There are formidable technical and economic obstacles to replacing fossil fuels with other forms of energy
With the federal election fast approaching, we can expect to hear a lot about climate change, energy policy and how government can spur the development of a ‘low-carbon’ economy. These themes are central to the platforms of a number of the political parties contesting the election. The discussion of these topics takes place against the…
A ban of anything the environmental movement doesn’t like is smart politics for a government that wants to look green. But a bag ban is pointless
The fish in the movie Finding Nemo had made their great escape. After a far-fetched plan and an unlikely set of circumstances, five fish made it out the window and into the ocean. But since they each floated as buoyant prisoners in plastic bags, one asked, “Now what?” It’s the very question those on the…
Elected officials are wrong to think that "clean tech" is about to reshape the Canadian economy
There’s no evidence that “clean-tech” innovation is about to reshape Canada's economy, no matter how desirable that would be. Across Canada, politicians have become bedazzled by the potential of the clean-tech sector to drive economic growth. The 2017 federal budget earmarks more than $2.2 billion in new spending to boost the industry, with a focus…
Important shifts in production and consumption are underway but any global energy revolution will be considerably slower than many believe
Some Canadian environmental groups claim the world is making a dramatic move toward carbon-free energy sources. The implication is that Canada – one of the world’s largest producers of oil and natural gas – should quickly abandon the fossil fuel economy and embrace renewable energy as the only pathway to a prosperous future. Important shifts…
The assumptions underpinning Alberta’s economy are wrong
Alberta is changing. It has a new NDP government, a scary new fiscal ‘reality’ with $60 oil and a millennial generation coming of age with a new lease on life. But Alberta is also linked to the past and a very particular set of economic assumptions. Alberta’s economic strategy remains solidly industrial, predicated on oil…
Dramatic improvements in performance will soon silence alternative energy’s critics
Alternative energy sources like wind and solar have one thing in common with automobiles. In their early days, both were written off as frivolous technologies that wouldn’t amount to much. After two early misfires, Henry Ford had desperate trouble getting enough financing to build the assembly line that would in essence lay the foundation for…
With the federal election fast approaching, we can expect to hear a lot about climate change, energy policy and how government can spur the development of a ‘low-carbon’ economy. These themes are central to the platforms of a number of the political parties contesting the election. The discussion of these topics takes place against the…
