Lake Erie. Throughout the day, social media users will share their Lake Erie stories and photos online using the hashtag #WeAreLakeErie to help create a virtual wave of support for the lake. The event is a chance to demonstrate to decision-makers the important role the lake plays in the lives of so many people.

    Earlier this summer, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced its 2023 Lake Erie algae bloom forecast. This summer’s bloom was initially forecast to be mild, but heavy July rainfall and record-high temperatures have meant the bloom is already moderate and could still grow in severity before the end of the season. 

    Regardless of size, a toxic algae bloom is bad news for the lake and the people and animals that rely on it. That’s why Canada and Ontario must work together to protect Lake Erie, and address the root causes of these algal blooms, including actions to reduce nutrient pollution from agricultural and urban sources.

    EVENT DETAILS:

    WHAT: The 7th annual #WeAreLakeErie Day hosted by Environmental Defence Canada.

    WHEN: Wednesday, August 16, 2023, All day.

    WHERE: Online. People will participate by sharing their Lake Erie stories and photos on social media with the hashtag #WeAreLakeErie.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Paula Gray, Environmental Defence Canada, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Media Advisory: Ontario Residents Raise Voices for Lake Erie on #WeAreLakeErie on August 16, 2023 appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the Auditor General’s Report that the Ontario Government Colluded with Developers to Remove Lands from the Greenbelt

    Statement by Tim Gray, Executive Director, Environmental Defence

    Lands must now be returned to the Greenbelt and legislation introduced to protect it from future attacks, as well as to protect other farms and forests from speculative developers

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – Today, the Ontario Auditor General released a report that concludes that the political level of the Ontario government directed its civil service staff to remove land owned by particular developers from the Greenbelt. As a result of those actions, the decision to remove these lands should be revisited.

    The Auditor General’s report confirms that lands were removed from the Greenbelt as a favour to particular sprawl developers to enable them to make up to $8.3 billion in windfall profits by building on land meant to be protected forever. Shockingly, this occurred despite clear and abundant evidence that lands in the Greenbelt are not required to meet Ontario’s housing supply needs.

    There are 59,000 hectares of land designated for development in the GTAH alone, without including the 3,000 hectares removed from the Greenbelt. If some of the lands were developed at even the modest densities of Toronto’s Trinity-Bellwoods neighbourhood, only 15,000 hectares would be needed to house the population projected for the region by 2051.

    (See more at: https://environmentaldefence.ca/the-big-sprawl-the-gtha-has-more-than-enough-land-designated-for-development/.)

    There are also fixed supplies of materials and labour available for home building. Focusing them on creating low density sprawl means less can be made available to build the communities we need inside of our towns and cities.

    Ontarians know that we can build homes in cities and towns where we already have services and where public transit and walkability lead to lower costs and higher quality of life. In fact a new public opinion poll conducted by Environics for the Alliance for a Livable Ontario shows that 83 per cent of Ontario residents want homes built within cities and towns where services exist – and not on the Greenbelt. They also do not find the Ontario government credible on the issue of land supply and housing.

    The Ontario government is on the wrong side of the views of almost all Ontarians except for its developer friends. It needs to stop pushing forward senseless environmental destruction and focus on getting homes built where they are needed, and at prices people can afford.

    Now that Ontarians can see the full picture of what has occurred with the Greenbelt, immediate actions are necessary. These include:

    • Full investigation of the relationship between the provincial government and development industry by the OPP
    • Lands removed from the Greenbelt must be returned immediately and the Greenbelt boundary legislatively protected
    • The Duffins Rouge Agricultural Reserve Act must be reinstated
    • The Ontario government’s pro-sprawl agenda must be reversed. Homes should be built in existing towns and cities, not on farmland, forests and the Greenbelt
    • The Greenbelt should be expanded to protect much more of southern Ontario’s farmland
    • City and town boundary expansion should only be permitted after it can be proven that there are no more opportunities for building within the existing boundaries
    • The Ontario and the federal governments must get back into the business of directly creating affordable housing

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on the Auditor General’s Report that the Ontario Government Colluded with Developers to Remove Lands from the Greenbelt appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Pollution prevention plan for grocery stores is a welcome development in the fight against plastic packaging waste

    Proposed federal plan for major Canadian grocery chains is essential to eliminate plastic waste and pollution 

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – The federal government has launched an important public consultation on how to eliminate single-use plastic food packaging in Canada’s major grocery chains. The move follows a report from Environmental Defence that showed that nearly two-thirds of items on key supermarket shelves are packaged in plastics, including baby food and produce.

