Sarah Ivy

Unpacking in TO

2008-08-31T17:39:00.006-04:00

This week has been more than eventful. I finished my job with the City of Guelph, and I've moved to Toronto this past Thursday to start my new job at the Ontario Power Authority. My first day at the new job is Tuesday, and I'm really looking forward to it (although, slightly nervous.)

I just want to thank Dad and Uncle Ian for helping Pete and I move. Dad, thanks so much for helping us pack up, and for driving the moving truck for us - and for dealing with last minute moving craziness. Ian, thanks so much for the warm greeting to the neighbourhood, and for helping us unpack... and for photo-documenting the move-in unloading. Some of you pictures are shared below.
This is a cute picture of Pete loading the elevator for another trip up to the new apartment

Wow... we have a lot of stuff. The place was pretty full once we were done unloading.

This is our new view. We face the north side of the building. It's quiet and has lots of green space.

We are on the 4th floor - just where the tops of the trees are.

This is me, trying to figure out where to drop off the Uhaul truck.

Dad is checking out the view.

Tangent was the best little mover. She was PURRFECT in the car while I was driving. She got a little freaked out when we let her out in the new office room, but she came around pretty quick once she had her food, litter box and bedding back.

At the end of the day, Ian took us all out to dinner. Here Pete and I are happy to be in TO, but very tired from a long day. (And full from the Mandarin Buffet ;)

Best Green Party video ever

2008-08-09T09:58:00.003-04:00

Very motivating... if not somewhat cheesy. I love it!

Click here to see video.

Just a reminder... The byelection in Guelph is Sept 8th! But, you can vote anytime at the election office on Eramosa Rd!

In this byelection, the strategic vote is a Green vote.

Let's make history!

Seriously? Wow....

2008-07-22T08:06:00.004-04:00

John McCain supports offshore drilling, and approves this message!

Check out video here.

See treehugger breakdown of this video here. In summary:
-Geologists aren't 100% sure how much oil is actually available (they guess its about 17.8 billion barrels), which is 2-3 years of US demand .... offshore drilling is not a long term solution
-Production wouldn't begin until 2017 ...offshore drilling does nothing to help American families now
-Oil prices are determined on the global market ...offshore drilling will do nothing to lower the cost of fuel

Any politician who claims they can reduce the cost of oil is lying.

Gore is all 'a-buzz' in the Green blogsphere, again

2008-07-21T08:34:00.003-04:00

Check out Gore's latest speech here.

Can the US electricity come from 100% carbon emission free sources in 10 years?

Just try not to smile!

2008-07-14T20:42:00.005-04:00

A good friend of mine forwarded me this amazing video. Click here to see.

It put a smile on my face, and it will probably put one on yours.

Enjoy!!!

;)

To find out more about Matt visit: www.werethehellismat.com

Another 'mix-tape'

2008-07-06T21:15:00.003-04:00

I've been using last.fm online radio and rediscovering some old faves. Take a listen.

1. Esthero - Heaven Sent

2. Sneaker Pimps - Waterbaby

3. Tricky - Black Coffee

4. Air - All I Need

5. Gorillaz - Manana

6. Zero 7 - In the Waiting Line

On a different note:
7. The Kooks - You don't love me

8. Muse - Time Is Running Out

Why waste water washing your hands?

2008-07-04T18:33:00.002-04:00

Yes, of course you should wash your hands after using the restroom... but why waste water doing it! My co-worker came across SinkPositive while researching grey water recycling systems.

The genius about this device is the simplicity. No need to hook up fancy pumps, holding tanks or extra pipes. Clean water is used to wash you hands, but instead of being lost, it is sent into the toilet tank, where it will be held until the next flush!

See the demonstration video.

The new job

2008-07-02T08:59:00.006-04:00

For those of you that don't know, I will be starting an Intern position in September with the Ontario Power Authority located in Toronto. I will be working in the Electricity Resources Group for the manager of Distributed Generation.I will be working on the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP) and the Clean Energy Standard Offer Program (CESOP).

The Standard Offer Program makes it easier for operators of small renewable energy generating facilities to participate in Ontario's electricity supply system by supplying power through their local electricity distributors and being paid a fair and stable price for the power they provide. (OPA)

Specifically, I will be:

providing support for interested proponents of the program
attending industry events, responding to questions from generators and the public
researching other jurisdictions (Feed-in-Tariffs, SOPs)
analyzing generator produced data
providing technical assistance for generation technologies (i.e. noise, emissions)
economic and financial analysis of new technologies.
preparing and delivering presentations to the Energy Resources Group (and others)
etc...

