Dearest readers, these days all of us feel the pressure to just shut off to the world, turn our backs on one another, and focus on saving ourselves. While self-preservation is important, we can never allow ourselves to become polarized across provincial borders. This struggle we are going through, as a country, is not a struggle of "either or". It is a struggle to stick together through the thick of the crisis so we can be reborn once it is behind us, yet still be able to recognize ourselves after. In the media and everyday conversation, I am starting to notice a divide between those who want to put our environment first- including renewable and clean energy solutions- and those who sternly remind us that there is nothing on the horizon that will replace oil on a huge scale any time soon. Ontarians may be frustrated that environmental initiatives are, and will for a long time, be considered frivolous spending or investing by the majority of the country (more or less). Albertans may lament the fact that the oil downturn- you know, the thing you make gasoline from, the fuel which Elon Musk used for the first car he ever drove- has resulted in Calgary currently having 6,700 REAL ESTATE LISTINGS ON REMAX ALONE (mobile homes not included)! Before we devolve into actual conflict, we need to understand that the only way Canada can move forward is if it embraces the symbol of a regular person driving an electric car to their oil sands job.
Let me explain, although I think you already get it at least a fair bit, at most completely :)
I would like to first talk about oil because you do not bite the material that produces the fuel for your car and a key ingredient in the petrochemical industry. According to Orion Magazine, "petrochemicals are used to manufacture analgesics, antihistamines, antibiotics, antibacterials, cough syrups, lubricants, creams, ointments, salves, and many gels." So, those firmly opposed to oil extraction and refining may also consider smacking an antihistamine out of an allergic person's hand when they are having a deadly allergic reaction. Just walk it off eh? As for fuel, most of tomorrow's scientists who will work on nuclear fusion, gene therapy, portable nuclear reactors and next gen renewable energy sources are currently being dropped off at school in gasoline powered cars and diesel powered school buses. Should they not be? There are no ifs ends or buts about it, we know why we need oil and it is ridiculous to pretend otherwise. Next, I found some interesting crude oil facts on the Natural Resources Canada website. Alberta is not the only location of Canadian oil; there are deposits off the coast of Atlantic Canada as well. Canada is also the fourth largest oil producer in the world, yet its harmful greenhouse gas emissions per oil barrel have gone down by 36% since the year 2000! Good stuff. Yet, for all the blessings this wealth represents, some people look down on it like it was the blood diamonds industry! The real concern, I believe, is that due to lack of pipeline capacity since at least 2018, we had to import oil for Saudi Arabia, and we have a history of importing from Iran and Iraq as well. Also, some of our oil is transported by rail, which as of late did not prove to be safer than pipeline transport.
So, to the "environment first people", I could only suggest that they abstain from calling for end of oil without a comprehensive, workable transition plan with a clear time frame divided in stages with clear deadlines. A huge part of that should be projects, initiatives and businesses that will make the oil industry even cleaner. Has it ever occurred to people that you could cut oil related emissions if zero oil had to be delivered to Canada by tankers from far away countries? Or, how about zero emissions if we had enough pipelines for domestic supply instead of relying on freight trains? Mind...blown? Then, how about incentives for oil industry workers to switch to electric cars? Or hybrids? Finally, why are we complaining about plastics so much? Many years ago, I read about these special gigantic microwave machines that break down tires and plastics down to reusable compounds, destroying bad compounds and elements in the process? Why do we not have one at each waste management site? They work, and work well but if you know otherwise- prove me wrong. Bottom line, why are certain people refusing to talk about making useful dirty things cleaner instead of fanatically dedicating themselves to their premature end?
Now, let us focus on the importance of the environmentally conscious side. If this side agrees to a reasonable timeline and rate of progress, and if it offers more and more immediate or near-term solutions to help the environment, lots can be done. One such step would be to admit that nuclear energy is environmentally friendly. I recently read an article about a start-up that designed a new kind of nuclear reactor that uses salt as a key ingredient. It seems safer than the current ones, it can be portable or the design can be scaled up to power plant size, and it is to the standard reactor what the electric motor is to the internal combustion engine. Google it, seems pretty cool (sorry for nerding out haha). We must embrace this type of technology and other similar ones until every block or even better, every house and building, have their own reactors. We have a huge underpopulated country and a revolution in energy generation would help lead us towards spreading out, creating new town and cities, and rapidly expanding existing ones that truly need to expand (towns that should be cities by now). Another good thing for the environment is that we can push for more environmentally friendly home construction materials and approaches. Using shipping containers as building blocks for homes and cottages is increasingly popular, and it helps recycle shipping containers as well. By spreading people out and building greener homes, there would be more places to live and work where you could afford a home on a single income, offering more choices to people who want to be stay at home parents, which would theoretically reduce our national carbon footprint. Sure, this and other similar approaches would not be enough to, hmm, save (?) the global environment, but they are sober, profitable, scalable and attainable. If done right, they can work hand in hand with the oil industry to propel Canada to the next stage on the global scene by unlocking our true potential.
