Routine server maintenance link is up.
I don’t believe in being an arm chair environmentalist the degradation of our environment is not just a result of corporations its been built on a culture of consumption and consumer demand. There are alot of large scale question that require a deeper understanding of individual self awareness, and consciousness of our place in nature as human beings.
To your questions, the global market has been moving towards green energy very aggressively over the last 15 years and Canada has lagged behind in this movement by not supporting commercialization efforts and focusing to heavy on demonstration and R&D. It’s not enough to just create National Park and call it a night, we have serious development issues of how live and the energy demand we require, this is a global phenomenon and a challenge our generation will be left with over the coming decades.
To your point about the environmental degradation; I think weak government policy and a lack of protection is huge problem we both agree. However for me personally it’s about setting a higher standard of values and sound policy about developing the economic supporting system we need to live in the paradigm we say we want. Again it’s enough to just say something you have to make an effort t to do it. We have many resources, tools, processes, technologies, education and many other things that allow us to achieve our goals. Yet I don’t think we have used these resources to their maximum potential of achieving our desired results which I perceive to be a sustainable thriving clean energy sector that is harmonious with our environment and development principles. If you want to focus the attention on bashing Big Oil, by all means join the bandwagon there are hundreds of documentaries I have watched that articulate the deficits of these companies and sector much better than I could ever. I’m more concerned about solutions and how we shift the focus from destroying the environment to preserving it, honouring it, people call it why should east coaster have to fly to the oil patch when there is this massive potential for “Green Collar Jobs” http://bit.ly/ZKb85l
I think the focus and interest for Canadians should be the 400+ small and medium sized Canadian companies in the SDTC portfolio that have massive potential but have been suppressed within the bureaucracy of what I like to call the “Canadian Clean Tech Maze”. These are Canadian companies who took the front line lead in not just talking about saving the environment, but creating tools and products/services that elevate and support more responsible development. The government has already invested billions of dollars into these companies and the private sector is taking a more hands approach as well to help commercialize and mobilize this sector of the economy that is the solution to the problem of irresponsible development. If you think it is impossible to have development and economic growth at the same time I would love to give you the example of where the world is going just look at www.desertec.org . Or the muliti-billion dollar investments Siemens has made into the Canadian cleantech sector. We need to focus on manufacturing not just vehicles but green infrastructure that means green jobs, etc… The market and consumer demands traditionally dictate the market, however with the monetary policy and positioning of central banks across the world this has disrupted the natural flow of supply and demand, which has made me personally support Milton Freidman’s views when it comes to government’s intervention and monetary policy. I think instead of just protesting anti-development of oil sands we need to be cheering pro green economy development, it’s a compromise and logical solution to a huge problem. In the end Mother Nature will get even either way, I just rather be the on the side that made efforts to avoid her wrath!