What I really like about this position is that I will be doing something different everyday. Also, I will be helping proponents of renewable and clean energy sources and educating the public on distributed generation (small scale energy sources).

Now.... I just have to finish my thesis!

Happy Canada Day!!!

2008-07-01T09:10:00.004-04:00

Enviro Media

2008-06-28T13:41:00.003-04:00

A collection of brilliant ads promoting renewable energy, alternative transportation, climate change awareness... Are we getting the message?

Pilled-higher and Deeper

2008-06-26T10:17:00.002-04:00

A terrific comic series for all you academic types.

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php

Al Gore's newest presentation: Even more powerful

2008-04-10T09:07:00.007-04:00

Check out the post and video at ecogeek.org

What makes Gore's new presentation filled with awesomeness:

It's not about changing a bulb, it's about changing laws
He likens investment in the tar-sands to heroine junkies shooting up in their toes
Great new images that will shock and educate you (e.g. did you know that the polar ice cap was onces roughly the size of the USA?)
He calls for citizen action and the use of democracy
He highlights the divide between the "haves" and the "have nots"
He calls for a cultural awakening to the climate issues - a move from a "culture of distraction"

It's worth taking the time to watch this video. It's a recording of the first time Gore has given his new speech in public and it's powerful and moving.

Other links that might be of interest:

Pedal power

2008-04-05T09:42:00.004-04:00

These guys crack me up! Check out the original post here.

As the site says, this 86 Buick Regal has:

no engine

no transmission

no floor

no signal lights

in place of headlights? The car features tea light-candle headlights

the whole thing is entirely propelled by pedal power

Gore's newest climate change campaigns

2008-04-03T10:07:00.002-04:00

More information about Gore's recent climate change campaign is available here.

I missed 'International Pillow Fight Day' (!!!)

2008-03-24T18:24:00.006-04:00

Here's something random that might cheer you up. March 22 was International Pillow Fight Day. Pillow fights were organized in cities across the world including: Vancouver, New York, London, Melbourne, Copenhagen, LA, Chicago etc.

I'm going to have to mark this in my calendar for next year... because it looks like way to much fun. Maybe Toronto will be involved next year.

Check out:
Treehugger's article - Taking back the Streets

PillowFightDay.com

YouTube Video's

From the Pillow Fight Day website:

About The Urban Playground Movement
All over the world, groups like us organize free, fun, all ages, non-commercial public events. From a massive Mobile Clubbing event in a London train station to a giant pillow fight near the Eiffel Tower in Paris to a subway party beneath the streets of Toronto, it is clear that the urban playground is growing around the world, leaving more public and more social cities in its wake. This is the urban playground movement, a playful part of the larger public space movement.

One of our goals is to make these unique happenings in public space become a significant part of popular culture, partially replacing passive, non-social, branded consumption experiences like watching television, and consciously rejecting the blight on our cities caused by the endless creep of advertising into public space. The result, we hope, will be a global community of participants, not consumers, in a world where people are constantly organizing and attending these happenings in every major city in the world.

This project, Pillow Fight Day 2008, is a collaboration of many people who comprise a loose, decentralized network of urban playground event organizers all over the world.

We will soon be launching the website UrbanPlaygrounds.net, an international website for people who attend these events. Stay tuned :)

GIG Actions - update

2008-03-20T15:47:00.003-04:00

I made you a mix tape

2008-03-17T13:50:00.015-04:00

Maybe this is a strange mix of music... a bit random from different genres. But, they're tracks that keep reoccurring on my playlist recently. And, I thought I'd share.

1. LCD Soundsytem-Tribulations ("get your payment from the nation, for your trials and tribulations")

2. Justice vs. Simian - Never Be Alone ("because we are your friends...")

3. Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces (this song makes me want to dance!)

4. Bloc Party -Banquet

5. Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!.....)

6. Hot Chip - Boy from school ("...we try but we don't belong...")

7. Alex Gopher - Brain Leech

8. Razorlight - I can't stop this feeling I've got

9. Interpol - Evil (freaky puppet video...)

10. The Subways - Rock & Roll Queen

Thanks Marianne for the blog inspiration.

Guelph - Take action!

2008-03-10T13:06:00.002-04:00

A workshop and conservation fair. Come out and help plan a more sustainable energy future!

