Cive 240 Engineering and Sustainable Development

Assignment 1

May 13, 2014 Grace Sung-Ji Lee 20475239


Politicians have the great ability to leverage their authority to push sustainable initiatives, and in
recent mayoral campaigns, Chow and Tory proposed to increase tree planting. Although this
pitch appears a well-guided step towards offsetting damaging human behavior, its laden with
issues. The planning, implementation and management of these trees must be handled carefully
to maximize their positive impact, but this proposal seems mostly gimmick; the politicians are
trying to please voters - taxpayers. In response, they create their campaign around saving
taxpayers money, which can stimulate efficient use of capital, but also lead to poor work. If
Chow truly intends on minimizing costs of planting trees, proper studies on which species to
plant where, the land, the density, and likelihood of survival would be quickly disregarded. The
maintenance and care for these trees if improperly planted will be high, or well risk losing the
planted, effectively leading to no meaningful work done. In our economic slump, I believe
Toronto would benefit most from large investments in initiative(s) that directly benefit both
voters and the environment. As elections near, it is important for candidates to have
sustainability in mind and plans, but also to gain the power to implement it.

Article:
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2014/04/25/olivia_chow_proposes_1_million_trees_at_n
o_cost_to_taxpayers.html#

Olivia Chow proposes 1 million trees at no cost to
taxpayers
Toronto mayoral candidate says she could plant more trees by changing the fees paid by polluting
businesses.

By: Jennifer Pagliaro News reporter, Published on Fri Apr 25 2014
Olivia Chow has become the second mayoral candidate to promise stepped-up tree planting Toronto
but says her plan to plant an extra 1 million trees over the next decade will cost taxpayers nothing.
An emailed release from Chows campaign on Friday, following the Green Living Show, said Chow
would start by planting an extra 100,000 trees in 2015, following a year in which the citys tree
canopy was devastated by storms, beetles and Rob Ford.
Chow said that as mayor, shed pay for the new trees and hire 500 youth over five years by changing
the way polluting businesses pay for the city to treat environmentally harmful discharges in the
sewage system.
Businesses currently pay the city to treat waste water for chemicals they release into the system, such
as nitrogen and phosphorous. But Chows campaign says the city comes out behind in the end, losing
$3.5 million annually.
Chow would take actions to recoup those funds and put them toward planting trees, the email said.
In all, the goal would be to plant 1 million trees over 10 years.
Our trees clean more than a million tons of carbon a year, help with storm runoff and deliver
cleaner air by filtering air pollution, Chow was quoted as saying. They also make our city better and
more liveable, and we deserve better than a mayor who thinks they dont count.
On Tuesday, mayoral candidate John Tory proposed planting more trees as well, but at an additional
cost.
Tory proposed doubling the citys tree-planting budget, adding $7 million annually, for a total of $14
million, and aiming to see 3.8 million trees planted, by the city and partners, over 10 years.
Chow and Tory have both distanced themselves on this issue from Mayor Rob Ford, who has
opposed using any taxpayer money to plant trees and in January tabled a motion at city council to
cut all current funding.
The citys tree canopy, previously at about 28 per cent still far from the official goal of 40 per cent
took a hit after the December ice storm and is additionally threatened by the emerald ash borer.