Will They Listen This Time!

On Tuesday, February 6, I am scheduled to speak to the City of Kawartha Lakes Council in a public meeting. Below are my notes and supporting documentation for this deputation.

Reference: COW2024-02.4.4

Greetings to City Council.

It is February 2024. In September 2023 I presented to Council COW2023-09.4.2. I expressed my concerns that some members of Council are promoting and supporting policies that jeopardize the ENERGY SECURITY of our citizens and business operators. I asked Council members to inform their constituents about their stance on ENERGY SECURITY and their sources of related information, but this remains a mystery. My concern has not gone away. 

ENERGY SECURITY is directly related to the cost and reliability of energy. Nuclear and fossil fuel energy sources are superior to Green Energy sources on both counts. Expensive energy directly impacts the costs of food, heating our homes and businesses, transportation and more.

Councillors sometimes read public survey results to learn what citizens want. One told me about a survey in which 85% of responders reported Climate Change as a concern and 10% a serious concern. Of course, surveys can produce biased results by design. This depends on who pays for them and their objectives for doing so.

X-ray on public opinion.

One local Lindsay resident ran his own survey on X to ask 714 people to rank their concerns for government action from three different but related policy choices. Another Ontario resident ran the same survey with 218 respondents. The results:

Energy Security………………...     46%           55%

Food Security……………………    53%           45%

Reducing Greenhouse Gases…    1%             0%

Source: https://x.com/ztisdale/status/1731788688500080734?s=61

Source: https://x.com/TomMarazzo/status/1750600470375096718?s=20

Note: these surveys were conducted without cost (free on X) and incur no “funder’s bias”. The sample size is nearly 1000 Canadians. The survey results were compelling and justify the following proposals.

Proposals for Council’s consideration.

1.   Council to declare Food & Energy Security the top priority over any and all policy decisions involving the Climate Change Crisis Theory and man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

2.     Council to hold a Town Hall meeting to inform the public about Energy Securitythreats which arise from carbon and fuel taxes,  and from Climate Change regulations. State Council’s strategy to reduce those risks and ongoing harms.

3.   Council to reject all deputations that make scientifically unsubstantiated claims of Climate Change risks from CO2 or other GHG emissions. These waste Council’s time and City resources. The ultimate goal: eliminate all policies that threaten or jeopardize Energy Security within the CKL.

4.   Council to consider proposals that will improve Energy Security. For example, encourage the building of gas-fired energy plants or gas pipelines that will secure a stable and affordable supply of energy. https://www.enbridgegas.com/about-enbridge-gas/projects/bobcaygeonproject?ssp=1&setlang=en&cc=CA&safesearch=moderate. The goal:  approve only policies that reduce costs and increase availability of affordable and reliable energy. 

5.   Council to actively lobby provincial and federal authorities to oppose and repeal policies that systematically threaten the Energy Security of Canadians and business operators. Example: Pledge Council’s support publicly to “Ax the Carbon Tax”.

6.   Ideally, Council will formulate and pass a ‘CKL Energy Security Sovereignty Act’. Purpose: to establish decision-making autonomy to enable the City to reject any provincial and federal statute that jeopardizes the Food & Energy security of CKL constituents. For example, make every CKL constituent exempt from paying any fuel or carbon taxes.  

Advocates for Civil Society will continue to urge Council to make ENERGY SECURITY it’s top priority. Thank your attention to this matter.

Gene Balfour.

Resident of Fenelon Falls, Advocate for Civil Society