Links:
Green Impact Guelph (GIG)
Guelph Environmental Leadership (GEL)

my matrix

2008-03-09T13:13:00.000-04:00

A sample of my data.... vs....

The matrix...

Can you see the similarities?

How I feel about my research ...

2008-03-08T09:42:00.002-05:00

It's the end of week one of the NaTheWriMo. I feel like I've made a valiant effort on my thesis, at least more that I would have without the moral support of my friends. I had a busy week - writing, job interview, data analysis, guest lecture, battling snowy roads. I also have another job prospect with the Ontario Power Authority in Toronto for a Policy Research Intern Position.

This weekend, I need to focus a bit more on writing. Plus, I need to finish 'cleaning' my data and getting ready to do a research presentation on Tuesday (I need findings what???).

Image from here.

It's a Thesis frenzy!

2008-03-03T19:37:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has (or is attempting to) write a thesis, knows how daunting of a challenge it can be. There's a lot to keep track of, a lot of reading to do, and a lot to analyze and evaluate. Frankly, it can be overwhelming. Getting over the 'hump' is the toughest part of all. That's some of my fellow grad students started the NaTheWriMo ("NAtional" THEsis WRIting MOnth) Thesis Frenzy.

Based of the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and the Script Frenzy.

The goal is to have a draft of your thesis by the end of the month. And the trick - do not over-edit... in fact, try not to edit at all. The idea is to get words on paper... it's easier to edit a poorly written draft than it is to write a perfect thesis.

We've started a blog, to track our progress - and to keep up the moral support throughout the month.

Wish us luck!

What does our goverment have against science anyways?

2008-02-21T10:20:00.005-05:00

There are more than a few things that disturb me about our current federal government. But, recently, I'm almost at a loss for words to express how ashamed I am about the Harper government outright disregard for science, especially when it comes to environmental issues and global climate change. This month, the Harper government eliminated the position of the the national science adviser.

"The Harper government's decision to abolish the national science adviser is short-sighted and deleterious to the future of Canada. Science is driving our global culture unlike ever before; science now affects every single Canadian. Now is not the time to send a signal—domestically and internationally—that Canada just doesn't get it." - Seed Magazine

“The Mulroney government eliminated the Science Council of Canada and now the Harper government has eliminated the government’s lone science advisor,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May. “Governing without a science base is like rolling the dice on the future.” - Green Party Blog

"Brison raised the matter in Parliament. "Dr. Carty was a voice of reason on climate change, stem cell research, resource management and the environment," he said. "Does the Prime Minister not realize that his attack on science is making Canada look like the Flat Earth Society?"" - Toronto Star

"Eliminating the National Science Adviser is the latest in a string of events showing how our current government, at least at the top level, does not seem to be interested in the scientific perspective." - CBC Quirks & Quarks Blog

And, now the Harper government is snubbing the Canadian Nobel Prize winner, who shared their award with Al Gore for their contribution to writing the final report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (On a side note, I think its interesting the number of times the current Canadian Government is referred to as the "Harper" Government... I do it myself... it's almost as if I'm embarrassed as to call Harper a Canadian.)

"So what happened this past week when these Canadian scientists came to Parliament Hill for a reception in their honour with their Nobel prize tucked up underneath their arms? The Prime Minister, the guy who's job it is to represent us at these things refused to attend. The Canadian cabinet refused to attend. And why? Because these scientists, who – I don't know if I've mentioned this or not – won the Nobel Peace Prize, had the gall to do it by formulating a plan to fight climate change. And my guess is it doesn't call for an increase in oil sands production. So as a result, not a single cabinet minister would cross the hall and shake their hands." -Rick Mercer Blog

"And when all other federal party leaders unite to salute your heady accomplishment in a committee room a mere seven-iron golf shot from the Prime Minister's Office on Parliament Hill, the government responds with . . . a boycott." - The National Post

The cat post

2008-02-17T12:06:00.013-05:00

It's been almost two months since we've got our cat, Tangent. So, I think it's about time to share some pictures. Tangent and Turbo were born just before Thanksgiving 2007.

This is a picture of when she was a couple of weeks old, when she was still with her mother.

Here she is with her mother, Bear, and her sister, Turbo. (That little black mass is Tangent).
Tangent was a lot smaller than Turbo.

Here she at home in the kitchen. She's still quite small. I don't think she's going to get too much bigger.

