#ottghg news release

For immediate release December 11, 2012

Mayor accuses "false information" being disseminated - climate change becoming a hot topic
The #ottghg Twitter campaign is asking tough questions and staring to get answers! Today, His Worship Mayor Watson made the statement that the #ottghg Twitter and e-mail campaign has "continuously [sent] out false information - who said "climate change is not a priority" and why did you keep repeating it?" This accusation was made following today's long-awaited announcement that a date rage - not yet a specific date - has finally been established for the GHG roundtable: Q1, 2013 (approximately 1-3 months after Ottawa's climate change plan expires). No other details were provided. The #ottghg Twitter campaign has referred specifically to a GHG roundtable that Ottawa's City Council voted to establish almost seven months ago. For clarification, the #ottghg "not a priority" tagline has never been directly attributed to the Mayor, or any single individual from the City of Ottawa. Mayor's quotes on the GHG roundtable: 1. "We will report when we are ready! Many priorities and can't do everything at once!" 2. "[W]e have many issues to deal with and everything can't be number one in our priority list." 3. "[P]oor governance is saying everything is number one priority. When we are ready [to report a date on the GHG roundtable] we will bring report forward." Here are the facts: Ottawa's Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan (AQCCMP) expires in 2012. No formal plans yet exist for its continuation. Most major cities around the world - currently - have functional climate change plans. City Council has voted to continue its current FCM status in the Partnership for Climate Protection initiative. As of January 1, 2013, Ottawa will not have a plan. We may soon fall from the highest level of participation to the lowest (in spite of a Council vote directing the City to do the exact opposite). To date, the City of Ottawa has not explained how they are going to implement the Choosing Our Future outputs and plans (which cost taxpayers approx. $700K to develop). The "refresh" of the City of Ottawa's Environmental Strategy has oddly remained stagnate. Here's a recent quote from Councillor McRae: "Funding was also approved for the development, approval, and implementation of a new Environmental Strategy for the City which will roll out in later this year [i.e. 2012]" This did not take place.

#ottghg is a Twitter, e-mail, and city-wide conversation focusing on era-appropriate climate change policy. Greenhouse gas reduction initiatives create jobs, increase economic productivity, save tax dollars, and save lives.
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For more information contact: Martin Canning | 613-316-3929 | @MartinGCanning | canning.martin@gmail.com