Diseases jump from animals to humans due to habitat loss

Re Crombie quits as Greenbelt chairman, Dec. 6

The mass resignation of members of Doug Ford’s Greenbelt Council is a wake-up call for the public to protest impending changes to Schedule 6 of Bill 229.

Does anyone really understand why we are in this pandemic mess in the first place?

I urge everyone; decision-makers, policymakers and the public at large to view the recent airing of W5’s report on bats, called “The Host.”

Every country in the world is guilty of raping natural habitats for Big Development, which results in native species being displaced and increases the likelihood of zoonoses (infectious disease caused by a pathogen that has jumped from an animal to a human) spreading deadly disease.

Lorraine Waller, East Gwillimbury, Ont.

I sent this letter to Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing, Steve Clark.

“Minister Clark, your blatant abuse of your power to grant minister's zoning orders ( MZOs) with no regard to environmental concerns or the will of local populations is very disturbing. I heard you on the news the other day commenting on the mass resignation of members of the Greenbelt council. You said, in so many words, that they weren’t doing anything to expand the Greenbelt anyways, so good riddance. Meanwhile, after 35 MZOs and counting, you seem to be doing the bidding of your developer friends and are reducing any ability to expand the Greenbelt on your own.

“Do you have any idea what flood plains are for or the purpose of wetlands in watersheds?

“Stop this recklessness now! Or better still resign, so that a minister with better values and appreciation for the stewardship of the land can be appointed. What you are doing is not fooling anyone.”

Ian McCrae, Port Hope, Ont.