There it is, dearest readers- the reason why we must embrace both electric cars and oil.
Let me explain, although I think you already get it at least a fair bit, at most completely :)
I would like to first talk about oil because you do not bite the material that produces the fuel for your car and a key ingredient in the petrochemical industry. According to Orion Magazine, "petrochemicals are used to manufacture analgesics, antihistamines, antibiotics, antibacterials, cough syrups, lubricants, creams, ointments, salves, and many gels." So, those firmly opposed to oil extraction and refining may also consider smacking an antihistamine out of an allergic person's hand when they are having a deadly allergic reaction. Just walk it off eh? As for fuel, most of tomorrow's scientists who will work on nuclear fusion, gene therapy, portable nuclear reactors and next gen renewable energy sources are currently being dropped off at school in gasoline powered cars and diesel powered school buses. Should they not be? There are no ifs ends or buts about it, we know why we need oil and it is ridiculous to pretend otherwise. Next, I found some interesting crude oil facts on the Natural Resources Canada website. Alberta is not the only location of Canadian oil; there are deposits off the coast of Atlantic Canada as well. Canada is also the fourth largest oil producer in the world, yet its harmful greenhouse gas emissions per oil barrel have gone down by 36% since the year 2000! Good stuff. Yet, for all the blessings this wealth represents, some people look down on it like it was the blood diamonds industry! The real concern, I believe, is that due to lack of pipeline capacity since at least 2018, we had to import oil for Saudi Arabia, and we have a history of importing from Iran and Iraq as well. Also, some of our oil is transported by rail, which as of late did not prove to be safer than pipeline transport.
So, to the "environment first people", I could only suggest that they abstain from calling for end of oil without a comprehensive, workable transition plan with a clear time frame divided in stages with clear deadlines. A huge part of that should be projects, initiatives and businesses that will make the oil industry even cleaner. Has it ever occurred to people that you could cut oil related emissions if zero oil had to be delivered to Canada by tankers from far away countries? Or, how about zero emissions if we had enough pipelines for domestic supply instead of relying on freight trains? Mind...blown? Then, how about incentives for oil industry workers to switch to electric cars? Or hybrids? Finally, why are we complaining about plastics so much? Many years ago, I read about these special gigantic microwave machines that break down tires and plastics down to reusable compounds, destroying bad compounds and elements in the process? Why do we not have one at each waste management site? They work, and work well but if you know otherwise- prove me wrong. Bottom line, why are certain people refusing to talk about making useful dirty things cleaner instead of fanatically dedicating themselves to their premature end?
Now, let us focus on the importance of the environmentally conscious side. If this side agrees to a reasonable timeline and rate of progress, and if it offers more and more immediate or near-term solutions to help the environment, lots can be done. One such step would be to admit that nuclear energy is environmentally friendly. I recently read an article about a start-up that designed a new kind of nuclear reactor that uses salt as a key ingredient. It seems safer than the current ones, it can be portable or the design can be scaled up to power plant size, and it is to the standard reactor what the electric motor is to the internal combustion engine. Google it, seems pretty cool (sorry for nerding out haha). We must embrace this type of technology and other similar ones until every block or even better, every house and building, have their own reactors. We have a huge underpopulated country and a revolution in energy generation would help lead us towards spreading out, creating new town and cities, and rapidly expanding existing ones that truly need to expand (towns that should be cities by now). Another good thing for the environment is that we can push for more environmentally friendly home construction materials and approaches. Using shipping containers as building blocks for homes and cottages is increasingly popular, and it helps recycle shipping containers as well. By spreading people out and building greener homes, there would be more places to live and work where you could afford a home on a single income, offering more choices to people who want to be stay at home parents, which would theoretically reduce our national carbon footprint. Sure, this and other similar approaches would not be enough to, hmm, save (?) the global environment, but they are sober, profitable, scalable and attainable. If done right, they can work hand in hand with the oil industry to propel Canada to the next stage on the global scene by unlocking our true potential.
There it is, dearest readers- the reason why we must embrace both electric cars and oil.