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6- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday May 5, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary Guest Columnist Leading the fight against climate change Kevin Flynn Oakville MPP Today, energy is a global issue. It's a security issue. It's an economic issue, and it's a climate change issue. Energy touches all aspects of our lives ­ it has become a key global issue that will require vision and leadership from governments, the pub- NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director TERI CASAS Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production Metroland Media Group Ltd. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Caledon Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Media Group Ltd. Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Kevin Flynn RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION lic and private sectors. We need to ensure Ontario has enough power to grow long into the future, but how do we meet that demand without compromising our future? The first thing we need to do is recognize that the age of cheap energy is over; the time for taking electricity for granted is in the past. What's needed now is action. Because climate change is a global issue, we need to think big; we need to be innovative in our approach; and we need to show leadership. That's exactly what we are doing. The McGuinty liberals are the first Ontario government in over a decade to make energy and the environment a top priority. In the past four years, Ontario has emerged as a leader in North America and the world when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We're the first jurisdiction in the world committed to phasing out coal-fired generation. Since 2003, we've cut generation from coal plants by 17 per cent. As a result, carbon dioxide emissions are down by 15 per cent -- a reduction equivalent to taking 1.1 million cars off the road. We've made Ontario the leader for solar power in North America. One of the world's largest solar farms is being built in Sarnia, and will supply 40 megawatts of emissionfree electricity when it's needed most. The worst in Canada under the previous government, Ontario has now become the leader in wind power generation in Canada under the McGuinty government. Ontario now has four commercially operating wind farms, including Canada's largest in Sault Ste. Marie. Ontario was the first in Canada to ban inefficient lighting, a move that's inspiring other jurisdictions to follow with bans of their own. We're leading the way when it comes to smart metering -- giving Ontarians a tool to fight climate change and control their energy costs by moving usage to off-peak hours. We're the first Ontario government in 10 years to have a robust energy conservation strategy. We're building a culture of conservation, and treating electricity like the precious resource it is. We have made possible up to $2 billion in funding for conservation initiatives -- more than any other government in this province's history. This investment is funding over 500 conservation programs being delivered by local distribution companies. We have also launched five province wide programs through the Ontario Power Authority's Conservation Bureau. From supply, to transmission, to conservation, our government has taken a comprehensive approach to ensuring Ontario is heading on the right path for the 21st century. Ontarians need a reliable power system that doesn't leave a legacy of economic or environmental debt, and that's what our government is delivering. We're leading the world when it comes to fighting climate change, and we're doing it by putting Ontario first. Survey's contentious results confirmed by Ernie in asparagus In the unending battle of the sexes, in the ongoing gender war, your intrepid correspondent ­ imbedded deep behind opposition lines, and (happily) sleeping with the (alleged) enemy ­ is pleased to report a triumph for the good side. That is, a rare victory for men! Yes, ladies, contrary to the oft-expressed opinions of Oprah, contrary to what you may well hear on CityLine, contrary to what you've been told, and what you probably believe, and what you are forever telling the man in your life, a new study has concluded that women do not ­ I repeat, do not ­ work longer or harder than men. According to the results of an exhaustive 25-country survey that examined the way people spend their time ­ with days divided into broad categories such as working in the home (housework), working out of the home, leisure, and taking care of "biological" business ­ three international economists determined that men and women work the same amount of hours each day and every week. Despite what the (delusional) woman in your life tries to tell you. And, surprisingly, these findings held true pretty much around the globe, in rich countries and in poor countries. Now, the women I know would be annoyingly quick to point out that the three international economists in question here are, well, all men. Secondly, they would wonder aloud at how men can possibly be doing as much work as women when women put in long hours at work and then come home and put in another shift on the home-front? Well, according to the research, men are working longer hours then ever at the Andy Juniper office and, to boot, they are pulling more weight than ever at home. And while I know women who would laugh and say this just isn't true, I happen to know that it is. Just the other day, I ran into my buddy Ernie at the supermarket and, amid the asparagus, we were opining over this very tender gender issue. "Used to be," Ernie said, "I'd come to the grocery store because that's where all the hotties were (and, by "hotties," I think he was referring to sexy women, not jalapeno peppers). "Now," he lamented, glancing around the store at the predominantly male customers, "now there's nobody here but guys like us." Not that there's anything wrong with guys like us, but, in Ernie's mind, we don't hold a candle to hotties. Granted, the asparagus survey isn't exactly science, but you surely get my drift. According to the real survey, men around the world put in more of what was called "market work" (office work) while women put in more hours at what they deemed "home work." However, when combined, these hours totaled the same for both sexes (7.9 hours per day on average; leisure weekend hours decreasing the overall average). So, why do women feel so downtrodden and beleaguered, and why does it seem (from a female perspective, anyway) that men have so much more leisure time? Because men do indeed have on average 20-60 minutes more leisure time each day! And how do they attain this coveted down time? They tend to sleep less than women and they spend less time on "other biological necessities". And now, I must go. Because, as we all know, a man's work is never done. As for the women in the vast readership: ladies, you're going to have to find something else to be mad about, other ammo in the gender war. Hey, how about the darn toilet seat that the slug-of-a-man in your life keeps leaving up? Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajuniper@strangledeggs.com