Canada Kicks Ass
Dalton McGuinty: Canada’s greenest premier ever

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BeaverFever @ Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:14 pm

$1:
Dalton McGuinty: Canada’s greenest premier ever

Former Ontario premier moved to control urban sprawl and phased out coal-powered generation.

By: Stewart Elgie Published on Mon Feb 25 2013

A handful of Canadian political leaders have left impressive environmental legacies. Mike Harcourt ended B.C.’s “war in the woods,” creating a world class parks network and tough new forestry rules. David Peterson pioneered the blue box recycling program, and made great strides in fighting acid rain and water pollution across Ontario (together with environment minister Jim Bradley). Brian Mulroney, voted Canada’s greenest prime minister, passed three major environmental laws and played key roles in pushing global treaties on species loss, ozone depletion and climate change. But Dalton McGuinty is the greenest of them all, as a review of his environmental record reveals.

Let’s start with controlling urban sprawl — a huge problem in southern Ontario. McGuinty’s government passed the Places To Grow Act, requiring cities and towns to grow within their existing footprints (up, not out). It strengthened the much-abused Planning Act, requiring municipal plans to conserve wildlife, wetlands and waterways. And it created Ontario’s greenbelt, a 1.8 million-acre swath stretching from Niagara Falls to Cobourg where precious green space and headwaters are preserved in Canada’s most populous region.

Perhaps his greatest legacy has been phasing out Ontario’s reliance on coal-fired power — the province’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution (that caused thousands of deaths each year). This phase-out, although it took longer than initially planned, has been the single biggest pollution-reduction action by a North American government in the past decade.

To replace the power from these dirty coal plants, Ontario brought in aggressive measures to promote energy conservation. It also passed the Green Energy Act, aimed at making Ontario a leader in renewable power generation — which UN environment chief Achim Steiner called “one of the boldest moments in history.” The boom in wind farms and solar panels, though sometimes controversial with local landowners, has generated an estimated 20,000 jobs and is positioning Ontario to prosper in the world’s fastest growing energy market.

On the conservation front, McGuinty’s government passed Canada’s toughest law to protect endangered animals, and brought in world-leading standards to safeguard Ontario’s parks. He doubled the amount of protected area in Algonquin Park. And he made one of the largest nature protection commitments ever in the world: a pledge to preserve 50 per cent of Ontario’s northern boreal forest (the largest wild forest area left on Earth), together with First Nations and northern communities.

Left with the fallout from the Walkerton disaster, McGuinty quickly established North America’s strongest drinking water standards — from source to tap. These stringent rules, and the subsequent Water Opportunities Act, have spurred Ontario firms to become world leaders in clean water technology innovation.

Other noteworthy eco-accomplishments include: making Canada’s largest investment ever in public transit, passing a pioneering Toxics Reduction Act (reducing harmful chemicals in manufacturing and promoting green chemistry), and banning the cosmetic use of pesticides — to name just a few.

McGuinty would be the first to give much of the credit for these environmental policies to his cabinet, MPPs, political staff and civil servants — and rightly so. But most of these initiatives would not have come about without his leadership.

Despite these accomplishments, McGuinty’s green record is not spotless. (Politics is the art of the possible, not the perfect.) For example, his government failed to bring in promised rules to control and price greenhouse gas emissions (which would lessen the need for clean energy subsidies). Implementation of the new Endangered Species Act has been slowed by numerous industrial exemptions. And his government did not act on road pricing, arguably the most important (and contentious) measure needed to reduce the GTA’s traffic gridlock and fund new transit infrastructure. These shortcomings are now critical challenges facing Ontario’s new premier.

A hallmark of McGuinty’s green legacy was recognizing that environmental protection and economic development can (and must) go hand in hand. He took office at a time of economic transition. Ontario’s traditional manufacturing base had been waning for years, as part of the global shift in production to low wage countries. The rapidly rising Canadian dollar, stoked by Alberta’s oil boom, exacerbated the problems for Ontario exporters. Going back to the old economy was not (and is not) an option. The world is shifting toward a greener economy — one that will reward energy efficiency, eco-innovation, and wise use of natural resources.

The McGuinty government sought to reposition Ontario to prosper in this emerging clean economy. His policies encouraged jobs, research and investment in rapidly growing fields such as clean energy and water technology (while at the same time maintaining existing manufacturing jobs, such as through the auto bailout). He conserved green space near major population centres, to help make livable communities that will attract and retain skilled workers. And he took on the thankless job of renewing Ontario’s aging power grid (remember the blackout), which was impeding energy reliability, efficiency and innovation.

