In this issue, we get ready to take the Polar Bear Plunge, and provide an update on TEA's Public Transit campaign.
Polar Plunge for the Planet
At the beginning of February TEA reported on the need for City Hall to invest in necessary city services and infrastructure to prepare for the impacts from climate change.
To help raise awareness about this pressing issue and our urgent need to act, TEA staff agreed to do a Polar Bear Plunge into the frozen depths of Lake Ontario. We challenged our membership to support us by helping us raise $5,000. This money will be used to continue effectively pushing City Hall to take serious action on climate change.
We're close to hitting our target of $5,000! As long as this doesn't happen, we're taking our polar plunge a week from today - Friday March 28th! Please donate today so that we are able to tackle climate change together.
Making transit a priority
TEA has been sending a clear message to politicians in advance of the 2014 municipal and (likely provincial) elections: Torontonians expect real action on tranist!
This year alone, TEA has talked to over 5,000 people at the door and nearly 1000 people have written letters to politicians asking them to invest in better transit and transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. These actions are part of MovetheGTHA., a collaboration with 12 other groups including CivicAction, the Toronto Region Board of Trade and Evergreen Canada. Collectively, we’re pushing provincial politicians across all parties to make transit a priority by investing in new transit infrastructure and paying for existing transit. Let your politicians know transit investment is a priority by visiting your32.com.
At the City level, TEA has been working closely with TTCriders (which we helped found in 2010) to let politicians know improving existing service and keeping fares fair are top priorities. TEA will continue this work to ensure Torontonians get better transit.
Growing the Greenbelt
On Tuesday, March 18 TEA brought together watershed groups to discuss the city’s plan to grow the greenbelt into public lands along the Humber and Don River Valleys and Etobicoke Creek. Everyone agreed it was crucial to support this plan.
Tell your Councillor you want to grow the greenbelt into Toronto.
TEA gets results on battery recycling
TEA monitors environmental policy at the City and Provincial level to make sure that recycling and waste programs in Ontario protect the environment and human health.
TEA recently led a coalition of environmental organizations to oppose a new battery recycling program for Ontario. Why? They planned to count incinerator ash towards the ‘Recycling’ target, even though the existing battery program has a higher standard! In response to our letter, Waste Diversion Ontario has delayed a decision on the program and is undertaking a detailed review of the definition of ‘recycling’. Read our letter and stay tuned for updates.