The truth of finding new renewable energy sources and building the societies and economies of the future around harvesting and processing them cannot be denied. In other words, we evolve as a species technologically or we die.
It’s also a fact that our inevitable destruction at our own hands is not really that imminent. I have heard many jokes and insults alike hurled at liberals for worrying too much, to fast and too soon about the state of our planet and of the environment, while we fully know that things won’t go down tomorrow.
After all, the Liberal Party is not the Green Party. Now that’s a case of too soon and too worried!
But how can it be said that things such as hydro bills, dirty jobs, cannabis usage and other petty problems are the priority of humanity and in particular Canadians? The truth is that things like jobs and anything else manufactured by us are replaceable, while the Earth itself isn’t.
Thus many should realize that it is in our best interest to act on the impending threat sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, Conservatives don’t seem to think much of causing irreversible damage to the environment; I mean after all, the environment is not a priority for their masters out west.
Why should it be though? As mass producers of fossil fuel, they sit comfortably, albeit temporarily, on a stockpile of black gold, a stockpile which they promise to feed and sell intravenously by pipeline to their true compatriots, the always hungry Americans.
I swear by reading David Frum’s column, a pretty intelligent and usually well spoken commentator, titled, “Doubling down on the green-jobs money pit” in the National Post today was like reading a hurriedly scribbled note on a scrap of toilet paper by a Conservative that just discovered marijuana and smoked it for the first time.
His opening salvo didn’t make much sense. In it he likened the Green energy industry and its job creation stratagem to the exotic fruit industry, an impracticality here in Ontario due to obvious climate challenges in growing things such as bananas and mangoes.
It was like saying we shouldn’t conduct solar energy research in the North Pole, where the air is cleaner, because we can’t grow plants there yet. It is an argument from the point of view of climatic unsuitability that has nothing to do with solar energy research, just like Frum’s bananas and coconuts argument.
Also Mr. Frum, usually a proponent of free markets and good enterprise, took an unexpected jab at companies that have been offered deals to spearhead the development of the green energy industry here in Ontario.
Mr. Frum attempted to summarize the McGuinty green jobs plan in two short flimsy statements.
This is what he said:
“At enormous cost to the Ontario taxpayer and electricity user, the McGuinty government has joined together two unrelated ideas into one disastrous energy policy:
Idea 1: Ontario should pay the price to shift from coal fired electricity to wind and solar power.
Idea 2: Ontario should subsidize companies that manufacture wind and solar generators. This is the so-called “green jobs” strategy, and a moment’s thought shows how foolish it is.”
His continuing explanation is so far off from the truth in the article that it’s not worth quoting, so I’ll summarize his critique of the above points.
On the first point he makes the case that fully transitioning from coal-powered energy to renewable energy is going to be extremely expensive. This statement is true. Then Mr. Frum continues to say that it is a senseless proposal to subsidize companies in the sector while the operating costs for the venture are going to be so huge. He proposes the purchase of equipment at the cheapest rates possible.
In all, his argument on the first idea is an argument that suggests if something is too expensive to implement, regardless of the long term positive impact it will have, we shouldn’t try implementing it.
I would like to disagree by simply saying that the Liberal plan is a short term suffering for long term gain approach while the Conservative plan for Ontario is the reverse, quick jobs and temporary security at the risk of long term unemployment, loss of competitiveness, future deficits and increased dependence on Alberta, not too mention real damage to the environment.
This is also evident as news surfaced last week that the Conservatives are shutting down data archives and research aimed at examining and tracking ozone layer depletion. The ozone layer, last time I checked, is non-renewable, just like Albertan oil, but more life-threateningly important.
Frum’s critique of the second point however does make a little bit more sense. In it he suggests the exporting of green energy products from the province, whether it’s the manufacture of wind turbines and solar panels or green energy in the form of a service, would be an economically sound approach. He says that at least this way some of the subsidizing costs can be mitigated for the province.
This is not a bad idea, it would make sense economically for Ontario and for the jobs the green energy strategy is trying to create.
However, in its present state the green energy pact is an infinitely better alternative than no green job stratagem at all, a measure the Hudak Conservatives vowed to pursue.
Finally, Frum’s suggestion of firing McGuinty, a premier that can be said to at least have a bold vision for the province, falls a couple of words short of a full endorsement for the continuing production of dirty energy and the conservative will to keep our province in the 20the century, a century behind the rest of the advanced world.
So when it comes to energy policy, Tim Hudak’s “Changebook” isn’t a change oriented platform at all. The man should at least have the nerve to say he doesn’t care about the future and that his only focus in improving Ontario is for the short term.
A link to the National Post article by David Frum, http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Doubling+down+green+jobs+money/5417340/story.html