Here you can see her colouring. She's mostly black like her father, but has orange strips and splotches like her mother. Basically she looks like the two of them combined with no fashion sense.
Tangent gets her name from her colours - tangerine.

Some facts about Tangent:
-she chases her tail
-she's very affectionate
-she LOVES paper
-she's very curious about the shower

Google maps - how far will they go?

2008-01-28T09:31:00.000-05:00

This is a good short about Google maps.

Or click here: Video

Prince Charles gives a speech via a hologram

2008-01-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

The technology looks a little rough still. But, I think it's a terrific idea. Prince Charles is truly leading by example.

What Would Jesus Buy?

2007-12-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

Sho•po•ca•lypse [shah PAW kuh lips] n. The end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt!

From the man that brought you Supersize Me... A harsh critic of the consumerism hysteria that comes about during the holiday season - What Would Jesus Buy?

This movie is definitely on my To-Watch list.

Top ten: News stories from National Geographic 2007

2007-12-16T12:52:00.000-05:00

National Geographic recently listed their top ten news stories of 2007.

10. Meteor Crash in Peru Caused Mysterious Illness (September 21, 2007)
Headaches and nausea in residents who visited the impact crater were caused by arsenic fumes from a rare kind of meteorite, scientists announced.

9. Jesus' Tomb Found in Israel, Filmmakers Claim (February 26, 2007)
A tomb that once held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth—and those of his wife and son—has been found in a suburb of Jerusalem, according to the makers of a controversial film.

8. Interspecies Sex: Evolution's Hidden Secret? (March 14, 2007)
Hybridization is not only widespread in nature, but it might also spawn many more new species than previously thought, a new study says.

7. Huge Underground "Ocean" Found Beneath Asia (February 27, 2007)
A giant blob of water the size of the Arctic Ocean has been discovered hundreds of miles beneath eastern Asia, scientists report.

6. "Dinosaur Mummy" Found; Has Intact Skin, Tissue (December 3, 2007)
Scientists announced the discovery of an extraordinarily preserved "dinosaur mummy"—a 67-million-year-old hadrosaur with much of its tissues and bones still encased in an uncollapsed envelope of skin.

5. Crater From 1908 Russian Space Impact Found, Team Says (November 7, 2007)
Almost a century after a mysterious explosion in Russia flattened a huge swath of Siberian forest, scientists have found what they believe is a crater made by the cosmic object that created the blast.

4. Stonehenge Settlement Found: Builders' Homes, "Cult Houses" (January 30, 2007)
A major prehistoric village unearthed near Stonehenge likely housed the builders of the famous monument, archaeologists say, and was an important ceremonial site.

3. Mass Plague Graves Found on Venice "Quarantine" Island (August 29, 2007)
Ancient mass graves containing more than 1,500 victims of the bubonic plague have been discovered on a small island in Italy's Venetian Lagoon.

2. Monster Glowing Squid Caught on Camera (February 14, 2007)
Monster-size, deep-sea squid that use their glowing arms to blind and stun their prey have been filmed in the wild for the first time off southeastern Japan, scientists say.

1. Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says (February 28, 2007)
Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human-induced—cause, according to a controversial theory

Dreaming of greener holidays

2007-12-07T11:10:00.000-05:00

This year, I've made a personal commitment to making this holiday season a bit greener than the last. I've participated in the holiday season in the past, knowing that I'm having a negative impact on the environment, but ignoring the consequences. So, here's my plan...

1. Stay out of the malls! Shop locally and support the downtown community. I'm also going to go to craft-fairs and markets. This will mean that I will have to plan ahead to get all my shopping done early to avoid the last minute panic dash to the mall. (It's probably going to make me less stressed in the long run too)

2. No more useless gifts! I'm not going to by "stuff" for the sake of a present. I'm going to by thoughtful and meaningful presents. This might also mean that instead of buying a big item I'll buy tickets to a concert or restaurant gift cards. For the people on the list that I'd normally buy smaller gifts for, instead of giving a trinket, I'll bake some cookies or make Irish cream. Maybe I'll even knit something.

3. No more paper! I'm not wrap any of my present. I might put a bow or ribbon to dress it up a bit. If I get really ambitious, I might sew a gift bag out of scraps of material. So, if you get an unwrapped present from me this year, it's not because I'm lazy, it's because I love you.

Those are my three goals for this year. Nothing too extraordinary, or innovative. Simple stuff. There's lots of other things that we all can do this year too.