    “Single-use plastic food packaging is bad for the environment and a risk to human health,” said Karen Wirsig, Senior Program Manager for Plastics at Environmental Defence. “Eliminating packaging where it isn’t necessary – for example on fruits and vegetables that have sturdy peels that act as a natural wrapper – and shifting to refillable packaging is good environmental policy and definitely the right move for grocery stores.”

    Once the plan requirement is finalized, the major grocery chains will need to show how they are reducing single-use plastics and contributing to ending plastic pollution. They will be expected to aim to substantially increase convenient refill systems for bulk and unpackaged options for shoppers.

    “Our recent audit of major grocery stores in Canada revealed just how severe the plastic packaging problem has become. The public response to this report showed us that Canadians very much share our frustration with the amount of throwaway plastic they face at the grocery store,” added Wirsig. “Grocery chains must plan to  shift their operations to rely much less on single-use plastics. Waste-free options will end up being cheaper in the long run – in both financial and environmental terms. The false narrative of ‘it’s either affordability or sustainability’ must end. The reality is that we can and should have both. We’re counting on these profitable grocery chains, who control 80 per cent of retail grocery sales, to figure this out without gouging Canadians in the process.”

    Environmental Defence will submit comments to the federal government on the proposed Pollution Prevention Plan and encourages Canadians concerned about single-use plastic in the grocery store to have their say. The deadline for comment is August 30th.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    Alex Ross, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Pollution prevention plan for grocery stores is a welcome development in the fight against plastic packaging waste appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Rosa Jimenez Is Exonerated of a Crime That Never Took Place After 20 Years

    Rosa Jimenez Is Exonerated of a Crime That Never Took Place After 20 Years

    08.07.23

    Rosa Jimenez in downtown Austin, Texas, on March 4, 2021.

    Rosa Jimenez in downtown Austin, Texas, on March 4, 2021.

    (Aug. 7, 2023 — Austin, TX) Rosa Jimenez was exonerated today after the Travis County District Attorney moved to dismiss a 2003 murder charge against her, based on testimony from leading pediatric airway experts that affirmed the death at the center of the case was a tragic accident and not murder. 

    Ms. Jimenez, who has always maintained her innocence, was convicted of murder after a 21-month-old child she was babysitting choked on paper towels and suffered a severe brain injury due to oxygen deprivation. He passed away three months later.

    Prior to today’s dismissal, Ms. Jimenez was released from prison in 2021 after Judge Karen Sage of the 299th Criminal District Court in Austin, Texas recommended that Ms. Jimenez’s habeas petition be granted, finding that, “There was no crime committed here … Ms. Jimenez is innocent.” The decision came after the Travis County District Attorney’s Office conducted an in-depth review of the evidence through its trial division, special victims unit, and conviction integrity unit. The evidence included reports and testimony of numerous pediatric airway experts who unanimously concluded that the choking incident was the result of a tragic accident. At Ms. Jimenez’s original trial, the State presented faulty testimony stating it would have been physically impossible for the child to have accidentally choked. In May 2023, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned her 2005 conviction, ruling that the State had used false and misleading testimony to obtain her conviction. Support for Ms. Jimenez’s innocence has been widespread, particularly among Travis County state legislators. Over the years, four Texas judges who have reviewed her case in federal and state courts have all concluded that Ms. Jimenez is likely innocent and the child’s death was an accident.

    “Rosa was the mom to a one-year-old girl and seven months pregnant when this ordeal began. She was forced to give birth to her son in jail, shackled, while awaiting trial. For the past 20 years, she has fought for this day, her freedom, and to be reunited with her children.” said Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation and Ms. Jimenez’s attorney. “Her wrongful conviction was not grounded in medical science, but faulty medical assumptions that turned a tragedy into a crime — with her own attorney doing virtually nothing to defend her. I wish we could say that what happened to Rosa was an isolated occurrence, but we have a real, pervasive problem in our country when it comes to how the criminal legal system treats the caregivers of children who are hurt or die. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent caregivers and parents in prison today based on faulty, unscientific medical testimony misclassifying accidents or illness as abuse.”   

