Media coverage of the 2009 report:
"Environmental Report Card Day for Council" - Josh Pringle, CFRA, December 8, 2009
"Attribué par l'organisme Écologie Ottawa: « F » pour le bulletin environnemental d'O'Brien" - Dominique La Haye, Le Droit, le 8 décembre 2009
"Ottawa mayor gets 'F' from enviro watchdog" - Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun, December 8, 2009
"Mayor fails grade with green group" - Tracey Tong, Metro Ottawa, December 9, 2009
Update: Response to Councillor Chiarelli
In an interview with Le Droit
following the release of the 2009 councillor report card, Councillor
Rick Chiarelli made unfounded criticisms of Ecology Ottawa and the
report. Our response to Councillor Chiarelli is posted at the bottom of this webpage.
Media Release:
December 8, 2009
Today Ecology Ottawa released
its annual report card on the environmental performance of Ottawa's
mayor and city councillors. In this year's report, seven council
members scored D or lower -- including Mayor O'Brien, who received a
failing grade.
The report reviews 14 key environmental decisions
made by council over the past year and assigns a grade to the mayor and
each councillor based on the votes he or she cast.
"Looking over
the record since 2002, we can see several councillors emerging as
stubborn impediments to environmental progress," states the report.
They are Councillors Desroches, El-Chantiry, Harder, Hunter, and
Thompson, each of whom have scored a D or F in the majority of the
report cards.
"Whatever their other strengths as councillors,
they clearly accord little or no importance to environmental concerns,"
the report concludes.
The environmental leaders, who scored B or
higher in the majority of report cards, are Councillors Bellemare,
Bédard, Cullen, Doucet, Holmes, Hume, Legendre, and Leadman.
The
balance of council members have consistently received grades that
suggest a half-hearted effort. "Their votes have allowed council to
move forward, slowly, on some valuable environmental initiatives, while
blocking the city from taking the bold steps that are needed," notes
the report. "The city remains trapped in destructive, business-as-usual
approaches to urban growth, transportation, and infrastructure."
Ecology
Ottawa is using the report as a call to action for all Ottawa residents
who care about their environment to find out where their councillors
stand and, where necessary, hold them accountable in next fall's
municipal election.
"The decisions that city council makes about
land use, urban design, public transit, and waste management have
serious implications for the climate and the rest of our natural
systems," said Graham Saul, chair of Ecology Ottawa. "If we want a
sustainable future, we must demand environmental leadership at the
municipal level."
For more information, please contact:
Lori Waller, Policy Coordinator, 613-860-5353, lori@ecologyottawa.ca
Sabrina Bowman, Coordinator, 613-860-5353, volunteer@ecologyottawa.ca
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Council members' grades can be seen here.
Not sure who your councillor is? Find out here.
The full report can be downloaded below:
