Alberta After the Oil

ALBERTA’S FUTURE WITHOUT OIL, WHAT TO DO WITH OUR PROVINCIAL SURPLUS

There are three salient, interconnected and interdependent things we can and must do as priorities to ensure the continuing and sustainable well being of our province. Very soon our oil and natural gas supplies will be exhausted. Even before that happens it will be overwhelmingly recognized on the planet that we cannot continue to burn hydrocarbons as our main energy source because of the dangers of global warming. How will we cope when the oil is gone or is unacceptable as a fuel source?
First, we need to become a truly “Learning Society.” People in such societies value every imaginable kind of consciously sought learning opportunity, not just those needed for economic exploitation or gain. They are also characterized by constantly devising ways as a community to use learning and research to tackle the issues facing them. And, their citizens are more tolerant and able to find elegant solutions to the problems they face.
In 1970, Alberta had the lowest rate of community based learning in Canada, tied with Newfoundland at ten percent. This is a rough but useful statistic indicating the number of people, not engaged in fulltime classes, who are enrolled in part time learning as an aspect of their ongoing lifestyle in a year. Two initiatives were undertaken by the Province to attempt to change that low rate. The first was the implementation of Further Education Councils across Alberta. The second was the creation of the Alberta Interdepartmental Community School Programme. These schools became community learning and participation centres in their communities. Participation in some community schools included use of community school fitness facilities available within walking distance of many community residents. In some cases, community based learning rates increased ten fold in the community school catchment areas. This was accomplished even though Further Education Councils were already operating across Alberta.
By 1984, a Statistics Canada study indicated Alberta had the highest rate of community based learning in Canada at twenty-five percent. The Canadian Association for Adult Education declared Alberta “Canada’s Learning Province.” The OECD carried out a study in 1992 to determine the best learning cities in the world. Seven were identified. They were Gothenburg, Vienna, Bologna, Pittsburgh, Adelaide, Kakagawa, and…Edmonton.
Since 1992, Alberta’s rate has declined by about twenty percent. The Community school programme was eliminated in 1993, and the Further Education Council Programme is a pale shadow of itself. Both of these programmes utilized existing institutions, were very economical and generated a very high rate of return on investment. They are both highly desirable and highly feasible as essential parts of an enhanced educational system.
Secondly, by re-instituting these kinds of programmes to create a learning society, we greatly increase our chances to become a full realized democracy in Alberta. To really work, democracy requires a highly educated and learning populace. Only by becoming a true democracy can we put the interests of the whole society and the planet ahead of the interests of the already powerful who do not always put the common good foremost. We can vitalize our democracy by instituting the kind of Electoral Reform Commission that BC has currently operating. The Commission will be recommending a made in BC proportional representation system which could come into effect by 2009. Unfortunately, their commission did not address the concept of public financing of their public governance system. Because whoever pays the piper pays the tune, this is an essential part of any truly democratic jurisdiction. We can and must reform both the voting and the financing of our governance here in Alberta. Thus we will be in a realistic position to set an example to the world in halting global warming.
Finally, how can we stop burning hydrocarbons? Fortunately, Alberta has two of the best wind energy generation sites in the world at Pincher and Waterton. In fact, the whole southern one-third of the province is highly suited to energy production from the wind day and night, year round.
We need to have our provincial government invest every cent of our hydrocarbon wealth it can possibly find into energy conservation and the new gearless wind turbines and other forms of renewable energy generation. We should erect tens of thousands of these turbines. We need to become a world leader in generating electricity from wind energy, in wind turbine manufacture and in storing wind generated energy. A very desirable and feasible way of doing that is through compressing air. Compressed air is portable and does not freeze at ambient temperatures. We must become a world leader in storage, transport and utilization of compressed air as an energy source. In addition to moving quickly to develop electrified rail transit, we need to become a world leader in developing transportation vehicles using compressed air. We need only to look to France where they have developed an auto that runs on compressed air. Interestingly enough, the engine of such a car also provides heating and air conditioning from the very process of operating. How elegant is that? Our well being is dependent on developing publicly owned and operated renewable energy sources that make that energy available at the lowest cost possible.
Conclusion. With the huge economic advantage we would gain from being a world leader as a learning and participatory society, in democratic reform, and in non-polluting energy production and conservation, we can tackle all sorts of social, ecological and economic problems that cry out for attention. Each of the above initiatives is essential, desirable and feasible! And, because we have been endowed with such wealth, we have an ethical responsibility to our younger generations and to the world to set an example in demonstrating that these things can be done.
Brian Staples is chair of a seniors’ social action group called SALT and a retired educator and public servant. He will take anyone sailing at any time.