- serve local produced and/or organic food and beverages

- buy a Christmas tree that you can plant in your yard in the spring

- instead of buying gifts for people, make a donation in their name to a local charity

- use only LED lighting

- purchase carbon offsets for your extra emissions created over the holidays

Belated update on my trip to California

2007-11-22T18:54:00.000-05:00

As you may or may not know, I recently went to the Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference in Sacramento California.

The trip was an awesome experience. I headed out to the airport with my friend and colleague Jen at 3:30am Wednesday morning. We arrived in San Francisco and had enough time to do a bit of exploring and eat lunch. It was a gorgeous day, but we didn't have a lot of time to spend there before we needed to catch our bus to Sacramento. (And just a short note: the Greyhound in the US is not the same as in Canada... they're very very sketchy... but we arrived in Sacramento safely)

The resort where the conference was held was beautiful. The conference speakers and the sessions were very informative and useful for my thesis work. My poster presentation was well received, and I got a lot of good feedback. I made a lot of great professional contacts.

There were several key themes presented at this conference, including: the acceleration of technology adoption and appropriate use, climate change policies and programs, individual action and decision making, models of behavior, and media and marketing. It was interesting to see the focus on technology, a very capitalistic approach to the climate change problem. There was very little talk about the actual curtailment of energy using behaviour. Rather, the bulk of the conversations were about how to live our lives more efficiently - without having to change our core behaviors.

This conference had several big political connection. Governor Arie sent a letter to the conference attendees (actually, I expect that the reason that they held the conference in Sacramento was because they were hoping that he was going make an appearance.) And, the co-president of Al Gore's organization Alliance for Climate Protection gave an inspirational key note address.

I got to see quite a bit of Sacramento. I was treated to dinner in Old Sacramento with some of the other Canadian attendees on Thursday night after the poster session. Old Sacramento has an Old West theme and is quite touristy.

I got to see the rest of downtown Sacramento on Friday night. Jen and I, along with another grad student we met, went out to a fancy-ish restaurant for dinner and a drink. Afterwards we went for a walk and saw the the State Capitol and other important state buildings. It's a beautiful city, but a little sketchy... the state prison and court houses are right downtown... surrounded by many many Bail Bonds.

Unfortunately, the only day that I had to see San Francisco was Saturday and the weather didn't co-operate - it was pouring rain. However, I made the most of it by visiting with a friend I had met at the conference - a PhD student at Sanford - and some of his friends. We went out for lunch, and then went out for a few drinks before I caught my plane home.

The only thing I regret is that I didn't take very many pictures.... I didn't really have time between rushing to conference sessions, traveling and bad weather. Not a good excuse though.

That about sums it up!

A crude awakening: the oil crash

2007-10-17T20:43:00.000-04:00

This looks like a really interesting film. Nothing really new, but it seems to portray the urgency of the energy crisis.

I encourage you to check out the website: http://www.oilcrashmovie.com/

Post-election impressions

2007-10-12T10:27:00.000-04:00

I'm not surprised with the results of the October 10th Election and Referendum. On the surface, the Ontario Parliament remained essentially the same. We have a Liberal majority government, PC opposition, a few NDPs and no Greens. But, beneath the surface, I sense that change is just around the corner.

Although they didn't win any seats, the Greens increased their support 3 fold from the 2003 election. Up from 2.7% to 8%. No other party has come close to this amount of change. In addition, there were several notable achievements from individual Green Party candidates. Shane Jolley in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound came a close second with over 33% support. And, in my own riding in Guelph, Ben Polley came in third with over 19% support.

More hope is given to me when I look at the results from the Student Vote - a mock election held in schools. If these students had there way, Ontario would remain Liberal a liberal majority, but would have a Green Party opposition.

As for the Referendum, I have to say, that I was not at all shocked with the results. The change seemed confusing to people. In fact, I have heard several reports from friends working at the election booths, that people weren't sure what the question meant. I don't think that the government did a good job of educating the public (why would they... when they are currently benefiting from the current system).

Did anyone else notice something wrong with the "Your Big Decision" television campaigns? Every time the person in the commercial said "Yes" to the question, something bad happened... hmmm.

In the end, MMP was rejected - overwhelmingly rejected. But, two statistics stand out in my mind that give me hope for the future. Firstly, more people voted in the referendum than in the election (something like 55% vs. 50%). Secondly, of the people ages 18-34, 67% were in favour of adopting the MMP electoral system.

