Tax time got me thinking last month. Why is it that I pay the same amount for property taxes as people who are wasteful with our resources? Shouldn't there be some sort of program where you can get tax reductions for using a rain barrel or composting? I pay the same for garbage pickup as everyone else and yet generate way less because we compost in our backyard. We don't even have enough to put out the trash every week. ... continue reading.

Toronto, ON - Environmental Defence is calling on the Senate to pass Bill C-6, the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, immediately as some Senators consider derailing the legislation on the basis of it giving too much power to the federal government. The proposed Act would give the government the ability to make mandatory product recalls and stop manufacturing if needed, and the health minister the ability to order product safety tests and disclose confidential business information if there may be serious danger to human health."The grounds on which this bill may be dismissed by the Senate are ludicrous," said Dr. Rick Smith, Executive Director, Environmental Defence. "In no way is it a 'heavy-handed approach' that is unfair to business - ... continue reading.

Media release from the David Suzuki Foundation: Ontario has set a new standard for protecting citizens and the environment against harmful lawn and garden pesticides. Hundreds of toxic chemicals will be pulled off store shelves by this spring thanks to regulations announced today under the Cosmetic Pesticide Act."We congratulate the Ontario government for raising the bar on protecting people and the environment from needless pesticide exposure," says Dr. David Suzuki, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.  "Ontario should be commended for putting the health and opinions of its citizen first and resisting the powerful lobbying of chemical companies.  I hope this action will stimulate a discussion about the role of chemicals from all sources in our lives."Ontario's new regulations surpass existing ... continue reading.

News Release from Ecojustice:Toronto, Nov 5, 2008 - Two major environmental groups released a legal report today highlighting serious flaws in Ontario's antiquated Mining Act that has lead to more than a century of conflict between mining companies, the public and Aboriginal peoples. Prepared by the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy (CIELAP) and Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund), the report presents the Ontario government with a clear framework for updating the law and revamping contentious elements of the law. "Today we are presenting remedies that will end a century of needless conflict and finally bring Ontario's Mining Act into the 21st century," said Justin Duncan, lawyer with Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund). The report presents a ... continue reading.

EBR Registry Number 010-3320 On May 15, 2008, the Ontario government posted a long list of exemptions to the province's fledgling Endangered Species Act (ESA) on the Environmental Registry website. These exemptions are open to public comment until June 16, 2008 and Ontario Nature urges all its members and supporters to notify the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) that they will not stand for the Act being hamstrung by exemptions that undermine its true purposes. Slated to come into force on July 1, 2008, the Act has been widely hailed as the best piece of endangered species legislation in the country. The Act is the first to combine science-based listing of endangered species with mandatory habitat protection and mandatory recovery ... continue reading.

Ontario's Green Energy Act LaunchedJune 2, 2008 - Frustration is growing in parts of rural Ontario where farmers, municipalities, First Nations, community power projects and locally owned green energy projects are unable to fully contribute to Ontario's green electricity future. The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA), with leading trade associations, manufacturers, environmental groups, First Nations, power developers, farmers and landowners, is calling for an Ontario Green Energy Act.The Ontario Green Energy Act will contribute to the achievement of Premier McGuinty's vision of a prosperous and green Ontario. It will help reduce greenhouse gases and pollution, while ensuring a secure and stable domestic electricity supply and good jobs for Ontarians. The Green Energy Act aims to create the best policy framework ... continue reading.

The loss of prime agricultural land near cities due to urban sprawl is bemoaned the world over as a modern blight. But a solution may be at hand, for which Toronto should be recognized as a world leader: greenbelts, or farmland and environmentally sensitive land that has been officially made off limits to developers. A study being released today says the zone of protected land around Toronto is not only one of the largest greenbelts in the world, but is also superior to ones in North America and Europe. Download the study from the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy. Read the full article... ... continue reading.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has appointed a climate change czar to lead Ontario's fight against global warming. Hugh MacLeod's job will be to make sure the government's numerous environmental plans - from banning conventional light bulbs to phasing out coal-fired power plants - are actually carried out. Read the full article... ... continue reading.

A "significant" amount of toxic and radioactive waste is likely being dumped illegally in Ontario because the province isn't keeping a close enough watch on generators of hazardous waste, Ontario's auditor general said today. Jim McCarter told The Canadian Press that 900 hazardous waste generators haven't officially reported any dumping in three years, but ministry inspectors haven't followed up to see where this toxic waste has gone. "Hazardous waste is basically being dumped some place where it shouldn't be dumped and it's not being treated," McCarter said a day after his annual report was released. "That certainly is a risk to the environment." The Environment Ministry has rules governing the disposal of hazardous waste, but McCarter said those rules don't ... continue reading.

At the end of August, Spacing magazine launched Spacing Votes, a daily blog covering the provincial election. We have assembled a great team of columnists and writers, including award-winning urban affairs journalist John Lorinc, transit advocate Steve Munro, Spacing Editor and Eye Weekly columnist Dale Duncan, and Spacing's publisher and creative director Matthew Blackett. Along with our lineup of commentators is a team of six beat writers focused on issues such as the OMB, development and planning, transportation and public transit, environmental issues, and the referendum on our voting system. Our writers will challenge local candidates on these topics and provide Toronto voters with a greater sense of where the political parties stand on improving the quality of life in ... continue reading.