Quarry no good for climate change

March 30, 2017

To the Editor,

The proposed quarry by Freymond Lumber Ltd. will be the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the Bancroft area with up to 60 vehicle and diesel truck trips per hour/day/week/month/year for 50 years (Traffic Impact Study of Nov. 2016). All the world’s leading scientists, 136 nations of the Paris Agreement, the United Nations and the majority of people all over the world agree that we must reduce our GHGs by 80 per cent as soon as possible to save our common future for our children.

Why do the Freymond quarry investors believe they are so privileged to be exempt from the scientific realities and the world’s consensus? Why should they be allowed to increase their GHGs when everyone else must reduce our emissions by 80 per cent? How can we possibly reduce our emissions if governments allow new sources of GHGs to pop up everywhere?

If a foreign power threatened to destroy all our coastal cities, our agricultural systems, our infrastructure, our economy at great expense and our children, we would declare war on them! Climate change will do far more damage than that! We must declare war on climate change. No new sources of GHGs must be permitted at any level of government to ensure actual reductions to prevent the unthinkable. The Earth is dying by a thousand cuts and the time has come to stop those who destroy the Earth.

People always lead, governments always follow. Many drops of water make an ocean if we all stand together we can turn the tide of greed and stupidity and apathy that are the true causes of climate change. This we must do to protect our children’s common future. In the real world the “love of money” will render the human race extinct as “infinite growth” leads to collapse.

In the famous words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” If everyone looked after their own communities, then there would be no global crisis. It is our civic duty to care enough to take action for those who follow. Join the tide, become a wave! It is your home, it is your future. Stop the quarry. Information regarding this proposal can be seen at www.freymondlumber.ca.The deadline for objections is April 3 and must be submitted to both parties: Freymond Lumber Ltd., c/o MNBC Planning, 113 Collier St., Barrie, Ont. L4M1H2 or by email bzeman@mhbcplan.com and the Ministry of Natural Resources, 106 Monck St., P.O. Box 500, Bancroft, Ont., K0L1C0 or by email paul.shalla@ontario.ca. Your complete postal address must be listed for your objection to be accepted. You will receive a reply by this summer and will then have 20 days to confirm your objection again for it to be accepted.

Thank you for caring!

Chuck Potter

Gilmore