    A decade into her incarceration at 33 years old, Ms. Jimenez was diagnosed with kidney disease, which progressed to end-stage during her wrongful incarceration. Months after her release in 2021, she began dialysis and is now in need of a life-saving kidney transplant. “Just when Rosa can finally close the chapter on her 20-year fight to prove her innocence, she has to take on a new battle — the fight for her life,”  Ms. Potkin said. Ms. Jimenez is being evaluated by Weill Cornell hospital for a kidney transplant and is hoping to find a living donor. 

    Help save Rosa’s life

    Ms. Jimenez’s case has garnered attention from local and national leaders, including San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich. “I’ve been following Rosa’s case since she was released two years ago and moved to San Antonio,” Coach Popovich said. “It’s heartbreaking — a tragic miscarriage of justice. DA Garza and his team deserve great credit for helping the Innocence Project establish Rosa’s innocence with new scientific evidence. Rosa is just 41, endured nearly 20 years wrongly incarcerated, and desperately needs a live donor so she can get a kidney transplant. Please check out the micro site Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York has established for kidney donors Kidney4Rosa.com. Help save her life.”

    “Just when Rosa can finally close the chapter on her 20-year fight to prove her innocence, she has to take on a new battle — the fight for her life.”

    “Just when Rosa can finally close the chapter on her 20-year fight to prove her innocence, she has to take on a new battle — the fight for her life.”

    Vanessa Potkin
    Director of Special Litigation and Ms. Jimenez’s attorney

    Rosa Jimenez holding her daughter Brenda. (Image: Courtesy of Rosa Jimenez)

    Rosa Jimenez holding her daughter Brenda. (Image: Courtesy of Rosa Jimenez)

    A Crime That Never Occurred

    In January 2003, Ms. Jimenez was caring for her 1-year-old daughter Brenda and the 21-month-old year-old boy, whom she regularly babysat, when the toddler approached her choking. She immediately tried to remove the blockage, but, when she was unable to do so, she rushed to a neighbor’s house for help and they called 911. The child was resuscitated by paramedics, but the lack of oxygen resulted in severe brain damage, and he died three months later. 

    After the accident, Ms. Jimenez, who was pregnant with her second child and did not speak much English, was questioned for over five hours by an allegedly bilingual police officer whom Ms. Jimenez described as barely able to speak Spanish. While trained interpreters are provided at trials, an interpreter is not constitutionally guaranteed during a law enforcement interrogation. Although Ms. Jimenez had difficulty understanding the officers, she consistently maintained her innocence and repeatedly explained that the child had accidentally choked. Ms. Jimenez, who regularly cared for children in her community, had no criminal record, and there was no history or evidence of abuse in the child’s death. Despite this, she was arrested and charged later that night. Ms. Jimenez’s situation is not uncommon among wrongly convicted women. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, 40% of female exoneres were wrongly convicted of harming children or other loved ones in their care.

    Rosa Jimenez holding her daughter Brenda. (Image: Courtesy of Rosa Jimenez)

    Rosa Jimenez holding her daughter Brenda. (Image: Courtesy of Rosa Jimenez)

    • “I wish we could say that what happened to Rosa
    • was an isolated occurrence,
    • but we have a real, pervasive problem in our country
    • when it comes to how the criminal legal system
    • treats the caregivers of children who are hurt or die.”

    Vanessa Potkin
    Director of Special Litigation and Ms. Jimenez’s attorney

    Rosa Jimenez (left) who was released from prison after serving 17 years for a crime she did not commit is hugged by her attorney Vanessa Potkin. Today, Judge Karen Sage issued a decision in Jimenez's habeas petition granting her relief based on false forensic testimony and inneffective assistance of council at her 2005 trial in the death of a 21-month-old child in her care.

    Rosa Jimenez (left) who was released from prison after serving 17 years for a crime she did not commit is hugged by her attorney Vanessa Potkin.

    The Danger of Faulty Medical Evidence

    At trial, the State relied on faulty medical testimony contending that it was impossible for the toddler to have accidentally choked on the paper towels, which he’d put in his own mouth, and that Ms. Jimenez must have forced them into his mouth. Ms. Jimenez’s appointed attorney never presented any credible expert witnesses to rebut the State’s faulty claims, and she was convicted and sentenced to 99 years in prison.

