Greater Victoria municipalities need to stop wasting taxpayers hard-earned finances on frivolous activities and deal primarily with matters, primarily core services, which will benefit all residents.
Letters to oil companies demanding a payment for their alleged part in climate change, dealing with plastic bags and Styrofoam containers, both of which we send few to the ocean waters and recycle most, the foolish climate emergency documentations come to mind.
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If these politicians think that their activities, although most commendable, will have any impact on climate change given the emissions of countries such as China, India, Pakistan and the U.S., I am reminded of a matchstick in a world of Redwood giants. In fact, Canada’s forests probably absorb more emissions that we emit. We will never have any impact on the world’s climate other than to make many feel good, but such actions are certain to cause ourselves financial pain and social discomfort.
I think it quite appropriate, even though expensive, that we are now going to deal with our sewage. In the meantime we send our waste to other places, even offshore, to be disposed of.
It is time that we dealt with our waste, and hopefully that of our municipal neighbours in our vicinity and beyond.
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Waste to energy operations are now state of the art across the country and around the world. Burnaby, with a high-efficiency zero-emissions gasification plant, made some $500,000 in dealing with waste recently returned from the Philippines. These plants heat tens of thousands of homes and businesses when in full operation.
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The obvious area for such a plant is the Hartland dump, which in a few short years will be full to capacity. What then?
Greater Victoria needs a scientific and technical plan for such a zero-emission waste to energy plant and submit it to both the provincial and federal governments for their financial support. The province, with its outrageous and expensive carbon tax, should be a major contributor. No doubt funds will be available given the current interest in dealing with pollution and waste in both Canada and the province, and which other countries will no longer accept.
Let’s start doing things with some tangible benefits.
HJ Rice
Saanich