Like any period of economic transition, it will take time for these new policies and investments to bear fruit. Politicians who take on major structural adjustments are rarely rewarded in their political lifetimes; their accolades are more likely to come in historical hindsight, when the changes for which they prepared us come to pass (think of the early champions of deficit fighting).

But why wait till then? Next time you wander through the greenbelt, or drink a glass of clean Ontario tap water; when your asthmatic child enjoys a smog-free summer day, or you notice the opening of a new solar panel or wind turbine plant, take a second to tip your hat to Dalton McGuinty.


Stewart Elgie is professor of law and economics at the University of Ottawa (he discloses that the Ontario government has been one of many funders of the research institute he directs).

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editoria ... _ever.html

   



FieryVulpine @ Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:42 pm

If is true that Dalton McGuinty positioned Ontario to prosper, then why does the province make California (the most indebted state in the United States) look austere in comparison? Similarly, wind power simply lacks the energy density that fossil fuels and nuclear power possess. Does wind and solar power provide the materials like polymers to build turbines and solar cells? It is quite obvious that Mr. Elgie is living in a fool's paradise.

   



sandorski @ Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:01 pm

FieryVulpine FieryVulpine:
If is true that Dalton McGuinty positioned Ontario to prosper, then why does the province make California (the most indebted state in the United States) look austere in comparison? Similarly, wind power simply lacks the energy density that fossil fuels and nuclear power possess. Does wind and solar power provide the materials like polymers to build turbines and solar cells? It is quite obvious that Mr. Elgie is living in a fool's paradise.


Moot points. Energy Density shmenergy shmenstacy.All that matters is reasonable End Cost and meeting Demand.

Burnt oil doesn't provide Materials either. In fact, how about we stop burning Oil and have even more polymers to build shit with?

   



PublicAnimalNo9 @ Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:42 pm

20,000 jobs? I call bullshit. The tower plant in Windsor, supposedly employs some 900 people. The reality, 50 people work there. The plant in Wallaceburg that makes the turbine blades supposedly employs 600 people. The reality, 30 people work there.
A third plant has nothing more than a skeleton crew working there.

All the while, Ontario bleeds $400-500 million a year from the losses to OPC. Billions were spent to generate a "whopping" 1500MW of wind power that did nothing to reduce Ontario's emissions from power generation and added to the over surplus of hydro Ontario already produced.
McNuggets' energy policy was one born from ideology, not common sense or what was best for Ontario.

It's also interesting to see McNuggets praised for helping to bail out Ontario's manufacturing base re: the auto industry, while Harper was castigated for "wasting taxpayer's money" for the same thing.

And then to top it off, he up and runs away from his responsibilities cuz the poor, little muffin failed to get a third majority after the last by-election.
Some leader :roll:

   



PublicAnimalNo9 @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 12:24 am

sandorski sandorski:
FieryVulpine FieryVulpine:
If is true that Dalton McGuinty positioned Ontario to prosper, then why does the province make California (the most indebted state in the United States) look austere in comparison? Similarly, wind power simply lacks the energy density that fossil fuels and nuclear power possess. Does wind and solar power provide the materials like polymers to build turbines and solar cells? It is quite obvious that Mr. Elgie is living in a fool's paradise.


Moot points. Energy Density shmenergy shmenstacy.All that matters is reasonable End Cost and meeting Demand.

Burnt oil doesn't provide Materials either.

Nope, but it does help provide power to the factories that make "green energy" systems. Not in Ontario though.
In Ontario, the end cost after all the friggin' windmills is FAR from reasonable and demand has been MORE than met for decades without the stupid things.
Last year Ontario exported 14.6 TWh and there was STILL a major surplus, so of course we had to import 4.7 TWh of hydro. The surplus merely gets dumped.
The export markets also pay less for it than your Ontario rate payer.

Simply put, green energy has not reduced emissions, except possibly by accident as some heavy industries pulled out to look for cheaper hydro rates.
I don't believe for one minute it has created even half the jobs the article quotes, it has destroyed numerous private properties in Southwest Ontario by making those properties utterly unsellable. Who the fuck wants to buy a piece of property with a wonking big 100m tall turbine or two on it?
In fact, if Ontario had just shut down the coal plants and never bothered building windmills, Ontario would still have over 31,000 MW of installed capacity. That doesn't include any reactors still off-line awaiting refurbishment. I think there's 1 or 2 of those still.

   



saturn_656 @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 1:32 am

Pretty easy to be "green" when a combination of economic failure and insane, ever increasing power rates (Samsung needed their profits padded) has turned your economy moribund.

If I never see his smug grin again, it'd still be too soon. :x

   



OnTheIce @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 6:41 am

Wow, that's perfect material to print and wipe your ass with. Typical of the Star to kiss McGuinty's ass.

