By: Corbett Gildersleve, Opinions Editor
On Canada Day, Prime Minister Mark Carney released a 17 minute video talking about Canada’s energy future. In it, he discussed how we are in a time of disruption, traditional shipping routes and trade partners have changed, climate change is worsening, and everything is less affordable. His solution is to massively expand fossil fuel exports to reduce other countries’ reliance on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, on July 3, Carney and Alberta Premier Daniel Smith announced the route for their oil pipeline agreement. The Peak has already written on how this agreement will set back Canada’s climate goals by 10 years. Now in his Canada Day video he confirms that Canada won’t meet its targets. It is unacceptable that Carney’s solution is to sell out our shared climate in favour of financial profit.
His goal for domestic energy is to expand electricity infrastructure, nuclear, solar, wind, hydro, and gas power. On the surface it sounds nice, but we aren’t exporting green power or products to Europe or Asia, we’re selling oil and gas. Canada is investing in exporting dirty products to other countries to burn while we make money off of high oil prices from the US and Israel attacking Iran and closing off the Strait of Hormuz. “We don’t control the price of oil,” but we can sure as hell profit off it.
Carney says that “our independence, sustainability, and prosperity will depend crucially on our ability to supply and control our energy” and “when we control our own energy, we control our future.” So, are we going to nationalize these resources like Norway did in 1963, or take over the fossil fuel companies and infrastructure? And, if we do, will history repeat itself with forced resettling of Indigenous Peoples like what Canada and Norway did? Who is this “we” that he talks about? According to a Policy Options 2023 article, “14 prominent shareholders collectively control significant portions of Imperial Oil, Cenovus Energy, Canadian Natural Resources, and Suncor. More striking is that over 70% of these major shareholders are foreign entities.” Canada doesn’t actually control its energy.
Just because you have a resource someone wants, doesn’t mean that you have to take it to market, especially when that resource is bad for the environment we all share. It’s much better if it was left in the ground in the first place, that way there’s no environmental costs to extract, ship, process, ship again, and later burn that fuel.
The world has had multiple oil shocks going back to 1973, however we have good green power alternatives, but Carney barely mentions that. Instead he focuses mostly on how important it is to get Alberta’s oil and gas to BC for exporting to Asia and Europe. The video displays five fossil fuel projects in BC that range from being planned to operating, four of which are liquified natural gas (LNG) projects. These include the LNG Canada phase 1 and 2, Woodfibre LNG, and Cedar LNG.
One idea we share is that for us to be secure, sustainable, and have affordable living costs we need to increase the amount of electricity we produce and what uses it. Carney’s idea is that as the amount of total electricity grows, it becomes cheaper for households. But, in a capitalist economy with private energy providers like ATCO Group in Alberta and Hydro One in Ontario, they still need to be profitable. Prices can’t go too low.
What I noticed most from this video is the complete lack of green power projects that he said are needed
What I noticed most from this video is the complete lack of green power projects that he said are needed. The University of Alberta mapped renewable energy projects up to 2024 and showed that many provinces were not utilizing their solar power potential. Every area of those provinces could host solar farms that produce at least 1 MW of electricity each. Canada has a lot of space, and with support from First Nations and other local governments across the country, we can meet our needs without needing to further pollute the environment.
Concerning Canada’s climate targets Carney says “we can’t afford to restrain the growth of an important part of our energy mix, oil and gas, to meet a short term goal.” What bullshit! Canada meeting its climate targets is not a short-term goal as the climate crisis is not a short-term problem! He talks about how the previous Liberal government’s plan was used by others to pull this country apart. However former prime minister Justin Trudeau bought an oil pipeline for Alberta helping the province sell more oil, yet the United Conservative Party of Alberta and separatists still went forward with their division.
This video’s message was that you have to accept Alberta’s oil and gas dependence under the guise of unity. Sorry, but no we don’t. I grew up in Alberta and even worked in the oil and gas sector for four years. I’ve seen first hand how dirty and wasteful this industry can be. How about we invest in and develop different green tech that works even better in cold climates? Or more efficient on-shore and off-shore wind farms? Or, tidal energy generation, that’s safer for the local habitat, and sell it to all 213 countries that have coast lines? Renewable energy across the world has grown significantly recently, potentially accounting for 50% of world energy demand by 2030 according to an International Energy Agency report in 2024. No, this is just Carney being a coward on climate.
