Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Publish Day - Ink Blog - Need more power

I love "on" weeks at the newspaper, because I get to write and publish for five days straight. There's something refreshing abount waking up with a mid-afternoon deadline, knowing full well that you'll turn that empty screen into something readable and topical as soon as the inspiration hits.

In today's paper, I published a piece outlining my frustration with our government's energy policy. Essentially, they cancelled a program designed to help Canadians be more energy-efficient right around the same time the provinces jacked electricity rates through the roof. Nice. Here's the piece:
Energy program cancellation a shock
Published Wednesday, May 17, 2006
The London Free Press

One of the outcomes of the May 2 federal budget is a shocker: the feds don't want us to save energy. They cancelled funding for EnerGuide for Homes, a program that provided grants averaging $737 to homeowners who made their homes more energy efficient. A similar program aimed at helping low-income households was also axed.

Perhaps they hoped to avoid controversy by officially confirming the program's death last weekend on an obscure government website.

As energy costs skyrocket to historic highs, it is incomprehensible that any government would dare to reduce its efforts to help Canadians consume less. Governments must be leaders in encouraging citizens to maximize their energy investments.

There is, however, a silver lining: Ottawa says the Quebec and New Brunswick governments will pick up the tab for future grants.

The Ontario government should follow suit. Citizens are having trouble keeping their homes lit and warm. They want to save energy. Would someone in Queens Park let us know that our government is working on a resolution?

-30-
Your turn: What kind of message does this decision send to our population? What's your government's energy policy where you live?

2 comments:

keda said...

there doesn't appear to even be one here in turkey. but the uk is equally non commital.

it seems most people really dont give a monkies. they are all quite content to pay through the roof now to use up all our natural resources and leaving a flthy, sick planet behind for our granchildren to clean up when we are gone.

it all makes me feel rather ill frankly. sorry for the rant but this is one of my biggest peeves. and i wrote about another aspect the whole environmental issue myself for my first post back in february http://mamahog.blogspot.com/2006/02/what-load-of-old-unbiodegradable.html

keep up the stirling work carmi*

sage said...

Our governments energy policy? With two oilmen in the white house, it's to help the oil industry make as much money as possible. Nah, I'm not a cynic.