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Hamilton Spectator
29-04-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Evidence matters': Greenbelt coalition puts science above ideology
Few warnings have the impact and clarity like the one that can be found on the last page of the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition's (SCGC) information package that promotes the benefits of expanding the Greenbelt. 'Ultimately, what happens to our environment happens as well to us and our community,' it says. In one short sentence, the local organization has attempted to cut through all of the clutter to deliver what the boxing world would call 'the knockout punch' — a claim so direct and accurate, there's virtually no room to debate it. At an education/information session Sunday afternoon, presented by the Facebook group Engaging Residents of Oro-Medonte and held at the Oro-Medonte Community Arena, a few dozen area residents turned out to hear what they can do to ensure the long-term health of their communities, watersheds and local agricultural systems. 'We're here as part of a four-part series about how the Greenbelt can be beneficial to water security in Simcoe County,' said Margaret Prophet, executive director of SCGC. 'This is the second event. We had one in Tiny Township about two weeks ago and we're going to have another one in Alliston and then up towards Clearview. 'We're talking specifically about the Oro Moraine and how important it is, not only to the residents of Oro-Medonte but to the greater water security in Simcoe County and how we can make sure that we can have places that provide our water, feed our farms, provide us with recreation and tourism dollars and make sure our communities are livable,' she added. Rather than direct the conversation with traditional talking points, the organizers of the afternoon session put the direction and onus of the conversation on those who attended. Prophet and her session 'facilitators' encouraged the residents to share their values, their vision and their concerns. 'We find that residents really know their communities best,' Prophet said. 'We're trying to have a conversation about how the Greenbelt can be beneficial for them to kind of cue into their own concerns about water security.' At one of the 'break-out' tables, the discussion ranged from how folks got their water, the value of wetlands in the community and the impacts of aggregate mining to the urbanization of rural areas. Discussing these topics, and others, allowed residents to keep their concerns top of mind so when the Greenbelt's 10-year statutory review is held sometime later this year, they'll have their input prepared and ready to go. According to Prophet, when the last review was done, the province designated Simcoe County as a high priority for Greenbelt expansion because urbanization was threatening water security. 'Growth pressures were kind of overwhelming the water table and it was written about in various reports,' Prophet said. 'So that was a proposal that was trying to figure out how do we keep the moraine and the watershed, the rivers and the wetlands, all of those things, healthy and still have room for housing. 'It's a balancing act versus an erasure of one over the other,' she added. Understanding there are competing priorities at work is essential to building the right plan, Prophet said, but it only works if everyone is using the same factual information. She said facts, not ideology, are the keys to success. 'The government's responsibility really should be 'we're making decisions based on the evidence,'' Prophet said. 'There has been this feeling of, you know, governments lie. I don't know if they necessarily lie, but at the same time, we have forgotten that evidence matters.' She compared the government's actions to an individual making an insurance claim after a car crash. 'If you make a claim, you have to tell them what the value of the vehicle is, how badly damaged it is and you have to have receipts to back it up,' Prophet said. 'We need the evidence.' She said she's made numerous presentations that have been criticized by government decision-makers because they don't like the facts — not that they disagree with them. 'The presentation I did today is a short version of what I would normally do,' Prophet said. 'It kind of feels a little bit like I'm going to depress you, but I really need you to understand what the baseline is here.' She gets that she's not delivering good news, but that doesn't sway her commitment. 'This is civics engagement 101,' Prophet said. 'Like who's doing what? Who's got your interests at heart? People need to know that someone's going to listen to them.'
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Accropeutics Secured $12 Million in Series B Plus Financing
Approximately $12 million additional financing led by Shenzhen Capital Group (SCGC), with participation from existing investor Morningside Ventures, and new investors Leader Venture Investment (SZTI) and Hefei Sci-Tec Venture Capital (HFST). Cash runway extended into the second half of 2026 NEW YORK and SUZHOU, China, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Accropeutics Inc. (Accropeutics), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of novel therapeutics that target molecular mechanisms of regulated cell death for immune mediated diseases, today announced the closing of its $12 million Series B Plus financing. The round was led by Shenzhen Capital Group (SCGC), an existing investor, with participation from Morningside Ventures, also an existing investor, and new investors Leader Venture Investment (SZTI) and Hefei Sci-Tec Venture Capital (HFST). The proceeds from the Series B Plus financing will be used to generate more clinical data for AC-101, a RIPK2 inhibitor, in an ongoing Phase Ib clinical trial for patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Accropeutics' other clinical-stage assets include AC-201, a selective TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor, currently in an ongoing Phase II trial for patients with moderate-to-severe Psoriasis, and for multiple additional indications; and AC-003, a RIPK1 inhibitor, currently in an ongoing Phase Ib trial for patients with acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGvHD). The company also has multiple I&I assets in the pre-clinical stage. Dr. Xiaohu (Jason) Zhang, Co-founder and CEO of Accropeutics, stated: " With this round of financing, we are able to continue advancing our lead programs and solidify our position as an innovative, multi-program, clinical-stage biotech company. I am grateful to our existing and new investors, who share our vision that we can transform the treatment landscape for a wide range of I&I diseases with potentially best-in-class therapies. " About Accropeutics Accropeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for immune mediated inflammatory disease, by targeting molecular mechanisms of regulated cell death. The company has a robust portfolio of innovative compounds in various stages of development, ranging from lead optimization to clinical testing. AC-101, a selective RIPK2 inhibitor, has completed Phase I clinical trials in Australia and China, and is currently undergoing a Phase Ib trial for Ulcerative Colitis (UC). AC-201, a selective TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor, has completed Phase I study in Australia and China, and is currently undergoing a Phase II trial for Psoriasis in China. AC-003, a selective RIPK1 inhibitor, has completed Phase I clinical trials in China and the United States as of August 2023, and is currently undergoing a Phase Ib clinical trial in aGVHD. Accropeutics' pipeline also includes several assets in the research and pre-clinical stages of development. Accropeutics owns global rights for all of its assets, and boasts 23 issued patents in China, Japan, Korea, US and the EU. For more information, visit Contacts Kenneth GaoSVP, Corporate Development & StrategyBD@ View original content: SOURCE Accropeutics Sign in to access your portfolio
