Environment Commissioner of Ontario 2017 Report Good Choices Bad Choices

Ontario has an environmental bill of rights? Did you know Ontario has an environmental commissioner? The role of the Environmental commissioner of Ontario, Diane Saxe, includes producing reports such as the 2017 report entitled “Good choices, Bad Choices”.

(Transcript of Lawrence Gunther’s bi-weekly 12-minute segment on Live from Studio 5 broadcast over AMI TV and Audio across Canada)

Q. Welcome back Lawrence, Good Choices, Bad Choices, the title of the report suggests the Commissioner is taking a carrot and stick approach, is that true?

A. Breaks down even further into government action, government inaction, and miss-guided government action on topics from wolfs to turtles to fish, and what it all means for the environment, people and the economy.

Q. Is there a specific example of government action that jumps out at you?

A. The paper mill located on the Wabigoon-English River system continues to impact the Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong Communities following an estimated 11 tons of Mercury being released into the environment

Q. If that’s an example of government action, what does the Commissioner have to say about government inaction?

A. The reasons behind the blue-green algae issues in Lake Erie and elsewhere, and why the government is dragging its heels on implementing a solution to what’s clearly the main contributor to the problem.

A. It has to do with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s risk-based approach to protecting species at risk, which has yet to protect a single species, and what this means for species at risk such as turtles and the Algonquin wolf.

Q. Where can people find this report?

A. The report is available as a PDF and is very readable. Each chapter is a story in itself and written concisely using plane language. eco.on.ca/reports/2017