Environment practices in Beaconsfield: Appearance at a low cost
Our analysis shows that the city prioritizes the appearance of environment protection at low cost (eg.: by prohibiting leaf blowers). In our opinion, it should rather:
> Prioritize the reduction of noise and air pollution levels along Highway 20, and
> Stop all funding for three useless environmental projects and related consultant contracts that omit the biggest source of pollution in Beaconsfield: Highway 20.
APPEARANCE of protecting the environment
The city of Beaconsfield participates in several fashionable initiatives relating to the environment (saving natural gas at the recreation center, eliminating fuel oil in municipal buildings, prohibiting the use of single-use plastic and bags, promoting cycling, reducing greenhouse gases , etc.).
These projects or programs give the city the APPEARANCE of acting to improve the environment on its territory at a low cost. But this avoids the biggest pollution problem in Beaconsfield: the A-20 and the train.
2017-2020 Sustainable Development Plan
Beaconsfield has joined the Healthy Cities and Villages Network, an international movement sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) which promotes collaboration between all community sectors. In its 2017-2020 Sustainable Development Plan (SDP), the city states that it is :
“committed to protecting the environment, improving the quality of the living environment, developing the local economy and reducing the production of GHG. “
But there is no reference in this beautiful plan to the biggest source of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Beaconsfield: the highway and the train that crosses it
I3P project
The I3P project (Inventory, Action Plan, Adaptation Plan, Community Energy Planning) is presented as :
“an initiative to fight climate change unique in Quebec. This initiative will allow the city to complete the first three stages of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Partner in Climate Protection (CPP) program, and simultaneously produce a first Community Energy Plan and an Adaptation Plan to climate change. “
During public meetings, when we proposed to discuss the pollution caused by the A-20 in the heart of the city, our right to speak was taken away. The highway was out of mandate. However, it is the biggest source of pollution contributing to climate change in Beaconsfield!
Blue Dot Movement
Blue Dot is a project of the David Suzuki Foundation and its sponsors. The City of Beaconsfield adopted the Blue Dot declaration on May 25, 2015.
Among the commitments made by the city of Beaconsfield, we read :
- ” considers that all citizens have the right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment, including the right to breathe clean air
- undertakes to respect, protect and promote the right to a healthy environment for its citizens within its areas of jurisdiction and its fiscal responsibility;
- applies the precautionary principle: in the event of a risk of serious or irreversible damage to human health or the environment, the City of Beaconsfield will take economically advantageous measures to prevent environmental degradation and to protect the health of its citizens ;
- undertakes to […] support the right of its citizens to a healthy environment, in particular by preserving existing green spaces and canopy, without new encroachments caused by development projects, for the benefit of its citizens “
Considering the refusal to support any pollution mitigation project along the A-20, does not the city of Beaconsfield betray each of these commitments?
Conclusion: Showing off at a low cost for the environment
The City of Beaconsfield seems to have a policy of showing off for the environment at a low cost . The city seems to select projects according to two criteria:
- minimize expenses (projects subsidized by organizations or governments or which cost nothing);
- maximize the APPEARANCE and PRESTIGE of combating pollution and climate change.
But the city of Beaconsfield:
- tunes out to the main source of documented noise pollution and GHG on its territory.
- does not respect it’s commitments to clean up and protect its citizens that it makes in various organizations.
So the city’s position can be summed up as follows: if a project looks good in terms of environmental protection and it has a low cost, then we adhere to it.
Recommendations for environment : cut these costs
We conclude that the city prioritizes environmental appearance on its territory for monetary considerations. In our opinion, it should rather:
- Prioritize reducing the level of noise and air pollution along Highway 20.
- Immediately stop all funding for the three environmental projects and related consultant contracts that omit the biggest source of pollution in Beaconsfield: Highway 20. The balance of the budgets for these projects should be transfered to the reserve for the construction of an acoustic barrier. The projects identified above are:
- Sustainable development plan,
- I3P project,
- Blue Dot Declaration.