Group speaking out against county environmental plans

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local group is speaking out against Oxford County’s climate plan.

Marie Russell, representing Kicking International Council Our of Local Environmental Initiatives (KICLEI) Oxford, spoke at the July 12 Tillsonburg council meeting. She is opposed to a number of United Nations net zero climate policies.

“Without any idea of how much this would cost taxpayers, the county council of 2017 committed our eight municipalities in Oxford to 10 years of emission reduction, data collection and excessive spending,” she said.

Russell said that Warden Marcus Ryan, along with Coun. Bernia Martin and Coun. David Mayberry, denied the county participates in the FCM Partners for Climate Protection Program and receive money from it. She referred to a 2017 Oxford County council resolution to participate in the program.

As a result, she said county staff are involved in a “never-ending cycle of data collection and spending”. She listed several county climate initiatives, such as the 100 per cent Renewable Energy Plan, Zero Waste Plan, and Green Fleet Plan as examples.

The KICLEI Oxford group started with people sitting around their kitchen tables, and grew to an open house that packed the Mt. Elgin Community Centre.

“Folks here are deeply concerned,” Russell said, alleging county council has an obsession with climate change mitigation.

Pointing to the recent packed meetings in opposition to possible wind turbine developments, Russell said there is a disconnect between county council and the citizens.

“Monitoring greenhouse gas emissions is not a core municipal responsibility,” she said.

Russell ended the presentation by asking Mayor Deb Gilvesy, as the town’s voice on county council, to table a motion to reveal the true cost of the environmental programs.

Tillsonburg council accepted the presentation as information.