This letter went out to Ontario's environment minister today.
Will he answer the bell? Is there anybody home?
Hon. James Bradley
Minister of the Environment
Province of Ontario
Dear Minister Bradley,
As an elected representative, you know people are generally concerned about littering. I am writing ahead of Earth Day 2014 to revisit an issue I tried unsuccessfully to advance using the Environmental Bill of Rights in November 2012.
My Litter Prevention Program is again reaching out to you to encourage you to take a ‘hands-on’ interest in having a conversation about reducing litter. This goes beyond the cleanup and into the stream of innovation, education, awareness building and behavioural change, in which I am a specialist and acknowledged expert.
A City of Toronto staff report has proposed a role for the province in permitting levies to be increased on the price of cigarettes to help the municipality pay for cleanup of cigarette butts and preventive education and promotion of anti-littering specifically concerning tobacco products. No doubt your ministry will be hearing a repeating refrain from municipalities calling for more assistance provincially for litter reduction efforts, each with its own scheme for raising the revenue.
Although, surprisingly, your ministry does not track the topic of litter, it is an emerging concern worldwide. For example, there will be annual European conferences on litter beginning in May of this year.
Again, I request that your ministry pull together a forum where realistic solutions to littering can be brought forward and dealt with as a public collective. Participants might include representation from Ontario municipalities, school boards, environmental groups, product stewards, tourism, business and the general public.
May I please have your ear to talk about this, or receive a call from one of your aides in this regard? I enclose relevant background materials as links below. I can be reached at 416-321-0633 or via reply email, words@rogers.com. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Sheila White
Founder, Litter Prevention Program
Publisher, This Week In Litterland
Our First Annual Progress Report
Minister of the Environment
Province of Ontario
Dear Minister Bradley,
As an elected representative, you know people are generally concerned about littering. I am writing ahead of Earth Day 2014 to revisit an issue I tried unsuccessfully to advance using the Environmental Bill of Rights in November 2012.
My Litter Prevention Program is again reaching out to you to encourage you to take a ‘hands-on’ interest in having a conversation about reducing litter. This goes beyond the cleanup and into the stream of innovation, education, awareness building and behavioural change, in which I am a specialist and acknowledged expert.
A City of Toronto staff report has proposed a role for the province in permitting levies to be increased on the price of cigarettes to help the municipality pay for cleanup of cigarette butts and preventive education and promotion of anti-littering specifically concerning tobacco products. No doubt your ministry will be hearing a repeating refrain from municipalities calling for more assistance provincially for litter reduction efforts, each with its own scheme for raising the revenue.
Although, surprisingly, your ministry does not track the topic of litter, it is an emerging concern worldwide. For example, there will be annual European conferences on litter beginning in May of this year.
Again, I request that your ministry pull together a forum where realistic solutions to littering can be brought forward and dealt with as a public collective. Participants might include representation from Ontario municipalities, school boards, environmental groups, product stewards, tourism, business and the general public.
May I please have your ear to talk about this, or receive a call from one of your aides in this regard? I enclose relevant background materials as links below. I can be reached at 416-321-0633 or via reply email, words@rogers.com. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Sheila White
Founder, Litter Prevention Program
Publisher, This Week In Litterland
Our First Annual Progress Report
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