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in future, because this council and planâ€" ning staff seem more concerned with the appearance of meeting provincial requests (they don‘t have enough teeth to be requirements) that 25 percent of housing being built is affordable. This council gets Next month will be the halfâ€"way point in thelifedthhcityeoundl.ltillm time to take a look at how they are doing. For my money, they are not living up to early expectations. To be fair, Waterloo‘s "reform" council has been more accessible and presented an image of being more open to city residents. However, there are still a lot of areas with minimal improvement over the last council. They include: CRelying on staff too much. The main purpoaeoflbureanautismmethhor her own butt. Politicians are to direct council has yet to fully learn this. CVery friendly relations with developâ€" ers. Council ofiex;{mmm with the rights to “M&ndp“luvwh-wv:z::‘dofbuflding they want than they seem concerned about what kind of city the residents want. Council gets high marks for image, low for results 5pmu-mmnomw,qg§./w (Opinion Bravo! Waterloo, on really taking Earth Day to heart. It was a special day indeed as people paused to think aboutmntenmlifleonthilbuufifulbutfngile planet. The parks were full as families took walks or bike rides to appreciate nature. The University of Waterloo hadab\uydayuhnndredahn'mdoutfortbeirdnyof oelebntion.Anddonmofvolunteenmrnedmttonpply nlittlefirstnidtohml(}ruk.m uy Most of us probably celebrated this special in one formm-anoths.Butitilnotm,forthorealwof earthdnthmthdayuflnpivohlpointinhn'niu around the health of Mother Earth. Every day must be Earth Day if our grandchildren are to inherit a liveable world, a world with trees, clean waters, and breathable air. Sotodayisthedaytomrttnkingnriouslytheadvice of environmentalists who tell us that by changing our erroneous ways, the planet can be saved. It is time to integrate environmentalism into our everyday lives. It is timewonlybuywhatwemusthave,tomeverything we can, and recycle what is left. It is time to reduce our use of chemicals that poison our environment and, ultimately, our children. And it is time when we enter polling booths in the future that we truly excercise our democratic power and judge our politicians on what they will do for environment above all other issues. Talk isn‘t enough Happy Earth Lifetime. Then there is the "environment first" policy. Even that seems to have run out of steam. It got off to a good start with policies for developers to follow, a decision to restore Laurel Creek, and the appointâ€" ment of an environmental coâ€"ordinator within the bureaucracy. But things seem to have pretty much Waterloo has emanated from the hallowed chambers. What about a revitalized Upâ€" town, saving the old Globe warehouse, creating a Granville Island tourist attracâ€" fimmCmbarm?Whltlbmthmdng Uptown, affordable housing, a humane and workable city of neighborhoods? What Waterloo needs is a John Sewell on council. seem to operate dayâ€"toâ€"day. Apart from Lynne Woolstencroft and Brian Turnbull‘s became a policy, no imaginative vision of a zip mark on this one, so far. CVision. The maiority of "Environment First"? You judge. Other examples abound: OUnlike the city‘s recycling committee, the "creek committee" will not be "grassâ€" roots." In fact, it has a panel of "experts" to vet any citizen suggestions. Problem is, those soâ€"called experts are part of the current problem with creeks. The GRCA is on the panel, and it has a wellâ€"documented fetish with concrete creek banks. dampfiondounotinclnbmythingtodo with actually fighting for environemental city employee to implement. Yet, putting "environment first" is not inâ€" cluded in their job descriptions, though C%&Bob things ha iti.b:esoz:om. point is thi ven‘t been t through with regard to the environment. Just this Monday council voted to declare National Consumer Week. Now even a (kadothm-tudantuntellyouthato?m of saving this planet lies in each of us becoming conservers rather than consumâ€" ers. So was council asleep at the switch, or stalled. The environmental coâ€"ordinator is The point is, an Environment First policy wbinfnnallmudtymhall.&om personnel department to finance department. Council did the easy stuff some time ago, and then the momentum seems to have been lost. And there is no momentuni at all right now with affordable hmmnlg or a city vmmluIAmp].wf A d.sntl;u council an. us for image public relations and a B minus for results. onmental track records. City hall could be investing in some of the most irresponsible mining and forestry companies for all we mental matters â€" is hung up on that one. COLast year the city made $3.357 million in investment income. Yet there are no guidelines to the finance department to invest only in companies with and it works and looks good, too. But the goou oio vegimorny. dipartinnnd =â€" Wfi endless frustration on environâ€" |~ ’ud!m“.n' '“-hln t'h;*.""nâ€"â€". l";’“ eouldthenhhrccychbluu:lych as.corruâ€" gated urdboabn'.l, batteries, oil, fifine paper there to recycled. Guelph one, and it works great. and looks good. too. But urging the city to establish several recyâ€" OThe recycling committee has been 40X wihe ces . oarats abte Q‘“ hike o io t has e Te CP esCn# 43 S i mee.