Cuts mean Worse Air Quality, Less Action on Climate Change

On Monday November 28th, the Mayor released his 2012 budget. Our environment will suffer as air quality gets worse and as Toronto's ability to deal with climate change is reduced. Learn more.

TEA staff spoke to the Budget Committee on December 7 & 8th, along with nearly 350 other Torontonians, about the impacts of service cuts on the environment and our society.

Sign TEA's petition about the importance of environmental services in Toronto.

Many important environmental services will be cut in the 2012 Budget including:

• · TTC service cuts to 56 bus routes and 6 streetcar lines in all parts of the city (which means more traffic congestion and more pollution)
• · 10 cent TTC fare increase (this will create a disincentive for people to keep their cars at home)
• · cuts to nurturing Toronto's tree canopy (fewer healthy trees = more pollution)
• · cuts to staff positions at the Toronto Environment Office that were scheduled to develop and implement needed sustainable energy and climate change policies
• · major cuts to green community engagement programs that get more Torontonians to be green
• · cuts to maintaining TTC infrastructure (eg. fewer subway cars, streetcars and buses)

In short, this proposed budget will mean dirtier air, less action on climate change and less public engagement in developing environmental solutions.

It will also bring us a meaner city as other important city services that Torontonians rely on are cut back with the firing of over 1,200 city workers.

• Read about TTC cuts at TTCriders
• Read about all service cuts at Social Planning Toronto and their Year End update

Toronto doesn't have to become a meaner and dirtier city because the City has the money to maintain these services.

Let City Councillors know you don't accept cuts to environmental services by signing this petition.