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On Wednesday night, I went to a Post Carbon Toronto meetup, where Professor Danny Harvey made a presentation about how we are going to survive the perils of peak oil.  It’s nice to know that the technology to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels exists.

Now, for those of you whose eyes are glazing over as you read the words “post-carbon” and “peak oil”, let me explain.  Peak oil and post-carbon groups are basically interested in the time following the point where production of oil peaks.  Standard economics predicts that once supply can no longer keep up with demand, demand will be forced to drop through price increases.  It is clearly in the interest of oil and gas companies to keep telling people that they don’t need to prepare for the upcoming scarcity, which is many years away, because that way they can be sure to extract the highest prices once demand is forced to go down.  If, on the other hand, all world governments sensibly addressed climate change with effective conservation and efficiency programs, demand would go down through less painful measures, and fuel prices would remain low as production declined.     Read more »

What’s our new leader like?

She’s in control in a media scrum.  She’s knowledgeable on every topic that comes up.  She quotes facts, dates, numbers and people in a relentless barrage.  She contrasts current policies with others that have worked better at other times or in other places.  She points out contradictions in government strategies and leads the listener through to reasonable solutions.  Best of all, she does it while oozing grace and good humour, smiling all along.     Read more »

In the 2006 federal election, here in Toronto-Danforth, Al Hart won 7.1% of the vote — making this the Greenest riding in the Toronto area.

The campaign is over, but our work is just starting. Please contact us if you would like to participate.

Al Hart

Al Hart is the Green Party candidate for the Toronto-Danforth riding.

Al, a local lawyer, has lived within the riding for 16 years and is following a life-long dream by putting his name forward as a candidate.

At the nomination meeting, he set out three issues that are priorities for him:

1. Improving the environment and economy for ourselves and our children.
2. Enabling people to actively promote their own health.
3. Rebuilding trust in government and politicians.

Read more about Al Hart, the Green choice for Toronto-Danforth.

News

Read about Al Hart in the news:

• Al Hart offers informed solutions to gang violence — CCNMatthews.
• “I realize I had to get more involved,” says Al Hart — Toronto Star.
• “Candidates meetings are necessary for democracy,” says Al Hart — Toronto Star.

Archived press release

December 29, 2005 15:13 ET

Green Party Candidate Offers Informed Solutions to Gang Violence

Attention: City Editor, Media Editor, News Editor, Government/Political Affairs Editor TORONTO, ONTARIO–(CCNMatthews – Dec. 29, 2005) – TORONTO The recent flurry of gang-related shootings requires a sober but urgent response says Al Hart, the Green Party candidate for Toronto-Danforth. Mr. Hart has direct experience with gang-related crime both as defence counsel and Crown Attorney. His work on one of the original gang-busting projects in Toronto gives him an insider’s perspective both on what the problems really are, and what the solution has to be.

“Random shooting of innocent victims seems to be peculiar to this city”, Hart says. “Toronto police have been successful in breaking up the more established street gangs. But now the guns are in the hands of younger, undisciplined crews, clearly influenced by gangster-glorifying music videos and unconcerned with the fundamental conventions of society.”

Mr. Hart believes that the many of the ideas expressed by the other parties – such as the ban on handguns proposed by Paul Martin – may be well-intentioned but still miss the mark. “This is an emergency, requiring an immediate, forceful and well-resourced intervention”, he says. “More police on the ground can only be part of the solution. Dedicated gang-busting projects require extensive – and very expensive – surveillance and wiretapping activities, and draw on criminological expertise from across North America.”

Mr. Hart noted how governmental inaction on pollution parallels its approach to the crime problem. “In both cases, nothing happened until public safety was compromised. The cross-border contacts between Toronto and U.S. gangs makes this a federal issue, and the lack of a long-term strategy has resulted in the current crisis. The federal government must show leadership in supplying the needed financial and human resources, while also addressing the root causes of gang violence – poverty, unemployment, and substance abuse.”

/For further information: Rebecca Smit
Media Relations
Al Hart Campaign
Green Party of Canada, Toronto-Danforth