    After the Innocence Project took on Ms. Jimenez as a client, her lawyers sought out top medical airway experts to evaluate the case evidence. Four top pediatric airways specialists from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Stanford University Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital independently reviewed the case and issued a consensus report concluding that all the medical evidence indicated that the child accidentally choked, and that Ms. Jimenez had been wrongly convicted of a crime that never occurred.

    Nearly 71% of female exonerees were convicted of crimes that never took place. As with Ms. Jimenez, such “crimes” include incidents later determined to be accidents according to the National Registry of Exonerations.

    A Woefully Inadequate Defense

    At her 2005 trial, Ms. Jimenez’s court-appointed attorney failed to present a meaningful defense in response to the State’s unfounded medical testimony. The principal issue addressed at trial was whether this was an accidental choking. Ms. Jimenez’s trial counsel failed to present qualified experts to counter the State’s false testimony that it was impossible for this to have been an accident. 

    Ms. Jimenez’s attorney called only one expert who was fully discredited on cross-examination, who went on an explosive and harmful rant, and, at one point, yelled expletives at the prosecution. A state court habeas judge in 2010 who first recommended that Ms. Jimenez receive a new trial noted that in his “30 years as a licensed attorney, [and] 20 years in the judiciary, [he had] never seen such unprofessional and biased conduct from any witness, much less a purported expert,” adding that the expert had left Ms. Jimenez’s case in greater jeopardy than before he testified.  

    In September 2018, a federal district court also ruled that Ms. Jimenez’s conviction should be vacated because she was denied her constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel.  That ruling was under appeal by the Texas Attorney General’s office, and, at that time, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office initiated a review of the new medical evidence.  

    “As prosecutors, we have an obligation to ensure the integrity of convictions and to seek justice,“ said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “In the case against Rosa Jimenez, it is clear that false medical testimony was used to obtain her conviction, and without that testimony under the law, she would not have been convicted. Dismissing Ms. Jimenez’s case is the right thing to do.”Our hearts also continue to break for the Gutierrez family. In this case, our criminal justice system failed them, and it also failed Rosa Jimenez.  Our hope is that by our actions today, by exposing the truth that Ms. Jimenez did not commit the crime for which she was accused, we can give some sense of closure and peace to both families.”

    40%

    of female exoneres were wrongly convicted of harming children or other loved ones in their care.

    71%

    of female exonerees were convicted of crimes that never took place.

    Rosa Jimenez and her son Aiden. (Image: Vanessa Potkin)

    Rosa Jimenez and her son Aiden. (Image: Vanessa Potkin)

    A Family Reunites 

    Ms. Jimenez was seven months pregnant at the time of her arrest. She gave birth to her son Emmanuel in jail while awaiting trial. She held him for a total of five hours before he was taken from her and placed in foster care along with her daughter. During Ms. Jimenez’s incarceration, her children grew into young adults. Although they visited her over the years in prison, Ms. Jimenez was never allowed to hold or make physical contact with them because she had been convicted of harming a child. Upon her release in 2021, Ms. Jimenez reconnected with both Emmanuel (who now goes by Aiden) and Brenda, whose wedding Ms. Jimenez was able to attend shortly thereafter. She now looks forward to becoming a grandparent in August.

    Ms. Jimenez now faces another fight: to find a kidney donor and receive a life saving transplant. “The past 20 years, I have been fighting for my freedom, my innocence, and my children. Now I have a second fight,” said Ms. Jimenez. ”I want to have a long, healthy life with my family, who I waited so long to be with again. I want to see my grandchildren grow up. I have come so far, and I will keep fighting for as long as it takes.”Ms. Jimenez is represented by Vanessa Potkin at the Innocence Project; current and former Foley & Lardner LLP trial lawyers Rachel O’Neil, Sara Brown, Sadie Butler, and Joanne Early and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

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    The post Rosa Jimenez Is Exonerated of a Crime That Never Took Place After 20 Years appeared first on Innocence Project.

