2012-08-23 The Manitoba Green Plan (2)

The Manitoba Government is planning to replace the current Sustainable Development Act with new legislation intended to foster green development. As preparation for this new legislation, government has prepared a Green Plan for Manitoba. This plan has been dubbed TomorrowNow and Manitobans are invited to comment on it. This is significant democracy, and as citizens we need to take this opportunity to give government feedback. TommorrowNow is available on-line.

The proposed strategies need thoughtful response. This column is intended to encourage thoughtful reflection on this important initiative.

Over the last 150 years we have all developed an attitude of entitlement with respect to cheap energy. This is reflected in the way we transport ourselves; whether it is buying groceries, visiting friends, or going on a holiday. The default is rarely anything other than our car. The expense of moving that ton of steel around is rarely a disincentive to using it. We relish the oranges, bananas and lettuce grown thousands of miles away, without a thought for the energy consumed in growing and transporting that food.

We use electricity to keep us comfortable – and tolerate very little discomfort in that regard. With heating and cooling so cheap, why not! We could use the heat of the sun to do much more, but why should we? Electricity is so cheap!

And so on! We feel entitled to cheap energy.

TomorrowNow proposes many strategies intended to “make Manitoba one of the most sustainable places to live on earth.” Included are strategies to promote research and development, strategies to promote job training, and strategies to promote a shift to electric vehicles, to name but a few. Fundamentally, the strategy is to reward and encourage activities that promote shifts to greener technology.

Good as that strategy is, it leaves out what is most needed: incentives to encourage Manitobans to use energy more sparingly. A shift from gasoline powered vehicles to electric powered vehicles is probably a good thing, but to use the bicycle for short trips is even better. Check previous columns for more on the merits of cycling.

Although education and positive incentives are important, in the end the only thing that will motivate us to move to a lifestyle less focused on energy consumption will be price. As long as the price of energy is cheap, we will squander it.

In Manitoba we are blessed with a huge hydro-electric potential. It is tempting to follow the logic that Manitobans are entitled to cheap electricity. This logic has been implicit in the policy of successive governments. But think about it: this logic does not imply that the hydro energy belongs to Manitobans. No, the logic implies that the hydro energy belongs to energy users living in Manitoba, especially big energy users. The more energy you use, the more you benefit.

There certainly is value in giving support to geothermal technology and power smart programs, but increasing the price of energy, whether it is hydro energy or fossil energy, will do more to move us in that direction than anything else.

Join us for a discussion of TomorrowNow Wednesday, August 29 6:30pm at the Jake Epp library. 

Eric Rempel