If the federal Conservatives really want to clean up their act, they should start by letting their fingers be a lot more careful where they do the walking.
By now you know that Environment Minister John Baird was set to release his long awaited planet and energy saving plan in Thornhill on Thursday.
But he was forced to let the conservation cat out of the bag early after someone in his office accidentally faxed the text of the document to the opposition Liberals - who promptly leaked parts of it to the country.
Baird tried to turn the gaffe into a laugh. "As I left the office earlier this morning I said to one of my staff, do you have my speech?" he recalls. "And he said, John, everyone has your speech.
"We promised an open and transparent government ... It's perhaps a little more open and transparent than I envisaged when we brought in the federal Accountability Act."
But it turns out there was a serious side to the Blue party's green ideas, and it involves taking a step similar to the one Ontario announced last week - banning the old incandescent light bulbs by 2012 as a means to save energy.
The blueprint, called "Turning The Corner", suggests greenhouse gases will be cut by 150 million tones by 2020, and industry will be slapped with targets that would cut air pollution in half by 2015.
But it's the light bulb change that will affect the most people. The plan extends the program across Canada but the power production reduction effect will pull some extra green from your wallet.
CFLs, the fluorescent bulbs that will mostly replace Thomas Edison's most famous invention, aren't cheap. They cost considerably more than the 60 or 100 watt glass types that currently glow in most homes.
"Part of these costs will be paid by individual Canadians and their families," Baird acknowledges. "But the costs are real and I believe manageable."
Estimates show 25 of the new fangled lights will cost roughly $88, unless the prices come down.
Critics contend the Tory plan simply doesn't cut the emissions fast enough and that the problem needs to be addressed now.
Mayor David Miller agrees.
He wants Toronto to set an agenda of its own, and has called a public forum for the end of the month to hear your ideas on how to lessen the smoke in the Big Smoke.
Some people can't wait that long.
"The mayor can't double the price of gas," an apparent non-driver named Phil emotes. "That's what I would do."
Mary Johnston is also looking at ways to reduce car carnage. "Charge people to drive downtown," she suggests.
Dominic Cheung seconds that emotion. "Maybe tax people more if they have more vehicles in their households."
But leave it to the voice of youth to put the whole thing in perfect perspective. "I want more trees," three-year-old Charlie states.
So how can you get your message to the Mayor?
There are several ways.
Go to the April 29th forum and talk about the 27 actions identified in "Change is in the Air:
Toronto
's Commitment to an Environmentally Sustainable Future."
There will be an open house from
12pm
to
1pm
and the forum will run from
1pm
to
4pm.
Both events will be held at the Direct Energy Centre, Hall C,
Exhibition Place
.
Participants can register by: