Understanding Climate Change: The Natural Resources Stewardship Project reconsiders the Kyoto Protocol (Kyoto Accord) and Canada's environmental policy.

NRSP's investigation into Ontario Minister of the Environment Laurel Broten's used oil heater ban

The Situation:

Under pressure from various environmental organizations and apparently desiring to appear environmentally conscious leading up to the provincial election in the fall, Ontario Minister of Environment Laurel Broten announced on January 11, 2007 that she was planning to ban used oil heating in most of the province.

Note: Background information on this technology can be read here and here. NRSP does not necessarily endorse or contest information on these sites.

NRSP took particular interest in this ban because of two factors:

1 – Broten’s exceptionally strong language about how the ban would contribute to ‘stopping climate change’, an obviously impossible objective. Like the incandescent light bulb ban, the used oil heating ban appeared to be a prime example of how ‘climate hysteria’ was starting to intrude into the everyday lives of average citizens.

2 – The ban seemed like an ideal pilot study to initiate under our newly launched NRSP Science Audit Centre. As NRSP Chair, Dr. Tim Ball explained when the Centre was announced, “Their [governments enabling environmental policies] plans must be subject to unbiased, transparent and scientifically rigorous hearing processes in which experts from all sides of environmental issues are invited to testify along with the affected parties." NRSP wanted to understand the process that had been followed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in their decision to enable the used oil heating ban to see if it met with normal environmental assessment standards.

Chronology of Events

April 18, 2007: Many political leaders, including Minister Broten were notified of NRSP’s launch of its Science Audit Centre and sent a copy of our press release in which the Centre’s objectives were described.
April 20, 2007: Email to Minister Broten, asking her to share with NRSP the process she used to decide to ban used oil heating in Ontario. Click here to read letter to Minister Broten.
April 23, 2007: Courier package sent to Minister Broten including the above e-mail and a cover letter – Canada Post recorded that the letter was signed for by the Minister’s staff as having been successfully received.
May 10, 2007: Having received no response at all from the Minister concerning our previous correspondence, a news release was issued and the Minister was notified, asking for a response.
May 12, 2007: Call-in to Nick at Night on CFRA to discuss the increasing problem of governments banning specific technologies to supposedly "stop climate change".
May 17, 2007: First newspaper OpEd piece published on this issue - written by Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris for the Peterborough Examiner.
May 17, 2007: E-mail sent to Minister Broten alerting her to the OpEd and asking for an answer to our communications.
May 17, 2007: E-mail sent to all Ontario MPPs alerting them to our communications with Minister Broten concerning the used oil heating ban and the fact that she had yet to respond. Separate e-mail also sent to Premier McGuinty; Premier’s auto-response may be viewed here. First response from an MPP may be seen here.
May 26, 2007: Canada Free Press article by Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris published on the topic. Picked up on various Web pages and blogs – here is a sample.
May 26, 2007: Having received no response from Minister Broten, NRSP alerted all MPPs to our CFP article. Premier McGuinty notified separately.
May 28, 2007: Toronto Sun piece by Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris published on the used oil heating issue.
May 28, 2007: NRSP alerted all MPPs to the publishing.
May 29, 2007: Interview with NRSP Executive Director Tom Harris on The Gary Doyle Show on 570 News radio in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario – used oil heating ban focused on. Click here to listen to interview.
May 30, 2007: “No proof, just bad bans”, OpEd newspaper piece by Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris, Ottawa Sun.
June 4, 2007: Discussion broadcast on Late Night Counsell of Ottawa's CFRA radio – how the used oil heating ban may be a serious threat to many Ontario small businesses that use or produce advanced energy and pollution reduction technology was discussed. Click here to listen to discussion.
June 5, 2007: NRSP alerted all MPPs to the new publishings and interviews.
June 5, 2007: First ‘form letter’ responses from MPPs, but not Minister Broten:

Click to see pages one and two of the form letter forwarded “with the compliments of John R. O’Toole”, Conservative MPP – letter written well before NRSP’s approach to Minister Broten and so did not address questions asked of Ms. Broten. Click to see pages one and two of essentially the same form letter from the Minister of Intergovernmental Relations and Democracy Renewal.
June 6, 2007: “Burning questions”, by Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris, the Windsor Star.
June 9, 2007: “Imposed bans may be more hurtful than helpful; Now it's used heating oil - what's next?”, by Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris, Owen Sound Sun Times.
June 11, 2007: NRSP alerted all MPPs to the above publishings.
June 23, 2007: Discussion of the used oil heating ban broadcast on Nick at Night on CFRA Radio in Ottawa, Ontario.
June 27, 2007: After waiting for over two months for the Minister to respond, NRSP finally reached out to the leading manufacturer of used oil heaters in Ontario to learn more about the situation. We discovered that the ban would be finalized within “a few days”. NRSP was also told that, even though industry representatives had proposed that the government set a sector specific 50 – 80% reduction in the allowable emissions standards of heavy metals and other pollutants that are issued in small quantities from the furnaces and that they would continue the research to reduce emission standards still further, the Minister rejected the proposal and is going ahead with the ban regardless. NRSP asks whether there is any level of emissions that would satisfy the Minister. As NRSP have explained repeatedly, government bans or promotions of specific energy and pollution technologies or products is inappropriate. They should simply set reasonable emission and other standards and let the marketplace determine winners and losers.
June 28, 2007: “Climate rhetoric does not justify bad policy; Minister needs to come clean on used oil heater ban” by Tom Harris and Dr. David Wojick, Canada Free Press.
June 28, 2007: “Climate rhetoric does not justify bad policy” by Dr. David Wojick and Tom Harris, Owen Sound Sun Times.
June 28, 2007: NRSP issues a CNW Newswire press release about the coming used oil heater ban and the total lack of response from Minister Broten to our April 20, 2007 and other enquiries on the issue.
June 28, 2007: MPPs sent e-mail notifying them of the release and expressing our disappointment with the Minister’s intransigence in not responding to us.
June 28, 2007: One (only) MPP responds.
June 29, 2007: Minister Broten’s ban of used oil heating becomes official with posting on Ontario’s Environmental registry.
July 5, 2007: “Climate rhetoric does not justify bad policy”, By Dr. David Wojick and Tom Harris, Orangeville Citizen.
July 25, 2007: Ontario Minister of the Environment Laurel Broten sends letter to Tom Harris.

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