  • Statement on the Government of Alberta’s Moratorium on Renewable Energy Projects

    clean energy

    Statement by Keith Brooks, Programs Director, Environmental Defence

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – At a time when over 100 wildfires are burning through Alberta, the provincial government’s moratorium on renewable energy is another attack on climate action. This moratorium on renewable energy is bad for business, bad for the environment and bad for Albertans.

    Scaling up renewable energy is essential to addressing the climate crisis. Alberta has been Canada’s leading province for building renewable energy. Stopping now makes no sense. Albertans are already reaping the benefits of renewable energy: the creation of thousands of new jobs in communities across the province, billions of dollars in investments, and revenues for municipalities which are struggling with unpaid oil and gas taxes. This latest move threatens all of this.

    Renewable energy is the cheapest source of new electricity generation. These new rules risk driving up the cost of energy bills at a time when Albertans are struggling with the cost of living crisis caused by dependence on fossil fuels.

    While renewable energy projects already undergo extensive community consultations and must meet environmental requirements, the oil and gas industry faces very little accountability. The fossil fuel industry has disrupted close to 900 square kilometers and left tens of thousands of inactive and orphan wells. The price tag to clean up that mess is at least $120 billion – and mounting. Yet the Government of Alberta has shown no urgency in addressing these mounting environmental liabilities, beyond subsidizing the same companies responsible for the mess.

    As provinces like Alberta continue to threaten Canada’s ability to meet its climate commitments, it is more important than ever that the federal government step in and deliver strong rules on clean electricity.

    But Alberta cannot be let off the hook. The climate crisis is already harming communities and killing people across Alberta and the rest of Canada. Every province must do its part to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, at the pace and scale dictated by science.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca, 416-356-2587

     

    The post Statement on the Government of Alberta’s Moratorium on Renewable Energy Projects appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • New Study Finds Low Awareness Among Ontarians About Eco-friendly Technologies that can Cut Energy Bills

    Two heat pumps installed outside a brick house

    Statement from Keith Brooks, Programs Director

    Eighty per cent of Ontarians believe the province should be powered by clean energy, while 74 per cent believe the province should ramp up clean electricity investments

    #MyGreenFlag campaign educates the public about accessible green energy solutions and helps identify unsustainable #RedFlags that harm the environment

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – A new Abacus poll, released today, shows that Ontario residents want clean energy advancements, believe it offers competitive economic advantages, and want it adopted immediately, but when it comes to their own homes energy needs, there is low awareness of eco-friendly technologies. 

    To increase awareness in Ontario about eco-friendly solutions like heat pumps, electric stoves, solar panels and more, Environmental Defence is launching #MyGreenFlags. Using cheeky and inviting language, the campaign leans into the popular social media trend where people share what they want in a relationship (#GreenFlags) and what they don’t want (#RedFlags). Like a long-term relationship, home energy retrofits take commitment and spotting those green and red flags before taking the plunge is crucial to maximizing efficiency and cost-savings while minimizing environmental impact. The website GreenFlags.ca links Ontario residents to information about government programs that offer financial incentives for residential retrofits. 

    Different levels of government, including municipalities like the City of Toronto and the City of Ottawa as well as the federal government, offer grants and loans to encourage residents to purchase eco-friendly solutions like heat pumps or EV chargers. Despite being readily available, the poll found 50 per cent of Ontarians are unaware of federal programs that offer financial incentives for retrofits. 

    Similarly, awareness of eco-friendly options is also low. Just 34 per cent of Ontarians have heard about electric heat pumps and know what they do. Heat pumps, a simple but effective technology, use electricity to remove heat from inside your home to cool it in the summer and pull heat in from outside to heat your home in the winter. Far more energy efficient than a gas furnace, using a heat pump can provide significant energy bill savings, while offering protection from volatile gas prices, which can fluctuate wildly depending on global markets. And, kicking gas out of your home is good for your health and the climate. Gas is made mostly of methane – a climate-damaging fossil fuel that is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. 

    According to the International Energy Agency, heat pump sales growth nearly doubled in Europe in 2022, largely driven by rising gas prices. Last year, three million heat pumps were sold in Europe, bringing the region’s total to 20 million, with Europe aiming to double that to over 45 million by 2030. 

    In Canada, heat pump adoption has been relatively slow by comparison. Between 2005–2019, heat pump use increased by just one per cent, from four to five per cent of Canadian homes. Stats Canada’s most recent statistics report that just six per cent of Canadian homes relied on heat pumps in 2021. Still, research shows heat pump adoption must increase to 10 per cent for Canada to reach its 2030 climate goal. 

