Home > News Room > TEA in the News > Green activists looking for leadership in mayor's race

Green activists looking for leadership in mayor's race

DAVID NICKLE | Feb 11, 2010

Anyone looking to run for mayor in 2010 should stay the course on Toronto's Green Plan, if they want the support of the Toronto Environmental Alliance and a coalition of other environmental activist organizations.

"Today, Canada's environmental community calls on every mayoralty candidate to endorse these issues - we want each candidate to promise, if elected, that they will work to enact these six priorities over the next term of council," said Franz Hartmann of the Toronto Environmental Alliance.

The priorities are nothing new, Hartmann acknowledged.

The successful mayoralty candidate should support building and funding the Transit City light rail expansion across Toronto; the target of achieving 70 per cent waste diversion from landfill by 2012; continuing to buy and support locally produced green products; building transportation infrastructure that "everyone can use" - particularly, continuing with Toronto's Bike Plan; implementing the city's sustainable energy strategy; and providing tools to prevent pollution.

"There are a number of things that still need to be done and we decided we want to build on success," said Hartmann. "We know there's a lot more to do in these six priorities. This is building on success."

Hartmann said the group hasn't heard enough from existing mayoralty candidates to pick a front-runner in the green race. But he acknowledged the group is concerned about calls from one candidate, Rocco Rossi, on public transit and cycling.

"Needless to say, we hope he will see the wisdom of supporting Transit City and supporting bike lanes," he said. "The other candidates they have a record at supporting significant environmental initiatives. But we don't know what their platforms are so it's too early to comment. But we're hoping once they see these priorities they will nod their heads and say those things we absolutely want to support."

As published here: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/cityhall/article/607490--green-activists-looking-for-leadership-in-mayor-s-race

AttachmentSize
Green activists looking for leadership in mayor InsideToronto Feb 11 2010.pdf27.01 KB