NP Perspective: Saving the Planet with Canadian Oil and Gas

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When it comes to reducing emissions, it’s time for Canada to consider alternatives.

The country could disappear from the map tomorrow, and in terms of direct impacts on the climate, little global change would occur. Accounts for 1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissionsthere is little we can do domestically. Per capita we are second only to Saudi Arabia, that’s for sure – but the atmosphere doesn’t care about per capita.

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All of this means that Canada’s current plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 won’t make much of a difference globally: about 30 per cent of our “emissions reductions” will only migrateand even if they don’t, a 100% success rate doesn’t help. No, it’s the others that matter. The big fish: China, the US, India, the EU, Russia – the jurisdictions are large enough that their energy choices have an impact.

It is true that the rest of the world, namely the small countries, account for a larger share of total emissions than China. Most countries are small and account for only a small fraction of the world’s greenhouse gases. However, what many of them burn is dirty and far more polluting than Canada does today. Coal, whose production capacity is Growth In Asia, responsible Highest level As for non-renewable energy sources, as well as wood (which is usually considered renewable, although this is Not always) are often even worse. These are the problem fuels—not natural gas, not even crude oil.

So, to support the obvious business case, there is an environmental reason for Canada to export oil and gas: sell it to those who burn dirtier fuels, meeting their energy needs while reducing global emissions and supplementing our own budget. This is good for developed countries – look at troubled Europe. Replace some plants In 2022, coal will become its main enemy, as its main gas supplier becomes its main enemy—in the developing world. India, for example, is working to double its coal production by 2030 to meet its energy needs; if it uses Canadian gas, insteada large amount of emissions will be avoided.

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In fact, a report from the National Bank of Canada states that if India’s coal-fired power generation were replaced by natural gas, the impact on the planet would be “more profound than a complete economic shutdown of Canada.”

We must allow the rest of the world to abandon their coal and wood-burning lifestyles, but we don’t have to do it at the expense of our own economic well-being. Punish ourselves with rising carbon taxes and emissions. Fuel Limit and fertilizer There was no way to convince the rest of the world to accept the plan.

Whatever Canadians think about carbon taxes, they want clean air and a clean environment. Littering is prohibited, poaching wildlife is condemned, and we all agree that acid rain should be prevented, as should spills and soil contamination. Some environmental rules are welcome, but it is an abuse of good intentions for authorities to keep us in poverty by paying more and more for the fuel that is now necessary for modern life.

In fact, people are already tired: Last year, a majority of Canadians (about 40%) want to completely abolish the carbon tax. The biggest advantage of this policy is the family tax rebate, which is Failed selling point The Liberal legislature did little to drum up support for the pricing plan — in fact, one study found that it could Harmful Gain public support.

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Canada would be better off spending its time not on self-flagellation and unproductive regressive indulgences but on aggressive research and technology development. If we really want to lead the way to a utopian world of high-energy, low-emission fuels, we should make nuclear energy a priority — while continuing to extract fossil fuels as long as we need to.

We can export relatively clean-burning natural gas because Germany, Greece, Poland, Japan and South Korea We have asked, we can continue to be a Ethical sourcing of uraniumWe can contribute Coal will remain the world’s primary energy source by 2025, currently accounting for 40% of global electricity, especially in developing countries. To achieve this goal within a feasible timeframe, we can accelerate Putting these ideas into practice is a painstaking process.

Canada’s climate story should be one of hope and achievement, not shame and contempt. The way forward is upward and outward, not through economic hardship and penny-pinching. As long as humanity needs energy, we should be proud to provide it.

National Post

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