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The Leamington area along the north shore of Lake Erie houses the greatest concentration of vegetable greenhouses in North America.

But Gilvesy said Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan rules threaten his industry. Greenhouses, like every industry in the province, in January became subject to Ontario’s cap-and-trade rules, designed to curb the emissions, mainly carbon dioxide, that cause global warming.

We are competing against the U.S. and Mexico who do not have a carbon tax George Gilvesy — Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers

The rules force industry to pay $18 a tonne for carbon, a rate that could be $50 a tonne by 2025.

Gilvesy said it will cost his industry $10 million this year, which is unfair. Although greenhouses burn fossil fuels, mainly natural gas, to keep plants warm in winter, thus producing carbon dioxide, they also consume carbon dioxide since they need more than what is in the ambient air to thrive.

To understand why, you need to go back to high school biology. All plants and trees use photosynthesis to grow. Plants harness sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The plant then releases the oxygen into the atmosphere, while the hydrogen mixes with carbon dioxide to form plant food.

“We are using CO2 and the plants need CO2,” Gilvesy said. “Cap and trade is very bad policy. We are competing against the U.S. and Mexico, who do not have a carbon tax.”

Gary Wheeler, a spokesperson at Ontario’s environment ministry, said in an email that Ontario recognizes that in a changing climate, the greenhouse sector will become one of the most important sources of locally grown food.