Rob Miller is a retired systems engineer, formerly with General Dynamics Canada, who now volunteers with the Calgary Climate Hub and writes on behalf of Eco-Elders for Climate Action, but any opinions expressed in his work are his own.
Given the fossil fuel industry’s track record, there is good reason to mistrust the motives behind the oilsands consortium’s sudden commitment to joining the fight against climate change.
There are certainly many active ways to give back to nature during Earth Week and beyond. But my recommendation is to take it slow and try to connect with nature.
Alberta's renewable industry, which pays its taxes and appears to have a working relationship with its community partners, may be the target of a wilful disinformation campaign led by Premier Danielle Smith.
The renewable energy industry is booming in the province and this is a clear indicator that the market is signalling abundant future demand for clean electricity.
The reduction of GHG emissions achieved when switching from a natural gas water heater to a thermal storage system over a 20-year period is equivalent to the emissions generated driving a Honda Accord over 300,000 kilometres.
Transport is one of the highest-emitting sectors in Canada, just behind electricity and heat. Electric vehicles are a solution gaining global adoption and will eventually become less expensive to purchase.
Coal mining may be on hold in Alberta, but clear-cut logging will increase in a region where the downstream agriculture industry can ill afford to damage its watershed.
