The following letter to the editor was published in six community daily newspapers in August 2007:

Natural Gas Vehicles and Ontario's Proposed Green Plate Program

The McGuinty government's commitment to environmentally-friendly transportation options is laudable and timely. This is good news for lower carbon transportation alternatives such as natural gas vehicles. Using proven technologies, natural gas vehicles reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 20 per cent, while also reducing other smog causing emissions.

There are also renewable sources of natural gas, such as biomethane, produced from landfill gas and biomass, that can be used in conventional natural gas vehicles. Sweden currently has more than half of its natural gas vehicles operating on biomethane. These include vehicles used for transit, personal-use and service vehicles, such as garbage trucks.

With more than 50 companies (mostly small and midsized businesses) involved in the natural gas vehicle industry in Ontario, natural gas vehicles are a market-based solution that can reduce the environmental impact of transportation while helping Ontario meet both its low carbon transportation and cleaner air goals. I applaud the province's leadership.

Alicia Milner, Ottawa
President, Canadian Natural Gas
Vehicle Alliance