Another Earth Day has come and gone. Delegates are in Ottawa this week to hammer out a global treaty on plastics. These events occurred against a backdrop of continued uncertainty about our commitment to fighting climate change. Carbon pricing, electric vehicles and other climate-friendly measures are taking a backseat to pocketbook issues such as affordability. This kind of short-term thinking is creating anxiety among young people and climate activists who desperately want to be more hopeful about the future. Perhaps some relief from climate anxiety can be found by imagining what the world would be like if we adopted these climate-friendly measures.
My vision begins with this scenario in Calgary in the year 2029.
Dust rises above a group of volunteers digging with shovels and bare hands in fresh soil as they plant seedlings for Calgary’s latest community forestry project in a field next to the Shepard Energy Center north of the Calgary Ring Road. Boisterous chatter and the invigorating smell of fresh earth fill the air.
After removing your Shepard Power Plant, Enmax converted the site into Canada’s first hybrid power plant with two gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity, 500 megawatts (MW) of geothermal energy and four GW-hours of energy storage. With this additional capacity, Alberta’s power grid is now more than 90 per cent emissions-free.
The province also invested in increasing its power-sharing capacity tenfold between Montana, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Energy sharing between regions now meets peak demand when renewable capacity is low and avoids powering up the few that remain. combined cycle gas plants.
Calgary’s transit system has been fully electrified and fuel cost savings have been directed toward expanding service toward a hub-and-spoke design that more efficiently utilizes CTrain lines and shortens routes for electric buses.
The city is also continually expanding its bike lane network to compete with bike-friendly urban centers like Montreal and vancouver. The bike lanes are packed with scooters and electric bikes from April to October and many hardy people continue to commute by bike all year round.
Over the years, the expected strain on the electrical grid never materialized, as new building codes mandated solar panels on residential and commercial buildings, increased thermal insulation, and heat pumps to help reduce demand for air conditioning. in the hottest summer months.
Smart meters and two-way electric vehicle chargers allow utilities to use vehicles and residential battery storage as virtual power plants when demand increases. Despite a growing population, energy consumption is now lower than at the beginning of the century.
Perhaps some relief from climate anxiety can be found by imagining what the world would be like if we adopted these climate-friendly measures, in 2029, writes @winexus #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli #ClimateChange #EarthDay
As society struggled through what is now recognized as the final decade of the fossil fuel era, we reached a tipping point where global demand for dirty energy finally began to decline. There was turmoil in the oil markets and prices plummeted.
Panic in the industry was triggered by the bankruptcy of Chevron, one of the largest oil companies in the world, and Alberta experienced the largest oil crisis in its history. These were difficult times for Albertans because little had been done to prepare for the global drop in oil demand.
Tough times spur transformation and the “great crisis” began a race to rebuild Alberta’s energy economy based on abundant wind and solar resources. Rural communities that once feared renewable energy now embraced the jobs, reliable income, and growing tax base.
After years of steadily rising temperatures, persistent drought and wildfire smoke, agricultural producers were ready for the lifeline offered by wind and solar companies. They also became increasingly frustrated with the oil industry as jobs disappeared and the number of abandoned wells approached 400,000 sites, a huge cleanup responsibility for all Albertans.
It is now evident that the oil and gas industry never intended to clean up its mess as profits evaporated and oil sands operations were shuttered. Corporations continue to walk away from their businesses, forcing the provincial government to become caretaker of a declining industry. This exodus is having a surprisingly positive result.
Without the financial resources to fund lobbyists, greenwashing campaigns and right-wing media corporations, it is now much easier for federal and provincial governments to introduce climate-friendly policies. As political campaign funding dries up for oil-loving populist parties, support for climate action among conservatives is growing, and rapidly. Conservatives are seeing opportunities for new businesses and their traditional nature-friendly values are re-emerging.
We are in a golden age of regenerative dialogue. Extractive and polluting industries are regulated and their incessant consumption of resources is restricted. Forestry companies are forced to adopt selective logging practices and plant diverse and regenerative ecosystems where clear-cutting is still permitted. Logging of ancient forests is prohibited throughout the country.
Lands have been returned to indigenous communities, starting with property title agreement with the Haida Nation in 2024. As a result, an ecosystem services economy emerged, generating new income and livelihoods in nature-based management. Wildfires are decreasing in size and intensity as indigenous communities take responsibility for managing boreal forests. New microclimates are being developed in Alberta to restore desiccated areas. hydrological cycle.
When green building standards were introduced, energy demand plummeted as strategically placed shade trees, living walls and rooftop gardens became standard features. Budgets for urban forestry doubled and the destructive cycle of tree loss was reversed. All this vegetation contributed to cleaner air and reduced urban heat islands that were becoming a health problem throughout the country.
As the world transitions to a more peaceful and cooperative society, it is becoming clear that much of the polarization was driven by a dying fossil industry struggling to preserve its wealth and power. All levels of government have now agreed to review the Constitution to protect nature and prevent extractive industries from regaining stranglehold on society.
As countries began to work collaboratively on efforts to transition economies to prioritize ecosystem services, millions of acres of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and mangroves were restored. A revolution in regenerative agriculture improved soil health and prevented the demise of a food system that had been reaching breaking point as the planet warmed to unsustainable levels.
Our world is not yet perfect, but it finally seems that a catastrophe has been averted. Everything is recovering quickly, including our relationships with each other. Children no longer despair when they learn about global warming because we can point out all the progress that is being made. It may take centuries to return to the pristine world we once had, but we are finally on a path that will take us there.
You may feel that this utopian outcome is impossible to achieve, but right now we have all the necessary knowledge and solutions. We can decide what future we will build. Do we want to keep building fossil fuel infrastructure and increasing our carbon pollution or is the utopian vision something worth fighting for? National Hockey League great Wayne Greztky once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
Rob Miller is a retired systems engineer, formerly with General Dynamics Canada, who now volunteers at the Calgary Climate Hub and writes on behalf of Eco-Elders for Climate Action, but any opinions expressed in his work are his own.