Now that our ex-conservative government is no longer suppressing scientific reports in Canada (can we sue elected officials after the fact for economic harm flowing from their criminal negligence and breach of trust in office?–we the people should!) the CBC has obtained a draft copy of a 32 page report from the government’s own Policy Horizons Canada (Read the full report here: PDF link). The little-known government organization provides medium-term policy advice based on their forecasts that look a decade or two into the future.
Their conclusion: Canada’s status as an energy superpower is under threat because the global dominance of fossil fuels could wane faster than previously believed:
“It is increasingly plausible to foresee a future in which cheap renewable electricity becomes the world’s primary power source and fossil fuels are relegated to a minority status.”
(OPEC too, see Liam Denning’s video report here: The beginning of the end for OPEC )
Here is Margaret Atwood’s commentary on Canada’s reality yesterday:
Stephen Harper’s Tories have been out of office for less than a year and now we’re starting to learn what Canada’s researchers had been unable to tell the country about the state of the land and the world. Most recently, Policy Horizons Canada — a Canadian government think-tank that focuses on medium-term predictions — has warned the government that global adoption of renewables is coming on faster than predicted, and shows signs of accelerating, which means that Canada’s economy is in danger — thanks to a decade of orienting the country around exporting some of the dirtiest oil on the planet, at the expense of high-tech manufacturing industries.
The good news is that more people worldwide are now employed in the rapidly growing renewable energy sector than oil and gas combined. Want good, productive, useful jobs that help families and economies rebuild fiscal strength while helping the planet? All while reducing household expenses and directing cash flow from energy savings to other critical investments? Of course we do!!!
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