    The Abacus poll also found just two per cent of Ontarians report owning a heat pump. With Ontario’s population of 14.53 million, that works out to under 300,000 Ontarians.

    While sustainable technologies like heat pumps can save residents money and reduce a home’s carbon footprint, system-wide changes like cleaning up Canada’s gas-powered electricity grid, are essential for Canada to meet its goals of 2030 emissions reduction targets and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. 

    The federal government has promised to deliver 100 per cent clean power across Canada by 2050. A strong majority of Ontario residents, 80 per cent, believe that’s the right thing to do. 

    But, after cancelling 750 renewable energy contracts, Ontario is now attempting to take advantage of a loophole in the draft regulations that permits new gas plants to be built before 2025 and operate beyond 2035. 

    “The federal government must stop Ontario and other provinces from building new gas infrastructure. The science is clear that we need to stop building new fossil fuel projects. With Ontarians already suffering from climate impacts including record-breaking heat waves and wildfires, Ontario should be ramping up renewable energy projects, not polluting ‘natural’ gas power plants,” says Keith Brooks, Environmental Defence’s Programs Director.

    Ontario residents clearly want more clean electricity, and quickly. Eighty-one per cent of Ontarians believe clean electricity offers a competitive advantage for the economy, while 73 per cent believe Canada must invest in clean electricity or risk falling behind the United States. And 74 per cent of Ontarians believe the province can’t move fast enough to ramp up clean electricity – which positions the province’s plan completely opposite to public opinion and interest.

    Yet, Ontario’s electricity operator recently announced contracts for two new gas plants in Windsor and St. Clair Township as well as capacity expansions and contract extensions for plants in Toronto, Brampton, Halton Hills, Thorold, St. Clair, and King. The electricity operator’s numbers show that ramping up gas generation will increase harmful emissions by over 400 per cent by 2023, and by almost 800 per cent by 2040. 

    “Phasing out gas generation in Ontario is completely feasible if the province were to choose clean solutions like solar and wind, paired with battery storage, which allows the energy to be used when needed. A recent report found that 64 wind farms on the Great Lakes alone could produce enough electricity to meet all of Ontario’s needs, which would be substantially better for consumers’ budgets and our climate,” Brooks says. 

    Visit GreenFlags.ca for information on government incentives and eco-friendly solutions for your home.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post New Study Finds Low Awareness Among Ontarians About Eco-friendly Technologies that can Cut Energy Bills appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Queen’s Park and Ottawa Must Stop Passing the Buck and Save the TTC

    Statement by Nate Wallace, Clean Transportation Program Manager, Environmental Defence

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – Toronto’s budget shortfall is tied to the TTC’s over-reliance on fare revenues – a situation created by federal and provincial policy. It is the responsibility of higher orders of government to step in and do their fair share. 

    Premier Ford’s government has continued to keep the TTC as one of the least publicly supported transit agencies in North America, and the TTC’s over-reliance on fare revenues have left it uniquely vulnerable to ridership-reducing economic shocks like the pandemic. 

    The federal government’s policy of funding transit capital investments but not operations has only compounded this problem and left the city unable to pay to put that new infrastructure into service. The TTC has 551 buses, 81 streetcars and 40 subway trains that could be in service, but are instead sitting idle. 

    Canada’s population recently passed 40 million. As our country grows, we cannot continue with the status quo of abandoning people who live in the growing suburbs to expensive and unhealthy car-dependency and grind our urban cores to a halt with gridlock. But unless transit is supported, we risk going down this path. 

    One in four trips on public transit in Canada occurs on the TTC, making the agency a very important contributor to reducing transportation emissions for the entire country.

    We are calling for Queen’s Park and Ottawa to stop passing the buck, recognize their responsibility to fight climate change and work together to save the TTC from a downward spiral of service cuts and fare hikes.  

