Carbon Reserves fund
The regional district board established a carbon neutral reserves fund at the November 7 board meeting.
The fund will provide the means to set aside budgeted carbon mitigation funds unspent at year end for future carbon mitigation initiatives.
Summerland Director Janice Perrino told the board that Summerland had found many worthwhile projects to put their carbon neutral funding to, while other directors thought it would be expedient to “put the money away until the province decides what to do with this.”
The province’s carbon neutral initiatves have come under fire recently.
“We need to create the illusion of action,” quipped one director.
Directors Motion
A director’s motion to place a moratorium on genetic foods and review present genetically engineered crops was thoroughly discussed at the November 7 regional district board meeting.
Oliver rural Director Allan Patton’s motion, described by Patton as a request to the feds to “put the brakes on and see where we’re at” with respect to GE, adding the public never had any say in the creation of existing genetically engineered crops.
In spite of declaring that he was not after a ban, several directors found the motion’s wording too strong.
However, directors also recognized the importance of the subject with respect to organic growers, especially in the Similkameen valley.
The wording of the motion was modified prior to acceptance by the board. It will be passed on to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for recommendation to the federal government.