By Terri Chu
The Ontario government has announced it is mulling a ban on single-use plastics. As environmentalists rejoice at the small bone this gas guzzling loving government throws at us, we should all take a moment to thank China for this small miracle from the “red tape cutting” bandits.
Tags: Annex · Columns · Life · Opinion
Annex residents are meeting and eating their way through the neighbourhood. In an initiative launched early this year, the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) is inviting neighbours to gather at a different local restaurant every month to enjoy some food, support local businesses, and get to know people.
By Terri Chu
Few celebrities have given me hope about the fate of the planet quite like Marie Kondo has. We literally created a mega celebrity out of a woman who teaches you how to throw stuff away. Did coffee just come out your nose? Stop to think about this. A person who teaches you to throw things away is a social media superstar making millions from Youtube, Instagram, and books.
Tags: Annex · Columns · Life · Opinion
I live in the city, have given up driving and most of my hobbies that produce a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, so I’m thrilled that the new carbon tax is finally getting implemented.
Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion
By Terri Chu
Premier Doug Ford has scrapped cap and trade, embarking on a path of environmental destruction that’s fuelled by subsidies to polluters. The shamelessness is galling and we’re likely to see more of it over the next four years.
Premier Ford wants to do Toronto a favour by slashing the size of council, and only Toronto seems to be targeted. Our ward of University-Rosedale, population 98,600, is now represented by a single councillor. To put this into perspective, Grey County, population 93,000, has 19 representatives to make decisions about roads, sewers, zoning, and all the other services that are vital to day-to-day living.
Thanks to Premier Doug Ford, gas will be cheaper and our lungs fuller of it than ever since there will be no incentives to buy an electric vehicle. Thanks to this Neanderthal, we are now back to debating whether or not science is a thing.
COURTESY MARTIN REIS
Have you ever cursed the mess of mulberries on the sidewalk from mid-June through early August? Did you know these mulberries are actually delicious?
Big congratulations to Jessica Bell who is now representing us in University-Rosedale at Queen’s Park.
Tags: Annex · General · Life · Opinion
At the risk of sounding like a single-issue voter, it will be no surprise to anyone who has read any of my columns that the environment ranks high. There are lots of other issues, such as healthcare, debt, economic growth, but all that is moot as we stare mass extinction in the face. If you think I’m being hyperbolic, you aren’t paying attention. Before his death, Stephen Hawking gave humanity another two centuries before we’re toast. To me, the long-term survival of our species trumps any short-term issue we are facing at the moment, no matter how pressing it might seem.
By Geremy Bordonaro
A temporary drop-in homeless shelter at 348 Davenport Rd. is once again home to controversy. Some local residents say that there’s been a noticeable increase in violence and drugs in the area since the shelter — publicly supported by Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) and the Annex Residents’ Association — opened in January.
By Terri Chu
With the celebration of Earth Day behind us and the provincial election before us, it seemed appropriate to rerun Greenings from February 2016. Writing that three Rs are not all equal, Chu is cautious about playing fast and loose with energy generation, and argues that the Wynne government needs to get it right when it comes to all things green.
Tags: Annex