Originally printed in the Belleville Intelligencer
Front Section page 1
by W. Brice McVicar
Canada’s foremost environmentalist has given Belleville’s mayor a pat on the back.
David Suzuki sent an e-mail to Mayor Neil Ellis congratulating him on his recent environmental initiatives including the restaurant drive-thru carbon tax and the Change For The Environment challenge.
In the brief letter, Suzuki notes human beings need air to breathe yet “we allow air to be used as a dump” for toxic substances and emissions. He adds urbanites are willing to pay $90 or more to place a tonne of garbage in landfills, but “scream bloody murder” when the idea of a new tax is brought forward.
“While we need leadership at the federal level, in its absence, people at the provincial and municipal level are taking charge and I congratulate you for taking action in Belleville,” Suzuki wrote.
Ellis said he received the e-mail - which was sent through Suzuki’s executive assistant, Ellis Yaxley - Monday evening. It was at Monday’s regular meeting that council unanimously endorsed Ellis’ resolution to lobby the provincial government to allow municipalities to enact a carbon tax with all revenue being returned to municipalities to assist with infrastructure costs.
The mayor said he was impressed to receive the letter. “I think it’s all about awareness and the fact we’re trying to travel down the right road,” he said. “You read everywhere that the air quality and what we breathe is paramount to our health and, right now, the environment should be important to any municipal leader. Everyone should recognize it as important to our communities.”
Ellis said the important part of his carbon tax idea is that it is starting at the grassroots level. Suzuki’s comments regarding lower tier governments needing to take charge are true, he added.
“When you look at the federal government you’ve got party politics and the party’s platform and most people at that level are following that so it leaves it to municipal leaders to try and get the message out.”
