Big Eco Announcement from Environmental Defence. (Al Gore was there. So was I.)

A few weeks ago, I got invited to an Environmental Defence event to hear a big announcement. Environmental Defence is one of the world’s largest, most effective environmental organizations. They have had so many impacts and are focused on making the world a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable place to live in. The announcement was so important that they had some very special guests there including Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister of the Environment Jim Bradley and US Vice President and “Eco-Warrior”, Al Gore.

The announcement was big and something to be proud of: Ontario is going to be the first province or state in North America to make it illegal to burn coal, which is such a big Global Warming cause. This will have such a huge impact to the province and will definitely make our air cleaner and make the world a better place.

It’s a really big issue, one that I’m working on learning more about. This is what I have learned so far:

What is coal? Coal is a non-renewable resource. It has taken millions of years for the coal that in our environment to form. When plants died, before the dinosaurs, they remained on the ground. Over time they were covered with dirt and heat and pressure from the earth formed the hard and black substance that is coal.

How do we get it? The way that we get the coal is through mining it from way down in the ground. That is the beginning of the negative impact on the environment because we disturb nature to do this.

What is coal used for? Coal is used to produce energy. It is processed and burned and has been used to produce much of the energy that we use in the world.

What is the problem with coal as a source of producing energy? When coal is processed and used for energy, it releases many toxic substances into the air and our environment that causes climate change and these toxins also causes animals and people to be very sick and sometimes the sickness leads to death.

The top 5 toxins in our environment because of coal are:

1. Carbon Dioxide – which is the primary greenhouse gas emission from energy use.
2. Sulfur Dioxide – which has been linked to acid rain and increased numbers of respiratory illnesses
3. Nitrogen Oxides – which have been linked to the acid rain and smog and to depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer
4. Particulates – which have been linked to acid rain and increased respiratory illnesses
5. Mercury – which has been linked with both neurological and developmental damage in humans and other animals.

The big announcement made at the Environmental Defence press conference was about Ontario being the leading province in all of North America in cutting coal out of our energy sources and plans. Ontario has been on this path since 2003 and great results have been shown. The announcement a few weeks ago was that soon it will be against the law to use coal as energy. It was a big win for the environment, animals and all of us who live here.

Here are some of the impacts that closing the coal plants has made and all the impacts that happened when renewable energy is being used in Ontario:

• In 2003, coal-fired generation accounted for 25 % of the province’s electricity. There were 19 coal-fired units in six plants named – Atikokan, Hearn, Thunder Bay, Lakeview, Lambton, and Nanticoke.
• The six coal plants produced more than 7,500 megawatts of electricity. As a result, Ontario suffered through a record 53 smog days in 2005. Ontario estimated coal burning was causing 660 premature deaths, 920 hospital admissions, 1,090 emergency room visits and 331,000 minor illnesses each year.
• In 2005 there were 53 smog days and  in 2013 there were only 2 smog days.
• Replacing coal produced electricity is the equivalent to taking up to 7 million cars of the road.

From 2005 to now, we have all made so much progress. 

I believe that anyone and everyone can make a difference. I have said that you don’t need to be a scientist like David Suzuki or a politician like Al Gore to change the world. Al Gore has had so many accomplishments in his life, as a politician and an activist. I came to know who he is long after he was Vice President of the Untied States from 1993-2001 – I wasn’t even born then. In the years after he was a politician, he became best known as an environmental activist. In 2010 and 2012, he spoke at We Day and as is a very inspiring motivational speaker. He encouraged all the young people there that they can change the world and they also can help to stop what he believes is the biggest crisis that is facing our world – the climate crisis.

The more I have learned about Al Gore, the more he has become a role model for me. At each We Day, I spoke at a celebration dinner and I quoted this African proverb that my mom shared with me: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” It really is what I believe and it is the power of people acting together to make a difference or accomplish something. I read that Al Gore also quotes this same proverb often. Al Gore has founded the Climate Reality Project, to educate people about the impact of global warming and to encourage people to act. He has written books such as Earth’s Balance, Joined At The Heart, and An Inconvenient Truth – which was also made into a documentary. I read an article about him and I will always remember that he said this:

“The will to act is a renewable resource.”

And it’s true. If we all renew our will to act everyday, imagine what we can do.

There’s a story behind this photo. I was invited to attend this press conference and was told that Al Gore would not be available for questions or photos. When the press conference was over, I went to the front of the stage where all of the photographers were taking pictures before he left the stage. That is when Premier Kathleen Wynne saw me and introduced me to him. She told him that she had met me backstage at We Day a few weeks before and that he had to meet me, too. That’s when all the photographers were snapping pictures and one of them sent me this one. I am so happy to have this picture and I am so happy that I had a chance to meet him!

Big thanks to Stephanie Kohls and her team at Environmental Defence for inviting me to attend and share in this event.