A Deputation to City Council.
On November 26, I am scheduled to present this deputation to Council of the City of Kawartha Lakes. I have 5 minutes to express my concerns regarding its 312-page Annual Report and 2025 plans.
TO: the City Council of the City of Kawartha Lakes
FROM: Gene Balfour, City of Kawartha Lake resident
REGARDING: Concerns about the proposed 2025 annual report
DATE: November 26, 2024
INTRODUCTION
With this deputation, I will share my concerns about the City’s 2025 Climate Change Strategy “priority” and its continued support the Climate Change Crisis Theory (CCCT). The Theory claims that man-made greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2 from combusting fossil fuels, presents a serious threat to humanity including our residents, property owners and business operators.
I will show that the United Nations has been behind the promotion of the Climate Change Crisis Theory (CCCT) since 1988, and that the CKL supports its mandates at the expense of the residents of Kawartha Lakes.
Finally, I will offer a practical proposal to Council, and to those who head the Corporate of the City of Kawartha Lakes, to address this Climate Change Crisis Theory (CCCT) concern fairly and democratically.
For reference, the Annual Report states:
Page 110: “Develop and implement the municipality’s Climate Change Strategy”.
Page 173: “Develop and establish a Climate Change Strategy to replace the existing Healthy Environment Plan as a refreshed strategy to reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate environmental risks.”
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
__ Climate Change Crisis Theory (CCCT) and its origins
__ related government institutions, their evolution and their growth at enormous cost to citizens.
INTERNATIONAL Milestones.
1988: The Intergovernmental Panel in Climate Change (IPCC) began as the United Nations’ body for assessing the science related to climate change. Created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the IPCC provides governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies.
1990: ICLEI, "International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives" began when 200+ local governments from 43 countries met at the inaugural World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future at the UNITED NATIONS in New York.
1992: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), aka 'Earth Summit' took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It produced the ‘United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
2015: The Paris Accord is an international treaty on climate change covering climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. Negotiations by 196 parties at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference near Paris. By 2023, Paris Accord boasts 195 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“Climate Action” in Canada.
ICLEI Canada. Its website says: “Canadian ICLEI members are part of a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. Our Members and team of “experts” work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability.”
Partners for Climate Protection (PCP), promotes and facilitates municipal “climate action” to meet goals set by unelected globalists bodies (above).
__ PCP is managed and delivered by FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities), a network of 350+ municipalities.
__ PCP receives guidance from ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability Canada, (ICLEI Canada) and
__ PCP gets financial support from Government of Canada & ICLEI Canada.
PCP Milestone Framework (https://www.pcp-ppc.ca/program). This is a PCP program that guides each municipality through a five-step Milestone Framework for climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How?: “From creating an inventory to setting and reaching your emissions reduction target, each step moves you closer to achieving your climate goals”.
2016: CKL joined the PCP, Partners for Climate Protection via its link with the FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities).
CONCERNS with CKL’s Climate Change Strategy.
2025 “priority” to complete Climate Change Strategy is not shared by residents.
Taxpayer risk: there is NO MENTION of costs or implications of this Strategy.
Fulfills a globalist objective , PCP Milestone #3 - Not mentioned in the Report.
Recommendations To Council.
WITHDRAW from the PCP program and globalist CCCT priorities.
RE-ALLOCATE CKL’s financial, capital and human resources to local priorities.
ANNOUNCE this democratic Climate Change Strategy for 2025: “This Council acknowledges that BELIEF in the Climate Change Crisis Theory is NOT UNIVERSAL and that PROGRAMS to address it are VERY COSTLY to taxpayers in many ways.
With these points in mind, the City of Kawartha Lakes will WITHDRAW from any globalist agreements, pacts, commitments and/or programs designed to address this Climate Change Crisis Theory. Furthermore, the City will DELEGATE all responsibility to citizen volunteers who believe the Climate Change Crisis Theory to be of sufficient threat that they are willing to commit their own time, money and efforts to address their Climate Change fears.”
ADVANTAGES
A citizen-led Voluntary Nongovernmental Climate Action Group is …
… the most democratic way
to address the Climate Change Crisis Theory (CCCT)
fairly, effectively and inexpensively for everyone.
As a Libertarian who believes in the Freedom of Informed Choice for all citizens, I list some of this proposal’s many benefits.
Participants in a Voluntary Nongovernmental Climate Action Group can use crowdfunding to raise money which they can spend on REAL local projects according to their stated priorities. By taking climate action into their own hands, they will know with pride and confidence that they are doing something directly to help local property owners to use energy responsibly.
The freedom of Crowdfunding. (Reference Trucker Convoy in early 2021) Governments primarily tax and regulate to address Climate Change Crisis Theory (CCCT) . By raising their own funds from like-minded citizens, a Voluntary Nongovernmental Climate Action Group will be able to invest in actual “Climate Action” projects,
WITHOUT imposing any risks, cost or responsibilities to any CCCT non-believers AND
WITHOUT the time-consuming and risky processes of lobbying politicians and hoping for government funding.
This is a very actionable proposal. I hope Council agrees.
NOTES.
The following is not part of the deputation but provided some useful information obtained from web sites.
Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program
Membership to the PCP program is rewarding and free. Members are asked to:
Pass a joining resolution through council (learn more about how to join the program)
Move through the Milestone Framework within 10 years of joining.
Report on progress at least once every two years, with our support
Make sure to email us to update your contact information so you don't miss out on PCP updates and opportunities
Actively participate in program activities and share your experience with other network members
The Milestone Framework.
“In order to meet ambitious federal and international recommendations, the Milestone Framework encourages members to set a midterm target and a long-term target. This recommendation aligns with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) scientific targets of a 45% reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.”
The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. (https://www.ipcc.ch/about/)”
Screen shot with ICLEI logo and Funding by The Canadian government’s “Green Municipal Fund”.
A 2025 Priority?
The Annual Report states in two places that the creation and implementation of a Climate Change Strategy is a priority for the CKL. It’s unclear why. My questions:
Have the citizens demanded it in sufficient numbers to warrant it?
Do CKL residents have any idea of the size and cost of this initiative, or if any measurable return on the required expenditures will have any positive impact on their lives?
Is this a “priority” due to pressure from the Ontario and Federal governments, or from international pressure from the UN and IPCC to serve their goals at our expense?
A dubious need.
Benjamin Franklin famously said: “watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”. Likewise, if the CKL takes care of its own environment prudently and responsibly, we would have no need for global bodies like ICLEI, the IPCC and the United Nations from meddling in local affairs.
With a little help from my friends.
Maggie Braun was kind enough to provide me information from www.KICKLEI.ca to prepare for this deputation.
Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. A map of national signatories.
I love this! Great job! There are still scientists that believe climate change is a scam. I would include their views to emphasize that science isn’t settled on this issue, not even close. Any climate change studies or reports are most likely funded by those that will benefit monetarily. Call this out every chance you can.
You have to teach your audience & decision makers. The ICLEI members need to be called out too. 👏🏼 Keep pushing back! 🏆
Thank you Gene and Maggie. Good luck deputy. More fodder for my Subscribers at watershedde,ca which is a UN initiative Our web site is under reconstruction at the moment. This is just a "taking and control" in the form of "consrtuctive expropriation" of private property. We want our losses covered. As in any partial expropriation we require the "professional reports on every affected property for plaintiffs.