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Alex Ross, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Queen’s Park and Ottawa Must Stop Passing the Buck and Save the TTC appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the Government of Canada’s New Policy Ending Subsidies to the Fossil Fuel Industry

    Statement from Julia Levin, Associate Director, National Climate

    Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Environmental Defence welcomes the Government of Canada’s new Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies Assessment Framework and Guidelines, which delivers on a longstanding commitment to end inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. If applied with integrity, these new rules for government spending will effectively shut the door on the creation of new handouts of public money to  the companies most responsible for the climate disasters being experienced today – and free up billions for climate solutions. 

    As countries around the world grapple with eliminating their own fossil fuel subsidies, Canada has set a strong global precedent. Fossil fuels are causing the climate crisis and any spending which leads to expansion of the oil and gas sector, or locks in current levels of fossil fuel production, will make it harder to avoid catastrophic climate change. 

    Furthermore, fossil fuel subsidies divert public spending away from investments in climate solutions – including renewable energy, electrification and energy efficiency – which would set Canada up to thrive as the world moves beyond oil and gas.

    The new rules, which apply across government departments – contain problematic loopholes for fossil gas as well as dangerous distractions – including carbon capture and storage (CCS) –  which only serve to prolong our dependence on fossil fuels without delivering meaningful emissions reductions. The inclusion of these loopholes demonstrates the ongoing influence of Canada’s most polluting sector on government decision making in developing climate policy. 

    Fortunately, to justify new fossil fuel subsidies, federal departments must prove that any new spending doesn’t hinder the transition to renewable energy and aligns with a pathway consistent with limiting global heating to 1.5°C. This would rule out any spending on new oil, gas or coal projects.

    These new rules have a glaring omission: they won’t apply to public financing funded through Export Development Canada and other crown corporations. This is alarming given that Canada is one of the largest providers of fossil fuel financing in the G20. The government made a commitment to eliminate this outsized support back in 2021 and we welcome today’s announcement of a timeline for that promise. In order to have eliminated all public financing for fossil fuels by Fall 2024, the government must release a plan by the end of this year. With mounting climate disasters, there is no room for delay. 

    Missing from today’s announcement were any details on how these new rules will be implemented, monitored and enforced. This must be done in a rigorous way, with full public transparency. We look forward to the Government of Canada quickly addressing these matters to ensure the new rules have teeth.

    Across Canada, people are struggling and dying from the impacts of climate disasters as well as a cost of living crisis sparked by our dependence on fossil fuels. Government spending – in all its forms – must move us towards a truly renewable energy system – one that will deliver lower bills, cleaner air and more energy security.

    The Government of Canada must quickly take the final step and end all fossil financing – without any loopholes for fossil gas, fossil hydrogen or CCS. There is no justification for continuing to transfer public money to the very companies and executives whose search for profit has fueled the climate crisis. It’s time to turn off the financial taps to Canada’s most polluting industry.

    More Information:

    • In May, over 100 organizations across Canada and around the world sent a letter to the federal government demanding a robust policy in line with Canada’s climate commitments.
    • This policy does not address the support being provided by crown corporations, especially Export Development Canada, for domestic oil and gas companies. Canada ranks among the worst in the G20 for providing fossil fuels public financing. By comparison, Canada’s support for clean energy is relatively meager. From 2019 to 2021, Canada supported an annual average of CAD 11.1 billion in public finance to fossil fuels. This was more than 11 times its support to clean energy ($1 billion), compared to the G20 average of 4:1 fossil finance to clean energy. Despite a government commitment to eliminate this public finance back in 2021, no progress has been made. Today’s announcement was a missed opportunity to show Canadians the plan to tackle this enormous source of fossil financing. In 2022, the federal government gave more than $20 billion in subsidies and financial support to fossil fuel companies. Of this, $19.8 billion was financing provided through Export Development Canada.
    • These new rules build off the Guidelines for Canada’s International Support for the Clean Energy Transition, a policy passed in December 2022 ending public finance being provided by the government, including crown corporations, for international oil and gas projects.
    • The Government of Canada has recently introduced new subsidies and public financing for CCS and fossil hydrogen, including the CCUS investment tax credit which was introduced against the recommendations from over 400 of Canada’s leading academics and energy transition experts and the hydrogen investment tax credit which similarly ignored recommendations from over 100 scientists and academics, as well as 55 civil society organisations. CCS relies on the flawed premise that we can continue burning fuels indefinitely by capturing some of the carbon emissions from polluting facilities before they escape into the atmosphere. However, CCS does not address downstream emissions (emissions created when fossil fuels are burned, for transportation or heating) which constitutes 80-90 per cent of the emissions from oil and gas. Despite decades of research and investment, CCS is neither economically sound nor proven at scale, with a terrible track record and limited potential to deliver significant, cost-effective emissions reductions.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Alex Ross, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on the Government of Canada’s New Policy Ending Subsidies to the Fossil Fuel Industry appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on Federal Government’s Intent to Label Hazardous Substances in Consumer Products

