https://www.pexels.com/photo/industrial-machine-during-golden-hour-162568
Hi, today I want to talk about the Alberta energy sector and their decision to essentially die on the sword of oil and gas. Let’s do a quick retrospective on how we got here. Climate change has been becoming a bigger and bigger topic from year to year. With COP 26 having just ended the stage has been growing and the audience’s attention is fully on our leaders.
When it comes to who the audience is, it is everyone who wants to live on a planet where natural disasters aren’t a weekly event. With all of this attention pressure has been growing as year by year our leaders say one thing and then do another. A great example of this attitude is Greta Thunberg, she is blunt about her rhetoric and this has led her to become a voice for the younger generation.
A reminder: the people in power don’t need conferences, treaties or agreements to start taking real climate action. They can start today.
When enough people come together then change will come and we can achieve almost anything. So instead of looking for hope – start creating it.— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 15, 2021
My point today is to talk about how Alberta has decided to choose oil and gas over all others. They see it as something that is the backbone to who they are as a province, their roots if you will. What is more important is that as we move away from these energy resources they are all too willing to dig their heels in deeper simply as a show of resistance to change. Change is scary, and change is necessary. The oil companies know this, they are not going to want to stop making money, simply because the oil and gas industry is no longer relevant.
They will transition away to greener pastures, and what they will leave behind is not only their infrastructure but also their workers. The oil companies have no loyalty to the workers and so they will move to where the money is. What could change this is if they were to be told that they have to transition and they were given conditions for that transition. Such as, you have to train employees to be able to work in the new energy sector. Not leave them behind, and if the government wants to talk to Alberta about this I’m sure that much like every other big business they would be willing to throw money at that transitional period.
This is why I think that Alberta can move away from being less sustainable if they wanted to. Now it is up to them to see what they want to do. So far it has been more of the same.