It’s the Environment, Stupid!
Dalton McGuinty and George Smitherman’s use of the phrase “NIMBY” is the political equivalent of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves’ bashing of ‘welfare moms’. It is to create a ‘us versus them’ mentality. The Premier’s position is completely dishonest and what’s more – he knows it.
Supporters of wind projects are relying on the ‘NIMBY’ label to fire up their cronies and unleash abuse on opponents of wind projects without merit. We’re not going away, so they might as well stop it. They are the ones talking about property values and aesthetics – not the folks who are opposing the project.
Consider the paid lobbyist response to my concerns expressed in an article “Énergies vertes Des citoyens laissés dans le doute” (Radio Canada, February 12 2009 – French)
“This is the case of John Laforet who believes that the current environmental assessment is inadequate, because it leaves little room for citizens.
‘We will not let the laws deprive us of our right of expression.’
- John Laforet
As residents of Guildwood, they continue to oppose the project because of concerns related to the protection of migratory routes for birds. Far from giving up, they promise to redouble their efforts to halt the project.
For its part, the Toronto Environmental Alliance provides support to Dalton McGuinty for energy projects green. Its director, Frantz Hartmann, agreed with the Prime Minister (sic). He said it is possible to have an evaluation process both fast and environmentally friendly.
‘We can not afford to block a project for aesthetic reasons.”
- Franz Hartmann ”
Once again the Green lobby’s paid supporters are misrepresenting the arguments so that they can create a divisive debate they can win. As the person who spoke on behalf of the community position for the article, where do you see me making a single claim about aesthetics? No where. I never have. My concerns are with the lack of environmental assessment, the lack of process to protect the environment and a disregard for international standards. But for a guy who is supposed to care about the environment (Franz Hartmann) it’s easier to ‘make believe’ the other side’s argument and respond to that claim instead of actually standing up to protect the environment.
And then there is Joyce McLean – who the Toronto Sun can confirm is still employed with Toronto Hydro Energy Services. McLean broke her two weeks of silence today to criticize me for ‘jumping the gun’ – using what may be the most ridiculous argument in her cache of silly arguments.
I discuss democratic rights of opposition to government, a lack of environmental protection in place for wind projects and a lack of proven wind off the Scarborough Bluffs. Joyce McLean’s response? I’m jumping the gun. They’re just testing the wind. Right. That’s why the Premier is doing McLean’s job for her in response to her utter failure to properly handle this project.
She’s also plainly wrong on the Environmental Assessment. There is no legal requirement for an Environmental Assessment for any wind project. The legislation currently calls for Joyce McLean and friends to conduct a “proponent driven, self assessment” of environmental impacts, and when they agree there is no harm – they get to go ahead and do whatever damage they want. These guys are so incompetent they can’t even hold a proper community meeting with three tries or use Canada Post. With this knowledge is anyone seriously comfortable trusting them to conduct a proper wind study and to carry out a legitimate environmental screening that will call for a proper environmental assessment?
Take a look at the article. It’s too much to post clips here because it is so very well done. Generating Controversy – Toronto Sun, February 16, 2009.
We will stand and we will fight. The citizens of Ontario cannot allow their democratic freedoms to be compromised because our opposition to something the government wants is so strong it is the only way to stop us. Toronto Hydro Energy Services and the Government of Ontario need to know we will not go away, we will not sit down and we will fight tooth and nail, day in and day out until our rights are recognized and the environment is considered when building these things.
McLean has demonstrated in past she does not have the courage to respond to comments posted here. She is still more than welcome to send me her response which will be posted unedited as a separate piece.
Anemometer, Dalton McGuinty, Franz Hartmann, George Smitherman, Green Energy Act, Guildwood Wind Farm, Joyce McLean, Lake Ontario Wind Farm, Scarborough Bluffs Wind Farm, Toronto Hydro Energy Services
February 16th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
The problem as I see it, John, is that all the municipalities power or autonomy is granted to them by the province, and can thus be taken away and given back to provincial control rather easily.
So, if Premier McGuinty says his new law will ensure green projects will be passed, and municipalities will not be able to stop it… I’m not sure the municipalities can do anything about it.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Scott – I definitely agree that the issue basically is a lack of municipal autonomy, but I tend to think that the closer to being on the ground you are, the better sense you have of a communities needs.
Planning should be a local issue, opposition needs to be allowed to speak out and be heard.
From my perspective there are serious environmental aspects with the project I am opposing and the Premier is dismissing them as NIMBY – something he plans to use to deny folks the right to oppose.