    Statement by Cassie Barker, Toxics Senior Program Manager, Environmental Defence

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – We are pleased to see the announcement that the federal government intends to label hazards in products. This positive move comes after years of civil society efforts to encourage the federal government to follow through on its election promise to label harmful ingredients in consumer products.

    Providing people with the safety information they need to avoid hazardous chemicals would be an important win for our right to know what we’re using on our bodies, in our homes, and in contact with our food.

    While labelling hazards is an important measure, it is only part of the solution to getting toxics out of products. Carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, and other hazards need to be prohibited in our consumer products, particularly those targeted at children. However, the first step is requiring companies to disclose the presence of these substances in their products. Experience in other jurisdictions shows that most manufacturers will reformulate their products to avoid having to add a warning label to their packaging. We look forward to a greener marketplace with less hazardous products on our store shelves.

    Background information:

    • Health Canada announced that it is “seeking comments on a proposed regulatory initiative that would introduce requirements for certain human health hazards of concern (HHHOCs) in consumer chemical products under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA).”

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Paula Gray, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on Federal Government’s Intent to Label Hazardous Substances in Consumer Products appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the Powering Ontario’s Growth plan

    Statement from Lana Goldberg, Ontario Climate Program Manager

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – It is generous to call this document a plan – it doesn’t include forecasts for how Ontario will meet rising electricity demand, doesn’t specify what the planned supply mix might look like, and doesn’t provide emissions projections or cost estimations. This document is little more than a belated attempt to rationalize the government’s recent announcements for new nuclear and gas facilities.

    It is certainly not a plan for clean energy generation – it’s a plan to keep critics at bay while the province keeps polluting and using antiquated and dangerous technologies. No matter how many wind and solar options are promised for some point in the distant future, building new polluting gas plants and new nuclear facilities now is unacceptable.

    Numerous studies have shown that Ontario can meet its growing electricity demand with wind and solar, which can easily be combined with storage technologies to deliver power when needed. They are also cheaper and quicker to build, and offer lower electricity rates for the end consumer. There really is no reason to build new gas plants or nuclear power projects when we have cleaner, cheaper, and safer alternatives.

    Despite language around Ontario having a clean energy advantage, this government is making the electricity grid dirtier. It just contracted two new gas plants in Windsor and St.Clair Township and is hoping to contract more in the coming year, likely next to existing facilities across Southern Ontario. Residents and council members should be on alert.

    Background information:

    • On May 16, 2023, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) announced contracts for gas-fired electricity generation projects including two new facilities in Windsor and St. Clair Township as well as expansion of facilities and extension of contracts in Toronto, Brampton, Halton Hills, and Thorold.
    • On June 27th, 2023, the IESO announced capacity expansions and contract extensions for gas plants in St.Clair Township and King Township.
    • The IESO plans to offer additional contracts for new gas plants (900 megawatt goal) as part of its long-term RFP procurement process, with announcements expected in the first or second quarter of 2024.
    • The IESO projects greenhouse gas emissions from Ontario’s gas plants will increase by over 400 per cent by 2030 and almost 800 per cent by 2040 (compared to the 2017 level).
    • On December 23, 2022, the Minister of Energy sent a letter to the IESO requiring new gas projects receive municipal resolutions in support.
    • 34 Ontario municipalities have passed motions opposing the expansion of gas-fired electricity in Ontario. 
    • Wind and solar are now the cheapest form of new electricity generation and offer cheaper electricity rates than fossil gas and nuclear.
    • A recent study from Clean Energy Canada shows that electricity from wind and solar is already cost-competitive with fossil gas generation in Ontario. When the current carbon price is taken into account, wind and solar are much cheaper than fossil gas.

    Find out more about Ontario’s gas problem at NoMoreGasPlants.ca

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on the Powering Ontario’s Growth plan appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.