Lesson 25 — Activity 2: A Greener Alberta

When a policy or law is passed regarding any natural resource or environmental issue, people's careers are often on the line. There needs to be a balance with saving the environment and making a living.

Everyone would love to see the lowering of greenhouse gases and a slow to climate change, but we also need to make sure that we are not losing so much of an industry that we are putting thousands of people out of work.

Big business such as the oil companies in Alberta end up having to pay more in taxation and be more environmentally responsible if they are to use and sell natural resources. This is not such a bad thing, but we have to remember to take into consideration the jobs that may be lost do to these changes.

If we come up with alternative sources of energy and we train people to work in the new energy areas, we could solve both problems. Take forestry for an example. Alberta's foresters are replanting what they are cutting down for wood products. New technology has also virtually eliminated the discharge of harmful toxins in the production of pulp and paper products.

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Canada, with its large landmass and varied geography, has substantial renewable resources that can be used to produce energy. These resources include moving water, wind, solar, biomass (from plants and animals), geothermal (heat from the earth), and ocean energy.

Renewable energy is energy obtained from natural resources that can be naturally replenished or renewed within a human lifespan; that is, the resource is a sustainable source of energy. Some natural resources, such as moving water, wind, and sunshine, are not at risk of depletion from their use for energy production.

@creativecommons

wind power

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solar power

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hydropower (water)

Canada is a world leader in the production and use of energy from renewable resources. Renewable energy sources currently provide about 18.9 percent of Canada’s total primary energy supply.

As you can see, it is important to balance saving our environment and keeping Canadians working in these important areas. Hopefully Canadians will keep coming up with viable ways to make our country more "green" without putting thousands of people out of work.

Self-check!

Digging Deeper!