Change happens slowly. For those of you who are disappointed with the results of this election, don't loose hope. There are always more elections. Don't feel defeated, your vote does matter.

California here I come!

2007-10-04T15:34:00.000-04:00

I recently got some very awesome news. I was chosen to present a poster of my research at the Behavior, Energy and Climate Change conference held at the beginning of November in Sacramento! Even better, I have the trip and all my expenses covered by the Ontario Centres of Excellence Professional Outreach Award.

I'm super excited. This will be the first time that I've had an opportunity to present my work and my research to a group of other professionals and academics. Also, this will be the first time that I've traveled anywhere on a plane in my adult life. Plus, I get to stay at a really fancy hotel!

Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures to come!

I want to hear what Frank has to say!

2007-09-18T14:09:00.000-04:00

Poor Frank... left out in the cold. And, left out of the leaders' debate... AGAIN!

Please sign the petition to help get Frank included, even if you aren't a supporter of the Green Party. They got 11% of the popular vote! What more do the televisions networks want!?!

The petition is available at http://www.letfrankin.ca/

A bit about my research

2007-09-17T11:51:00.001-04:00

My friends and family are always wondering about my research thesis. So, I've copied below an abstract that I've written about the my research. Note, that not all of what has been said here is completed yet, and I haven't analyzed any of my data... though that is going to happen soon. Please feel free to comment or ask questions!

TOU and Vulnerable Households: A case study of electricity consumption behaviour
Through the Smart Metering Initiative in the Canadian province of Ontario, all residential households will be converted to a time-of-use (TOU) rate pricing system for electricity by the year 2010. Although TOU rates are designed to be cost-neutral for the average consumer, research suggests that TOU rates may affect consumers differently depending on their socioeconomic characteristics. In an effort to understand the effects of TOU rates on lower-income and senior-headed households, researchers from the University of Waterloo conducted a collaborative study with Milton Hydro throughout the Summer and Fall of 2007. Ten expert interviews were conducted with Ontario professionals working in government, environmental non-profit and citizen advocacy organizations in order to provide context for the study. Time-differentiated electricity consumption data were then collected from 201 units in affordable housing and senior housing complexes in Milton, Ontario between May and October 2007. Researchers determined if the households were expected, given their then-current electricity consumption patterns, to have their electricity costs rise or fall as they moved from the traditional ‘flat rate’ pricing system to the TOU pricing system. They also determined the household response to TOU rates by calculating the proportion of electricity shifted to off-peak periods or conserved during on-peak periods as a result of the introduction of the new pricing system. This research emphasizes the relationship between energy policy and environmental equity and demonstrates the influence of socioeconomic characteristics in energy conservation behaviour.

A crucial time to cast your vote

2007-09-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest environmental decision facing Ontarians in the next month is the referendum on electoral reform. Under the current first-pasted-the-post electoral system, parties like the Ontario Green Party only have an outside chance at winning a seat in the provincial legislator. Even though they represent about 10% of the popular vote, since they've never gotten the majority of the votes within one district, the provincial Greens have never had any of their candidates elected. Under the proposed mixed member proportional system (MMP), if 10% of Ontarians vote for the Green Party, than 10% of the seats will go to the Greens!

Obviously, I'm in favour of the new system. I've summarized some of the arguments for and against the new system:

Arguments for MMP:
-more choice - choose the party and the candidate
-fairer results - 10% means 10%!
-stronger representation
-eliminates "wasted" votes (know that your vote will count towards something!)

Arguments against MMP:
-17 fewer local ridings (is thought to be less representative)
-39 politicians not chosen specifically by voters
-22 more politicians and their staff at Queen's Parkand vote-counting system

Arguements for FPTP:
-hmm....?? (honestly.. the official site for the "No MPP" campaign just bashes MPP and but doesn't say anything that's good about FPTP)

Arguments against FPTP:
-less representation (only the "most popular" in each riding wins)
-distorts the will of the voters
-produces phony majority governments
-fails to produce accountable governments
-results in low percentage of elected women and visible minorities

To get this new electoral system is going to be tough! They've set the stakes pretty hight. This MMP will become law only IF:

a) 50% of the voters in 64 electoral districts vote for Mixed Member Proportional
AND
b)At least 60% of all the referendum ballots across the province choose the alternative system recommended by the Citizens' Assembly.

EVERY VOTE IS CRUCIAL!!!!

To learn about how and why MPP was selected check out this video.

To learn about how the electoral system will work check out this video.