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CAN THE CLIMATE CRISIS SWAY AREA VOTERS ON JUNE 2?

BILL HODGINS bhodgins@mykawartha.com

In the summer of 2019 — just months before the province was enveloped by the COVID-19 pandemic — Peter Marcelli knew he had a decision to make.

His mom was moving in with his family and they were concerned whether the solar panels they relied on would be enough for all of them.

"We ended up doubling the size of the solar system because of my mom," he says. "She's a little old Italian lady who maybe doesn't understand what it means to conserve energy. So, we had to double our system just to make sure."

Marcelli's home is off the grid, tucked neatly away on Telecom Road, southwest of Peterborough.

Its open concept design includes recovered barn beams for support in the kitchen and dining room area. A large stone wood stove is central to the design. The kitchen is subtle but modern, and the loft office area — adorned with pieces from Peter's music interest — is finished with an aged wood ceiling and smart shelving.

But it is what's inside the interior that makes this house really stand out. The walls are 16 inches thick and super-insulated. The wood stove is also 13,000 pounds of radiant heater and cook oven. And the electricity is generated from four huge solar panels positioned strategically in the home's backyard.

"To say we're totally off the grid ... technically we're not," says Marcelli, an independent filmmaker and photographer. "We have internet here. We have a propane backup boiler."

In the summer, the solar panels provide all the electricity they need. The family does use propane to provide hot water in the winter, but sunshine and wood heats the building for the most part. It was an investment, but one which the family does not at all regret.

"And I guess selfishly, we were looking for a way to live more sustainably. It's less of a carbon footprint on the planet and we were inspired."

He says confidently it's the best decision they've ever made.

But amid promises of bigger highways, new schools, and health-care spending, is the issue of climate change getting lost in the weeds ahead of the June 2 provincial election?

Marcelli believes it's the perfect time for parties, lining up to lead this province through the 2020s, to incentivize more people to go green.

"Absolutely ... I think it's in the best interests of individual families to be able to make their own energy they can control ... They can control their investment," he says.

Katie Gibbs has spent much of the run-up to the election trying to make climate change a focus. She is a scientist, organizer and advocate for science- and evidence-based policies, as well as a former Green Party volunteer and current candidate for the Liberal party in Ottawa Centre.

This past February, she was the guest of Peterborough-Kawartha Liberal candidate Greg Dempsey, invited here to talk about the importance of climate change as an election issue.

"I went on maternity leave just before the pandemic started," she told her Peterborough audience. "And so I think like a lot of us, this was the time to reflect and think about what I wanted to do next ... What can I do with my time that is going to push bold climate solutions? What can I put my time and energy into that is going to move the needle the most?"

She landed on running as a candidate for the June election.

"Ontario is so well positioned to be a global leader in climate solution," she said. Gibbs feels the province was making progress under the former Liberal government, and while she feels much has stalled in recent years, it's not too late to build on that former legacy.

"We need bold change now," she said.

In terms of initiatives, the current Ford government has established a plan to reduce Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, a target that aligns Ontario with Canada's 2030 target under the Paris Agreement.

Locally, MPP Dave

Smith has been pushing for Peterborough to become the first test city in the province for a new type of electric mini car.

"We have the opportunity to be a leader in Canada," said Smith, appointed by Ford as a special adviser for Ontario Parks, where he provides strategic advice to the minister of the environment.

"This is affordable and very environmentally friendly."

The Liberals have said they will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. They also have announced plans to create 25,000 green jobs,

providing support and training for the workers.

The Ontario NDP says it will match that 50 per cent emission cut by 2005, electrify all municipal transit by 2040, and give households $600 to install electric vehicle charging stations.

The Green Party says it will "crush climate pollution" by adopting a net zero 2045 emissions policy, implement plans for retrofitting homes, reducing sprawl, and building smarter developments, while generating electricity from clean, renewable sources.

Gibbs said an argument can be made for a correlation between and improved economy in Ontario and an enriched environmental

effort.

"It's absolutely not a question of environment versus the economy. All the paths to sustainability and to bold climate action ... they all invest in Ontario's economy, they bring jobs to people in Ontario ... I just see so much potential at the provincial level for policies that can actually meet the level that we need to truly combat the climate crisis."

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Heading into the June 2 provincial election, we decided to look at some of the key issues that could sway voters. This article focuses on the climate crisis.

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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