Lake bed sediment is a water quality issue, erosion, birds, bats etc. is an environment issue.
Europe, the US and other Canadian jurisdictions all require environmental assessments and we don’t.
The Premier says there is too much red tape, and I say there isn’t enough. EA’s play an integral part in preserving nature and ensuring we do not do unknown damage to our communities. To say, support for a transparent environmental assessment is “NIMBYism” to me seems wholly unreasonable.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Green as heck until they get close to your property, hmm? You’re disappointing me.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
BigCityLib – Being green has to be about nature as much as it is the broader environment. I worry about smog, climate change and all the rest, but air quality isn’t the only concern.
This project will stir up heavy metals and PCBs in the Lake upstream from where Toronto collects half it’s drinking water. They want to do it without and environmental assessment.
This project is going to cause all kinds of vibrations into the shelf that the Scarborough Bluffs sit on – an ecologically sensitive site that is clay and sand and fairly unstable. They want to do this without an Environmental Assessment.
The Ontario Power Authority says offshore wind in Ontario isn’t viable for it’s 20 year generation plan, the IESO has concerns about the reliability and the challenges that puts on our grid, an independent report commissioned by the Government of Ontario says the wind isn’t there and the Canada Wind Atlas agrees.
The turbine at the EX operates at a 12% capacity, the one at Pickering 17%. One is east of the proposed site, the other is west. They are effectively the book ends.
I do support green causes, but I want them to be responsible. This one isn’t. Hydro came in and lied to the community about a number of facts, dismissed all valid concerns, was really underhanded and now we’re being told we aren’t allowed to participate.
All European and North American jurisdictions with offshore wind proposals have worked with communities, have done all kinds of environmental assessments, bird studies and the closest there is a project of this size near any shoreline is 5km out.
This is closer, has no transparency, no environmental planning and all studies and experience states there just isn’t the wind.
These guys risk discrediting the green movement by building a project that denies science, that disregards the environment and ultimately that fails to make any economic sense. Neither the Ex or the Pickering examples will recoup their construction costs during their useful lives, but at least those were like $2 million dollar projects. This could be upwards of $500 million.
If it does what it is expected to do, without proper oversight, planning or community involvement, it will give a huge blow to the green movement – something I don’t want to see happen unnecessarily.
I just wish we could all recognize that with fairly new technology we need to be make sure we build the best projects to demonstrate effectiveness, and so far in Ontario we’re not. We have no rules to ensure human health is protected, no rules to protect the environment and we shun those who think their should be.
I’m not anti-green, I’m in favour of good public policy and right now this is bad public policy.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Whooee! Down here in Nanticoke, we got an EA goin’ on for a proposed new nuclear power plant by Bruce Power. They’ve hired a firm, Golder Associates, whose main business is getting projects past EA’s. I fear you may be putting too much faith in the EA process. Down here, it looks more like one step in the steamrolling.
An EA may slow down the wind project. It’s doubtful it will stop it. Of all EA’s performed, only about 3% fail to pass muster.
BTW, opposition to Bruce’s Nanticoke plans are dismissed as NIMBYism. Not true, in my case. I don’t want a nuke plant in anybody’s backyard.
Interestingly enough, I’ve been in a comment discussion at StageLeft concerning NIMBY. The argument is that local people should be the main determinants regarding projects; specifically, a uranium exploration proposal for Nunavut. The difference is that there could be a YIMBY thing there.
People seem to have less problems with YIMBY than with NIMBY. Here in Nanticoke, they got the local politicians all on board without any sorta public input and then Bruce tells everyone that the community is a willing host.
I think we’re puttin’ too much $ into wind (and of course, nukes) and not nearly enough into small scale hydro generation. My little town had electric lights in 1902. They were powered by the dynamo on the little dam on our mill pond. Almost every little Ontario town has unused hydro power flowing over disused dams.
JB
February 16th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Joyce McLean wants to see if there is “sufficient wind power,” yet THES declined to give residents those target figures when asked. Do they actually know them, or more likely, are they just going to make them up to suit their agenda? And will there be an independent audit of the numbers?
February 17th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Hey Mike, to bad there isn’t some way we can tape into all that hot air that comes out of your mouth. It would solve a lot of the energy issues we face.
February 18th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Andrew,
Do you mean “tap” into? Actually, the “hot air” is coming out of my fingers.
I’m every bit into protecting the environment as much as you. That doesn’t mean I’m going to blindly throw my support behind every proposed green project unless it’s economically sound. Taxpayers’ money doesn’t appear out of thin air, and it’s also a finite resource.