Upcoming Events
Connect The Dots
Climate Change in Hamilton
Saturday, May 5, 1pm – King & James St., Hamilton
Saturday, May 5, 3pm – Dundas Driving Park
Saturday May 5 is the global day of action on climate change. The objective is to “connect the dots” between extreme weather and climate change and emphasize that this is a crisis today not just one that may affect us sometime in the future. The Hamilton 350 Committee will focus on extreme rainstorms and the resulting flooding . Plan on joining us at 1 pm on Saturday, May 5 outside Jackson Square at King and James in downtown Hamilton. Please bring a black umbrella (or another colour if you don’t have black) and a loonie. Later in the day you can also be part of a 350 event at the Dundas Driving Park starting at 3 pm.
Every year since 2004 Hamilton has been subjected to storms severe enough to cause flooding of homes. Altogether there have been 17 flood storms, seven of which are only supposed to occur once every 50 to 100 years. And there’s no doubt that at least one on July 26 2009 exceeded the once-in-100-year standard.
Of course rainy days aren’t unusual, but the pattern in Hamilton over the last few years is unique.
Over 7200 homes have received compassionate grants from the city to help cover a small part of the cost of flooding – a payout of $5 million. Insurance claims from the 2009 storm exceeded $200 million. Direct city costs were $14 million. Capital spending from 2005 to 2014 in response to the storms stands at $341 million. Added together the cost of these storms and attempts to minimize future damage approaches the total annual property taxes collected in the city or about $3000 per household.
In The Spectator: Climate Change Action Starts at Home
2012 May 5, 3 pm
Connect the Dots in Dundas Driving Park
Outside of Hamilton
Does Ontario get its coal from mountain top removal?
We asked Ontario Power Generation’s President, Tom Mitchell, and he responded that this info is “commercially confidential”. He did however acknowledge that Ontario purchases coal from Central Appalachia. And that likely means mountain top removal.
In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over their mountains. It is a battle that has taken many lives. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal.
The Last Mountain shines a light on America’s – and Ontario’s – energy needs and how those needs are being supplied.
This new documentary is being screened in upcoming weeks throughout Ontario. See the trailer and schedule of screenings here.
The Canadian premier is Friday, 2011 July 22, 7 p.m. at the Royal Theatre, 608 College St., Toronto. OCAA’s Chair Jack Gibbons will speak. Join us!
I have 5 double-guest passes to give away to the first 5 people that order multiple copies of our coal leaflet Dirty Coal Exports are Costing Us the Air We Breathe. They contain postcards to Ontario politicians. Please distribute these to your friends, neighbours and colleagues – they’re free! You can also pick up copies on Friday night at the doc film screening.
Also, if you haven’t already done so, please send a letter to Premier McGuinty asking him to direct OPG to stop exporting dirty coal power. There is no need for us to be burning dirty coal which causes smog, climate change, and devastates mountains, watersheds and communities.
See you at the movies!
Angela Bischoff
Outreach Director,
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Tel: 416 260-2080 x1
160 John St., #300
Toronto, ON M5V 2E5
Facebook – Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Contact Hamilton 350
Last edited – 2012.05.04 (kc)