$1:
The premier’s cherished initiative in alternative energy may be the greatest of his disasters, having driven up power rates to homeowners while subsidizing producers of wind and solar energy at enormous mark-ups, only to have the province dump excess power at a loss, thanks to a surplus resulting from the decline of the province’s manufacturing sector.


http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... f-failure/

   



Jonny_C @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 6:58 am

The stupidity of this statement shows you how much the rest of the analysis is worth:

$1:
Perhaps his greatest legacy has been phasing out Ontario’s reliance on coal-fired power — the province’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution (that caused thousands of deaths each year).


Where would someone even come up with such a bald-faced assertion?

McGuinty's green energy program was an ill-considered strategy that has done significant damage to Ontario's capacity to produce cheap electricity, and has messed us up for years to come. One look at your "hydro" bill is enough to knock the "green crusader" idea of McGuinty right out of your head.

Anyone who could waste close to a billion dollars just on beginning and then cancelling two gas-fired power plants doesn't deserve accolades on his energy policy. He deserves to be taken out behind the woodshed.

Thanks, Toronto Star, for printing a piece of transparent propaganda. I won't hold my breath waiting for the Star to print a real assessment that refutes this ivory-tower opinion and gives the true picture.

   



Gunnair @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:09 am

OnTheIce OnTheIce:
Wow, that's perfect material to print and wipe your ass with. Typical of the Star to kiss McGuinty's ass.

$1:
The premier’s cherished initiative in alternative energy may be the greatest of his disasters, having driven up power rates to homeowners while subsidizing producers of wind and solar energy at enormous mark-ups, only to have the province dump excess power at a loss, thanks to a surplus resulting from the decline of the province’s manufacturing sector.


http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... f-failure/


You seem to have a very different view of what constitutes ass kissing. The quote you've put up seems to chastise McGuinty more than kiss his ass. :lol:

   



Gunnair @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:10 am

Jonny_C Jonny_C:
The stupidity of this statement shows you how much the rest of the analysis is worth:

$1:
Perhaps his greatest legacy has been phasing out Ontario’s reliance on coal-fired power — the province’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution (that caused thousands of deaths each year).


Where would someone even come up with such a bald-faced assertion?

McGuinty's green energy program was an ill-considered strategy that has done significant damage to Ontario's capacity to produce cheap electricity, and has messed us up for years to come. One look at your "hydro" bill is enough to knock the "green crusader" idea of McGuinty right out of your head.

Anyone who could waste close to a billion dollars just on beginning and then cancelling two gas-fired power plants doesn't deserve accolades on his energy policy. He deserves to be taken out behind the woodshed.

Thanks, Toronto Star, for printing a piece of transparent propaganda. I won't hold my breath waiting for the Star to print a real assessment that refutes this ivory-tower opinion and gives the true picture.


That's some fascinating hyperbole from the Star.

   



OnTheIce @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:13 am

Gunnair Gunnair:

You seem to have a very different view of what constitutes ass kissing. The quote you've put up seems to chastise McGuinty more than kiss his ass. :lol:


Try and keep up, Gun. :lol:

The original article is from the Star...the original ass-kissing piece. I put in a separate quote from the NP.

   



Gunnair @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:53 am

OnTheIce OnTheIce:
Gunnair Gunnair:

You seem to have a very different view of what constitutes ass kissing. The quote you've put up seems to chastise McGuinty more than kiss his ass. :lol:


Try and keep up, Gun. :lol:

The original article is from the Star...the original ass-kissing piece. I put in a separate quote from the NP.


Ah, I see. I admit, sometimes it is challenging to follow your mercurial whims of cutting and pasting as you attempt to make your partisan points. :lol:

   



OnTheIce @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 8:09 am

Gunnair Gunnair:
Ah, I see. I admit, sometimes it is challenging to follow your mercurial whims of cutting and pasting as you attempt to make your partisan points. :lol:


There are reading and comprehension programs for adults. It's not too late. :lol:

   



Gunnair @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 8:12 am

OnTheIce OnTheIce:
Gunnair Gunnair:
Ah, I see. I admit, sometimes it is challenging to follow your mercurial whims of cutting and pasting as you attempt to make your partisan points. :lol:


There are reading and comprehension programs for adults. It's not too late. :lol:


I appreciate that. I'm always open to self improvement. Which was the one you used again? I recall you saying it was good as you had to take it a couple of times. :lol:

   



Unsound @ Sun Mar 17, 2013 8:15 am

Wow! Just wow. I don't follow events in Ontario enough to talk about the facts in the article, but just the tone... It reads like something Mcguinty could've written himself. And I love how they managed to get in a little shot at Alberta. I guess when it's so obvious he wasn't completely perfect you need to throw in a bogeyman to explain away the failures. :roll:

   



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